Sen. Bruce Thompson Appointed Chair of Senate Athletic Association Study Committee

ATLANTA (July 25, 2019) | Sen. Bruce Thompson (R – White) has been appointed by Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan to serve as Chair of the Senate Athletic Association Study Committee.

“The current process surrounding our athletic association in Georgia is simply flawed,” said Sen. Thompson. “The Georgia High School Association is funded by tax dollars, and therefore should be transparent in its spending of these dollars. Because our students and school personnel are directly affected by the decisions made by the association, these individuals should be a part of the conversation, which will be a point of discussion in this study committee. This committee will also review the current board of directors to ensure that all schools throughout the state are being represented fairly and guarantee all parties have a seat at the table. I am honored to have been appointed to serve as chairman of this important committee and I look forward to creating effective legislation to address these issues.”

“Georgians expect their elected leaders to make deliberate, informed decisions to better our state,” said Lt. Governor Duncan. “The study committee process allows our Senators to dedicate extensive focus to a single issue and generate in-depth proposals for our next legislative session. I look forward to the hard work of Chairman Thompson and the appointed members of the Senate Athletic Association Study Committee as they meet to study, discuss, and prepare legislative action items for the Senate to consider in 2020.”

The Senate Athletic Association Study Committee was created by the passage of Senate Resolution 304 during the 2019 Legislative Session. As stated in the resolution, the committee shall be comprised of five members of the Senate. The Senate Athletic Association Study Committee will review funding of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) and the current structure of interscholastic athletic events to recommend action or legislation the committee believes to be necessary. The committee must report its findings on or before December 1, 2019.

Sen. Thompson encourages anyone who has had interactions with GHSA to email bruce.thompson@senate.ga.gov or to call the office at 404-656-0065 if you would like to share your experiences, positive or negative, with the committee.