Albers Wants To Protect Police Dogs, Require Digital Textbooks For Schools

By Sen. John Albers (R- Roswell)

This time last year we were recovering from the effects of Snowmageddon, the storm that shut down Atlanta. This week, we were threatened by forecasts of sleet, snow and ice, but that didn’t slow us down. We are continuing to pick up the pace as we move closer to the end of the 153rd Legislative Session and I look forward to keeping you updated as we move along.

This week we passed several pieces of legislation designed to benefit and protect the service men, women and animals who serve in our nations’ military and our state’s police force. On Tuesday, we unanimously passed Senate Bill 18, a bill that will allow the Technical College System of Georgia to accept previous military work experience for academic credit. The brave men and women who serve and protect our country deserve to be credited for the knowledge they acquired through their service.

In addition to helping those who have already served in the United States Military, we passed SB 58, a bill that will support the dreams of high school students who wish to obtain military training while earning a college degree. SB 58 will create the Georgia Leadership and Service Act, a bill designed to encourage exceptional high school seniors who show leadership capabilities to join the ROTC program at any institution in the University System of Georgia. This bill will allow every member of the General Assembly, the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor to recommend a student, who meets the requirements, for admission into an ROTC program.

Not only do we need to ensure that the men and women who serve our country are protected under the law, but we also need to ensure that the service animals who serve our country are protected to the same degree. Friday, the Senate passed SB 72, a piece of legislation that will establish new crimes and punishments for an individual found guilty of harming or killing a police animal while it is performing its duties.

In order to adequately prepare our children for the digital world we currently live, we need to make the investment in their education. I sponsored SB 89, the Digital Classroom Act, to begin the transition from paper text books to digital text books. In the bill, school boards will be responsible for providing all laptops or tablets and all digital content to each student in their respective districts. This bill, if passed, will require all schools in Georgia to provide all instructional materials in a digital format by July 1, 2020. SB 89 received a “do pass” recommendation from the Senate Science and Technology Committee and will be heard on the floor on Monday.

On March 7, I am hosting a town hall meeting at Roswell City Hall. I will be sharing updates about the General Assembly’s business at the Capitol. I strongly encourage you to attend, as this informal meeting provides an excellent opportunity for you to get involved in the legislative process.

I am humbled that you chose me to represent the 56th Senate District and I will do my best to ensure that your best interests are in the forefront of my decision making process. If you have any questions or concerns regarding pending legislation, please feel free to reach out to me at any time!

Sen. John Albers serves as chairman of the State and Local Government Operations. He represents the 56th Senate District which includes portions of north Fulton and Cherokee counties. He may be reached at his office at 404.463.8055 or by email at john.albers@senate.ga.gov.