Current Issues
The Issues
Judson Initiated Legislation to...
Give A World Class Education to Every Child
Parents, not government, have the primary responsibility for the education of their children. Judson believes that it is in the state’s best interest to fund a portion of the cost of providing an excellent education, and that parents and taxpayers at the local level provide the best decision-making. Educators must be respected and discipline in the classroom must be enforced. Judson also believes that success should be rewarded and failure must have consequences so that our children can excel and be prepared to compete globally.
Public education has become the chief embarrassment of our state. Our educators are not honored. Performing school systems are overburdened with regulation. Under performing school systems are not given the assistance they need to improve. Attempts at reform are focused more on what bureaucrats and liberal interest groups in Atlanta want than on what is best for our children.
To achieve excellence in Education Judson believes we must advance 7 core principles:
High Academic Standards - High academic standards are based on the principle that all students can learn. Raising expectations for what students are required to learn in the classroom will better prepare students for success. Standards in core subjects must be raised to meet international benchmarks to ensure American students can compete with their peers around the globe.
Standardized Measurement: Measuring whether students are learning a year’s worth of knowledge in a year’s time is essential for building on progress, rewarding success and correcting failures. To accurately measure progress, modern data and information systems should be utilized, and there must be maximum transparency.Data-driven accountability: Holding schools accountable for student achievement – measured objectively with data such as annual standardized tests and graduation rates – improves the quality of an education system. Success and learning gains no longer go unnoticed and problems are no longer ignored, resulting in efforts to effectively narrow achievement gaps.
Teacher Excellence: Study after study show the quality of teaching is paramount to student achievement. Financially rewarding educators for their expertise and their excellence will attract and retain the best and brightest to the teaching profession as well as to the greatest challenges in providing a quality education, including teaching in high-poverty and low-performing schools. Educators should be licensed, measured and compensated in diverse and flexible ways that put a premium on raising student achievement.
Outcome-based Funding & Governance: Investing in a quality educationfor all studentsis essential to our economy and quality of life. How money is spent is as important as how much funding is budgeted. Funding that recognizes and rewards progress will result in rising student achievement and more efficient and productive school systems.
School Choice: All students can learn, but different students need different environments to learn and flourish academically, emotionally and physically. Protecting and expanding school choice programs, including charter schools, will better meet the diverse needs of our students.
Disruptive Innovation: Countries around the globe are employing cutting-edge technology to educate their students. It is time to embrace technology across the board – from innovative data, governance and delivery systems to digital curriculums and virtual schooling.
Senator Hill supports - Judson supports creating more Charter schools and providing them with the flexibility and expanded local control to meet the needs of the students. He has also supported legislation helping save Hope scholarship funding for our college students, and supported legislation creating Master Teacher designations to publically recognize teachers who consistently raise their students test scores. In 2010 Senator Hill stood up for our teachers and introduced Senate Bill 320 – The Teacher’s Bill of Rights legislation intended to keep the best teachers in the classroom. The bill would have helped teachers teach by allowing them to more effectively deal with unruly and disruptive students. SB 320 also gives teachers the right to bring in a representative for annual performance reviews and disciplinary proceedings. Judson supported legislation requiring at least 65% of all tax dollars to be spent in the classroom rather than on the bureaucracy, plus he supported the creation of graduation coaches which has helped increase high school graduation rates. Senator Hill has regularly voted to increase money spent on education advocating for hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding for primary and secondary education as well as regular teacher pay raises.
Healthcare Reform
Judson has authored and passed numerous free market health care reform measures. He is a recognized national health care leader and has worked hard, often against strong opposition, to make health care more accessible and affordable for every Georgian. Senator Hill authored and passed legislation preventing the government from forcing you to join and government health plan or buying health insurance (SB411/317).
Judson is a recognized national leader for healthcare reform to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for every Georgian through free market solutions.
Since 2007 Judson has worked to allow Georgian’s the right to buy more affordable health insurance in other states so long as the health insurance company is approved in Georgia as financially strong and will promptly pay claims. Several of Senator Hill's bills have been adopted as model national conservative health care reform measures.
Better Jobs for Our Families
Judson believes that Georgians are better off with a limited government, a culture of innovation, and with lower taxes and less government spending.
The Hill Plan for Better Jobs focuses on practical steps to recruit jobs to Georgia, improve economic opportunity and restore Georgia to its position of economic leadership in our country. Senator Hill works tirelessly to create an attractive business environment to promote job growth and build relationships around the state, nation and with international leaders.
In 2010 and 2009 Senator Hill advocated for the JOBS Acts which are designed to stimulate the state’s economy by eliminating tax and regularly burdens that impede job creation plus offering incentives for small businesses to hire the unemployed. This legislation provides tax credits for businesses that hire unemployed individuals, provides tax credits against unemployment insurance, and would eliminate the inventory and intangible tax on businesses. Business owners must know that Georgia is a good state in which to start a new business and create jobs. These and other pro-jobs measures prove our commitment to job creation.
Senator Hill has been a leading advocate to crack down on those who take jobs from Georgians. In 2010 he introduced a tough new law to strengthen our immigration laws by imposing real fines on those who violate our laws by using taxpayers’ money to hire illegal immigrants over Georgians on public works projects. It’s wrong to continue to allow illegal workers to take jobs from Georgians who want to build roads and bridges and other government projects. The federal government’s failure to enforce our immigration laws make it incumbent on states to take the lead otherwise Georgians will remain saddled with even higher health care, education and other expenses incurred from those here illegally and not paying their way.
Supporting Our Troops
In May 2008 Senator Hill created the initiative with two partners and led 5 college football coaches, including UGA head coach Mark Richt, in a tour of numerous Persian Gulf bases visiting over 15,000 troops who daily serve in harm’s way standing up for freedom.
Senator Hill strongly supports our troops. He co-sponsored virtually every Senate bill affecting Georgia's soldiers and their families highlighted by co-sponsoring the Georgia HERO scholarships for families of Georgia's veterans.
Lower Taxes & Fiscal Responsibility
In 2010 Judson stood on principle and opposed tax and fee increases on the backs of Georgia’s taxpayers. He was stripped of his committee chairmanship by the Senate leadership. Senator Hill believes that before new taxes should be considered that every state program should be examined against the backdrop of the Georgia Constitution.
State leaders should determine if existing programs can be eliminated or combined, or whether an agency can consolidate with another agency to leverage resources and save money. Judson knows he represents you first. He knows he was not elected to be a committee chairman nor does he answer to anyone but the people of Senate District 32.
Protecting Georgia's Families
The family is the building block of society. When marriages and families are healthy, communities thrive. We want to strengthen families and respect life. Protecting our citizens is a number one responsibility of government which we take seriously.
Senator Hill sponsored and advocated for historic gun rights legislation allowing firearms license holders greater freedom to exercise their Second Amendment rights. Judson also sponsored one of the nations toughest sexual predator laws to protect our children from the worst criminals in our society by strengthening prison sentences and requiring registration and lifetime monitoring of the worst offenders.
In 2010 Judson helped pass bills prohibiting teenage drivers from using a cell phone while driving. All drivers are prohibited from text messaging while driving after July 1, 2010. Judson has helped stop non-elected government agencies from using the awesome power of eminent domain and restricted the ability of elected governments to take private property for the benefit of developers. He also helped pass legislation protecting the unborn children by creating a crime of feticide, require that women considering an abortion see a sonogram of the child and be told of the medical risks of abortion.
Protecting Our Conservative Values
Judson Hill will never waiver on the values that matter to our families. He will always vote to support our families and support the values that make us proud and have made America strong.
THE CONSERVATIVE LEADER THAT DELIVERS.
Senator Judson Hill is unashamed to be Pro-Family, Pro-Marriage, Pro-Life, and Pro-Second Amendment.
Follow Me...
Nathan Deal for Governor
