Ga Governor to take on education, ethics, justice system in last term

Georgia Goveor Nathan Deal (R), fresh off his reelection victory a week ago, told the Atlanta Joual – Constitution (AJC) that he’s planning to tackle education reform, the ethics agency overhaul, and further changes to the state justice system in his second term.

Deal’s opponent in the 2014 election, state Sen. Jason Carter (D), ran his campaign on education reform which forced the goveor to answer some tough questions about education budget cuts.  During the election cycle, and now in the interview with the AJC, Deal complained about an outdated formula that determines how much funding goes to the schools.

The Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula, developed in 1985, allocates state revenues to schools based on factors such as student enrollment, transportation needs, and textbooks. Deal complained that the state budget cannot keep up with the spending growth determined by the formula.

The goveor also plans on focusing on literacy rates, increasing the number of charter schools, and would like to see the Legislature consider merit-based pay for teachers.

While education issues can be very polarizing, and any changes to the system are difficult to pass, the ethics commission in Georgia certainly needs an overhaul so that’s an area where Deal should have significant support.  

The goveor would like to increase the agency’s funding and replace its five-member panel with 13 members; the members would be picked by the executive, legislative and judicial branch - 4 members by each branch, and then the 12 would pick the 13^th member.

Currently, three members of the commission are chosen by the goveor, one by the lieutenant goveor, and one by House speaker.  This arrangement got the goveor in trouble when he was sued for forcing out commission chief Stacey Kalberman for investigating Deal’s 2010 gubeatorial campaign. Kalberman won the case and a $700,000 judgment.

Lastly, the goveor hopes to continue his work within the criminal justice system in his second term.  Deal wants the Legislature to direct more funding towards the drug and mental health accountability courts, established in the goveor’s last term, to ensure cost-effective and more appropriate sentencing for non-violent defendants.