News from Rep. Pam Dickerson | Georgia House District 113
February 17, 2015
Rep. Pam Dickerson

Wednesday, Feb. 18, will be the 17th legislative day of the 2015 session of the Georgia General Assembly.

Please feel free to contact me with your views on the issues facing our state, or whenever I can be of service. Thank you for allowing me to continue to serve you in the Georgia General Assembly.

Rep. Pam Dickerson 

Rep. Dickerson and Speaker David Ralston thank Marissa Jones for her service as a page in the House of Representatives.

Rep. Dickerson and Speaker Ralston thank Tashera Comacho for serving as a House page.

Rep. Dickerson at work in the House of Representatives chamber with fellow Rep. Earnest Smith. 

Georgia State Capitol

House approves legislation to remove high school diploma barrier

The House of Representatives voted Feb. 12 to approve legislation that would retroactively provide former students who did not pass the Georgia High School Graduation Test with the opportunity to earn a high school diploma.
 
The graduation test was phased out three years ago, but it remains a barrier for some students who attended high school when graduation was partly contingent on passing the exam. HB 91 would allow students who had failed the test but met all other graduation requirements to petition their local school board to obtain a diploma from their high school.
 
This legislation would help these students in pursuing postsecondary education and in entering the job market. HB 91 now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
 
Legislation addresses issues of aging population

On Feb. 11, the House voted to approve legislation that would establish the Georgia Adult and Aging Services Agency to be responsible for ensuring that state services are properly and effectively administered to meet the needs of older adults and people with disabilities, along with making improvements to those services when necessary.
 
HB 86 moves the current Division of Aging Services out of the massive Department of Human Services, allowing state officials to better focus on individuals dealing with Alzheimer's disease and dementia, which affects many families across the state. The legislation now goes to the Senate for its consideration.

Governor unveils Opportunity School District proposal

Legislation proposed by Gov. Nathan Deal is being introduced to create an Opportunity School District that will allow the state to temporarily step in to assist chronically failing schools.
 
In the governor's proposal, persistently failing schools are defined as those scoring below 60 on the Georgia Department of Education's accountability measure, the College and Career Performance Index (CCRPI), for three consecutive years.
 
The Opportunity School District would take in no more than 20 schools per year, meaning it would govern no more than 100 at any given time. Schools would stay in the district for no less than five years but no more than 10 years.
 
Creating the Opportunity School District involves amending the Constitution, which requires two-thirds approval in both the House and Senate and majority approval of the voters in the next General Election.

Rep. Dickerson's Legislation
Recent action on legislation sponsored or co-sponsored by Rep. Pam Dickerson:

HB 262 Education; minimum base salary for certified professional personnel with bachelor's degree and no experience; revise (referred to House Education Committee)

HB 272 Minimum wage; provide for substantive and comprehensive reform of provisions regarding the law; provisions (referred to House Industry & Labor Committee)

HR 227 Styles, Robert; commend and invite to House (adopted by House)

Click here for all of Rep. Dickerson's 2015-2016 legislation.

Contact Rep. Dickerson
At the Capitol:
611-E Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone 404-656-0314
In the District:
P.O. Box 1016, Conyers, GA 30013
Phone 678-207-6043