By DORIE TURNER
Associated Press
ATLANTA – Georgia Democrats released an alternative plan Wednesday to save the cash-strapped HOPE scholarship and prekindergarten programs, calling Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposal unfair to Georgia families.
The plan would give full scholarships to most Georgians and keep pre-k as a full-day program, a counter to Deal’s bill that cuts HOPE scholarships to 90 percent for nearly all students and scales back pre-k to half-day. State Sen. Jason Carter, a Democrat from Atlanta, said the plan would be paid for by increasing the amount the Georgia Lottery sends to the HOPE coffers and reducing how much lottery retailers receive for selling winning tickets.
It comes a day after the Georgia House overwhelmingly passed Deal’s bill. The measure will now go before the state Senate.