Clairmont Heights Civic Association

Georgia Charter School 

Constitutional Amendment 

On November 6th, Georgia voters will have a decision to make on the future creation of Charter Schools. In 2011, a divided 4-3 Georgia Supreme Court decision prohibited the ability of the State to establish public charter schools. The court opinion explicitly stated that school boards have the exclusive control over K-12 education. This decision led to the General Assembly passing legislation with a 2/3 majority, to place this issue on the ballot for Georgia voters to make the decision about amending the State Constitution. 

Most people agree that local school boards play a critical role in public education. However, many people believe that local school boards should not have exclusive control over public education. If passed by voters in November, this referendum would re-establish the state's partnership role in public education through a constitutional amendment. 

The enabling legislation for this amendment
clearly states that local funding may not be used to fund charter schools established by the state. For several years leading up to that decision, the State Charter School Commission had the ability to authorize charters schools in Georgia. 

Join us for an informative discussion at The Community Achievement Center on Tuesday August 21st, to learn more about this important issue. Our panel will feature speakers representing both sides of the issue. 

Supreme Court Impacts on Georgia Lake Lanier

On June 25, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a 1990 suit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to keep Metro Atlanta from gaining access to Lake Lanier as a source for future water services. Today, Gainesville Florida, Cumming, Georgia, Beaufort, North Carolina, and Forsyth, Georgia and Gwinnett, Georgia use Lake Lanier Basin for drinking water. Alabama and Florida challenged the extension of Lanier to Metro Atlanta providing that the federal reservoir is, "to

control floods, float barges downstream and generate power." In June 2010, Governor Sonny Perdue signed a 2030 request to conserve water in order to take proper recourse to protecting the Lanier Water Basin. The law limited the usage of outdoor watering between peak times, from 10:00 AM to 4:00PM. In January 2011, Deal allocated $300 to develop the reservoir. However, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to the Savannah-Army Corp of Engineers to deliberate on the Buford Dam. The Corps of Engineers determined that Georgia has the right to request water usage from the Lake Lanier Basin. 

Lake Lanier is a part of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) river system that provides water to Gainesville, Florida. The Supreme Court ruled to stay out of the conflict and give Georgia the ability to settle the issue of Lake Lanier. According to the Chattahoochee Riverkeepers, Sally Bethea, "$300 million," will be funded to develop water supply projects. The solution is to build the capacity for Lake Lanier to support Metro Atlanta. However, new development is planned along an 850 acres lake upstream on Lanier Flat creek.  $11 million is allocated to get a permit for an Environmental Impact Station to evaluate the support to meet standards set by the National Energy Policy Act to provide water resources and its impact for Metro Atlanta. 

It is projected that 297 millions of gallons are used of Lake Lanier daily. To meet the 2030 needs a total of 705 million gallons are projected, which is an addition of 208 million downstream and the 297 used currently.  The Ruling was the response to Georgia's request to use 705 million gallon of water a day to meet future 2030 demands. 

State Representative

Phone: 404 656-6372  

District Address:  

P.O. Box 360549

Decatur, GA 30036