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Health & Fitness

SOS: Charter Schools - Tampering with Amendment 1

Secretary Kemp has done it again!

From Garland Favorito, Founder www.VoterGa.com

Prior to the July 31 primary I sent out a bulletin explaining that Secretary of State (SOS), Brian Kemp, had incorporated false, promotional language into the TSPLOST ballot referendum question. The legally required ballot question for the referendum according to HB277 and Act 554 of the 2010 Georgia General Assembly read:

  • “Shall ___ County's transportation system and the transportation network in this region and the state be improved by providing for a 1percent special district transportation sales and use tax for the purpose of transportation projects and programs for a period of ten years?”

But Secretary Kemp acknowledged adding promotional language in large font that read:

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  • "Provides for local transportation projects to create jobs and reduce traffic congestion with citizen oversight."

The problem is that the claims made in Secretary Kemp’s new promotional language were either unproven or false. Specifically, there was no provision for citizen oversight since oversight is performed only by political appointees. (See the www.voterga.org home page)

Well now it seems that Secretary Kemp has done it again. Here is the ballot language for the proposed Charter School Constitutional Amendment.

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As you can see, the legal question is correctly and fairly worded:

  • “Shall the Constitution of the Georgia be amended to allow state or local approval of public charter schools upon the request of local communities?”

But Secretary Kemp has again added promotional language in large font that is unproven and potentially false. It reads:

  • "Provides for improving student achievement and parental involvement through more public charter school options."

No matter how Georgians may decide to vote on the amendment, I think we can all agree there is simply no proof that new state approval of Charter Schools would improve student achievement or increase parental involvement. This claim is as unverifiable as the voting machines that Secretary Kemp refuses to replace. Like most previous amendments, it should be voted up or down based on the legal question that is posed. Until this year, I cannot recall any previous amendment or referendum in Georgia history where the Secretary of State has so blatantly attempted to influence the outcome of an election. While the SOS has some legal leeway to add language to a Constitutional amendment question, that certainly should not include false or unproven clauses.

Thank you, Garland

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