Georgia Senate Passes Bill Protecting Parent Protestors

The Georgia State Senate Wednesday passed a bill that would protect parents’ right to protest their local school boards.

SB 588 “provide[s] that all meetings of local boards of education shall be open to the public except as otherwise provided by law …” and “provide[s] that members of the public shall not be removed from such public meetings except for actual disruption and in accordance with rules adopted and published by the local board of education.”

All over the country, conservative parents have been protesting their local school boards over various issues, but mostly over mask mandates and Critical Race Theory (CRT) curriculum.

Karen Pirkle is one of them.

She is a mother and resident of Gwinnett County who – along with a former sheriff’s deputy – has twice been arrested at Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) board meetings while protesting mask mandates.

“I applaud the Senate and pray that the House will pass this bill,” Pirkle told The Georgia Star News Thursday. “It would allow parents to speak freely without revenge, such as criminal trespasses and arrests. It solidifies the constitutional rights our forefathers gave us. Our school boards need to understand parents are going to be involved, and need to be heard.  I thank our legislature representatives, especially Butch Miller and Clint Dixon for leading the charge, and for listening to their constituents.” (Excerpt  from the Georgia Star News)