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Lawmakers push for 30-minute mandatory recess

ATLANTA — State lawmakers are deciding if elementary school students should be guaranteed 30 minutes of recess everyday.

Channel 2 ‘s Dave Huddleston reports that the sponsor of the mandatory recess bill says that the number of kids with high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes is way too high.

He said, “It doesn’t matter if they do better in the class if their lives are cut short due to health issues.”

Trinity Seals is a fourth grader and said she liked the idea of having mandatory recess.

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“It’s really important because some of my classmates get really restless and want to go outside, like they want to be the first ones outside so they can be the first ones to the football field, or something like that," Seals said.

Representative Demetrius Douglas is pushing the recess idea, saying, “If we keep testing our kids, they are going to be smarter, but they are not going to be here to enjoy the things they have accomplished.”

But the bill had some push-back -- the chairman of the committee said he has concerns about mandatory recess.

The two lawmakers will work out the difference and present the bill again next week.