ATLANTA
(November 27, 2019) | Sen.
Larry Walker (R – Perry) was recently named Legislator of the Year by the Rural
Jobs Coalition, a nonpartisan organization that supports small, rural
businesses and advocates around the country for policies that benefit rural
economic growth.
Sen.
Walker was chosen as Legislator of the Year for spearheading the Senate’s
passage of the Georgia Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act (GARJA) and for
championing policies that help drive job creation, revitalization of small
businesses and economic opportunities for rural communities across the state.
“If
we want our small businesses to grow throughout Georgia – especially in our
rural communities – we have to support their growth through access to
affordable capital,” said Sen. Walker. “I am a strong advocate of our small
businesses, and I will work hand-in-hand with our rural communities through
GARJA and other programs, to encourage job creation and revitalization.”
The
GARJA was passed during the 2017 Legislative Session as a program that uses tax
credits to incentivize private sector investment in a revolving loan fund that
provides growth capital for small businesses in rural Georgia. These loans are
available to agribusiness, businesses dealing with healthcare, transportation,
technology or other areas as deemed appropriate by the Department of Community
Affairs. You can read more about the program here, and you can find the
language of the bill here.
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Contact:
Elisabeth Fletcher, Communications Specialist
elisabeth.fletcher@senate.ga.gov
