The Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building pictured on Nov. 25, 2024. (Photo by Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom)
A bill preparing Georgia for the end of the U.S. Department of Education moved closer to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk Friday when it passed the state House 144-15 with bipartisan support.
Senate Bill 154 amends numerous sections of state code regarding the department, adding “or its successor.”
Proponents say it would allow the state to continue work like licensing new professionals if the department is eliminated.
President Donald Trump sent his strongest signal yet that he intends to do just that Thursday, signing an executive order calling on Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” of the agency.
McMahon pledged to “follow the law and eliminate the bureaucracy responsibly by working through Congress to ensure a lawful and orderly transition,” though it is not clear whether the administration can whip enough votes to make that happen.
Department supporters say it provides vital services and enforces federal laws to ensure schools are safe, supportive and effective. Opponents say eliminating the department would save money and allow for more local control of education.
Kemp praised Trump’s order in a post on X Thursday.
“In Georgia, we’ve empowered parents, supported our teachers, and put students first. @POTUS executive order puts education back where it belongs: with the states.”
In the House, some of the praise for the state bill preparing for the potential closure was more muted.
Duluth Democratic Rep. Ruwa Romman, who voted for the bill, said she was glad to see the House and Senate come together to protect Georgians, but she said she’s not so glad that what they’re protecting Georgians from are the actions of the federal government.
“With a bill like this one, we are getting ahead on some of these issues, we are able to provide some stability to parents, but the reality is they shouldn’t need it to begin with,” she said. “And that’s what really gets me is that we are now having to deal with issues and work on issues that we shouldn’t have to, even in the limited time that we already have, so now instead of dealing with the already growing backlog of problems that Georgians have, we are now seeing an even bigger backlog because of the chaos on the federal level.”
House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, a Mulberry Republican, disagreed with Democrats’ characterization that the federal government’s actions were improper or chaotic.
“That is not unilateral action,” he said. “There’s acknowledgement that Congress will have to act on that. But if Congress does act before we are back in session in January 2026, we will have taken necessary steps to make sure that our code is updated, and I believe that this is an opportunity for us to reflect our priority and focus on the education of Georgia students and to embrace this not with uncertainty, but with confidence. This is going to allow an opportunity to continue to prioritize students, educators and professionals in Georgia classrooms. It’s going to give an opportunity to ensure that every license, every training program and institution in this state that provides education is able to function smoothly and effectively.”
Because the bill was amended in a House committee, it must head back to the Senate for another vote before it can reach Kemp’s desk. The end of this year’s legislative session is set for April 4.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.