Georgia Amendment 4, Authorize Public Education Grants to Citizens Measure (1954)

Georgia Amendment 4
Election date November 2, 1954
Topic School choice policy and State legislative authority
Status Approved
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Georgia Amendment 4 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in Georgia on November 2, 1954. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported allowing the Georgia General Assembly to provide grants from state or local funds to citizens for education purposes. The measure stated that such grants would fulfill the state's obligation to provide adequate education.

A "no" vote opposed allowing the Georgia General Assembly to provide grants of state or local funds to citizens for educational purposes.

Election results

Georgia Amendment 4
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		210,478	53.74%
No		181,148	46.26%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

Amendment 4 Argument

Article from October 25, 1954
The Atlanta Journal (Atlanta, Georgia)

Amendment 4 allowed the Georgia General Assembly to provide grants from state or local funds to citizens for education purposes. The measure stated that these grants would fulfill the state's obligation to provide adequate education.

The Atlanta Journal, published on October 24, 1954, summarized Amendment 4 and the conflict between supporters and opponents: "Although its proponents protest the use of the term 'private school amendment,' this is the term by which this controversial proposal has come to be known throughout the state. It also has been referred to as the 'segregation amendment,' since its admitted purpose is the preservation of segregation in Georgia schools. Rather simply worded, this amendment simply authorizes the General Assembly to grant funds to individuals for educational purposes. The amendment is not self-executing and would not of itself automatically abolish public schools or set up private schools."

• Supporters: "Its proponents argue that the Legislature already has the authority to abolish public schools. They also contend that since the state constitution and the appropriations law prohibit the spending of state funds on mixed schools, an attempt by the U.S. Supreme Court to enforce mixing of the races in Georgia schools would automatically result in the abolishment of public state-supported schools in this state. This amendment, its proponents claim, would permit the state then to fulfill its obligation to educate its children by enabling the state to grant funds to individual citizens to pay for education in private schools."

• Opponents: "The amendment is opposed by most educational groups, many church organizations and some political leaders who argue that its ratification would indeed result in the destruction of Georgia's public school system built up through the years at heavy expense to the taxpayers. Its opponents argue that this amendment would end local control over education, destroy accreditation, transportation, curriculum standards and teacher retirement and cost the state federal funds for vocational education and school lunches. They further contend that the amendment’s adoption would not guarantee continued segregation."

Gov. Herman Talmadge (D) and Lt. Gov. Marvin Griffin (D) supported Amendment 4, describing the ballot measure as "the most important amendment ever submitted in our lifetime." They said, "It is the school segregation amendment which will appear as Number 4 on the general election ballot. This amendment has one purpose, and one purpose only. That is—preservation of free, segregated schools for all the children of Georgia." Talmadge and Griffin wrote in an op-ed published in The Atlanta Journal:

“

When the Supreme Court orders the races mixed in any county school system or independent school district, that ends Georgia’s present school system in that locality, and effectively 'abolishes' it. That is where the school segregation amendment comes into play. If the schools are ordered mixed in any county or school district, after the voters have ratified the school segregation amendment, your elected representatives in the General Assembly can immediately make grants in that county or school district directly to the parent or guardian of the child to cover ALL costs of books, tuition, transportation and all other necessary incidentals. ... The decision of the United States Supreme Court was based upon the provisions of the 14th Amendment and was applied only to schools operated by the state or its political subdivisions, and would not apply to schools where grants are made by the State directly to the child. ... Adoption of this amendment by the people of this state will be a great boost to the entire southwide resistance movement against the Supreme Court decision outlawing segregation. Likewise, its defeat would be a catastrophe for Georgia and the South and would be interpreted by the Supreme Court as a sure indication that we are unwilling to fight for the welfare of our children and our heritage.

”

The Conference Board of Christian Education of Georgia Methodism opposed Amendment 4, with members signing a resolution that said, "[The] people of Georgia are being asked to approve at the polls an amendment to the state constitution which would authorize the state legislature to turn over to private agencies our public school system of Georgia... the passage of this amendment, although only permissive, would be interpreted in general as approval of an idea which we deem to be radical, revolutionary, and destructive of a precious heritage in Georgia, and the welfare of our children youth, and adults. ... it is our firm conviction that the destruction of our public school system will not solve the problems it is proposing to solve and will create others to be solved."

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Amendment 4 was as follows:

“

FOR Amendment to Article VIII of the Constitution adding a new section relating to education. AGAINST Amendment to Article VIII of the Constitution adding a new section relating to education.

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Georgia Constitution

The ballot measure added a Paragraph I to Section XIII of Article VIII of the Georgia Constitution. The following underlined text was added:

Section XIII, Paragraph I, Grants for Education: Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution, the General Assembly may by law provide for grants of State, county or municipal funds to citizens of the State for Educational purposes, in discharge of all obligation of the State to provide adequate education for its citizens.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• Gov. Herman Talmadge
• Lt. Gov. Marvin Griffin

Political Parties

• Democratic Party of Georgia

Organizations

• Association County Commissioners of Georgia
• Georgia Municipal Association

Opposition

Opponents

Unions

• Georgia Federation of Labor
• Georgia State Industrial Union Council

Organizations

• Georgia Education Association
• League of Women Voters of Georgia

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Georgia Constitution

A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Georgia State Legislature to place an amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 120 votes in the Georgia House of Representatives and 38 votes in the Georgia State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

See also

1954 Measures

• 1954 Measures
• School choice policy on the ballot
• State legislative authority on the ballot
• 1954 legislative sessions

Georgia

• Georgia ballot measures
• Georgia ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls