By: Sen. Larry Walker (R – Perry)
On Friday, March 30, 2018 at about 12:12 a.m. the Georgia General Assembly adjourned Sine Die for the 2018 Legislative Session. Here are a few of the bills that received final passage and will now head to the Governor’s desk for a signature that will have a direct effect on our district:
House Bill 61 would codify that out-of-state businesses that make $250,000 or more in revenue or conduct more than 200 individual transactions of goods would be subject to the state sales tax rate of 4 percent. HB 61 would apply to goods that are delivered either physically or electronically. This is great news for our state’s brick and mortar businesses who have been suffering because of the success of online retail sites, like Amazon. Because of this bill, all companies that sell goods and services in Georgia will be subject to sales and use tax, not just those who have a physical presence in our state. This also means more funds for our state budget, which could potentially open up the door for another percentage income tax reduction in the future.
House Bill 332 would create the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund to fund the protection and conservation of land. HB 332 would require up to 80 percent of the sales and use taxes collected by outdoor recreation establishments and sporting goods stores be dedicated to the trust fund and would fund grants to cities, counties, departments and agencies to support the preservation of state and local parks, as well as trails.
House Bill 673 would prohibit holding or supporting electronic communication devices on the body, writing or reading electronic communications or watching, recording or broadcasting video while driving. Exceptions would exist for voice-to-text messaging, built-in navigation systems and back-up cameras. Under HB 673, each violation would count as a separate offense with the first, second and third offenses resulting in fines of $50, $100 and $150 respectively. However, first offenders would not receive any penalty if they produce to the court proof of purchase of a hands-free device that complies with the law. This is also known as the “Hands Free Georgia Act” and one that you have likely heard about and will continue hearing about over the next several months. We heard testimony in committee and had families in chamber of Georgians whose lives were taken far too soon because of distracted driving. This bill is a great measure intended to help keep our drivers and riders safe.
Two bills that would help veterans and their families passed this week. The first is House Bill 749, which would exempt retirement income received by a family member as a result of the death of a veteran from taxable income. House Bill 840 would allow military members serving in combat zones to not be penalized for failing to pay business and occupation taxes and would allow them to pay the taxes within 60 days of their return. I am very proud of the work the General Assembly has done to help support our veterans this session and I look forward to doing the same next year.
House Bill 834 would allow for the termination of a rental agreement in instances of family violence and define the proper steps to take in terms of notice and inspection requirements. HB 834 would also clarify that hearings would be held no more than 30 days after filing the petition and would give the court authority to delay dismissal of the petition for an additional 30 days, if a party is avoiding service to delay a hearing. Under HB 834, landlords would be required to create and maintain a comprehensive list of damages to premises under his or her supervision and outlines the process of returning security deposits to a tenant. Allowing victims of domestic violence to leave these situations and find a safe home is the best way to help them move past this time in their lives.
And finally, House Bill 951. This bill would establish the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation and its director, and structure the Georgia Rural Development Council. The center would assume responsibilities of the Centers of Innovation for Agribusiness administered by the Department of Economic Development to provide pilot programs for rural development. This has been another point of focus for legislators from all districts as rural Georgia provides the entire state with much of what is needed to keep our state up and running. I look forward to the work this council will do and am positive that the future for rural Georgia is brighter than ever.
In addition to this, there were several allotments in the state budget that I know district 20 will benefit from. One is the over $1 million in funds to benefit the Georgia Agricultural Exposition Authority in Perry. This $1 million will be used to keep the cost of participating in these events low, allowing more youth to participate and learn about agriculture. Another is the Governor’s proposal to fully fund the Quality Basic Education formula for the first time in recent history. This means our schools will be receiving 100 percent of the funds they need to operate, increasing the quality of education and the chances of success for our students in the future.
Thank you again for the opportunity to serve you. The completion of session does not mean my work under the gold dome is completed. I will continue to work hard over the interim to ensure that topics for next session are thoroughly vetted and researched and hope that you will reach out to me with your ideas. My door is always open, both in Perry and at the capitol, and I look forward to seeing you all around town in the near future.
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Sen. Larry Walker serves as an Administration Floor Leader. He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Laurens, Pulaski Counties and most of Houston County. He may be reached at his Atlanta office at 404.656.0081 or by email at larry.walker@senate.ga.gov.