ATLANTA (November 28, 2018) | The Georgia General Assembly was ordered by Governor Deal to convene for a Special Legislative Session beginning on Tuesday, November 13, 2018. The purpose of the special session was to allocate money from the fiscal year 2019 amended budget to go towards relief efforts in southwest Georgia, where Hurricane Michael devastated acres of land and infrastructure. The Senate convened for a five-day special session, adjourning Sine Die on Saturday, November 17th.
“The devastation that resulted from the impact of Hurricane Michael is not something we could’ve ever fully prepared for,” said Sen. Marty Harbin (R – Tyrone). “So much of our state’s agriculture resides in southwest Georgia, and the time and effort it is going to take to restore this land and all of the homes that were destroyed is going to be tedious. However, I have full faith that as a state we can come together to help restore what was lost and keep the hopes of the devastated individuals and families high. I was proud to support the funding our state is going to provide our friends in southwest Georgia and I hope that it will help those who were affected to begin the process of rebuilding.”
The General Assembly allocated more than $270 million dollars through House Bill 1EX for Hurricane Michael disaster relief, where around $2.5 billion of damage to timber and agriculture industries resulted. In addition, the legislature passed HB 4EX which allows timberland owners to apply for an income tax credit worth 100 percent of the lost timberland’s value. Owners must be in one of the provided 28 counties and must have already planted new timber in order to qualify for this credit. There is a cap of $200 million and an individual cap at $400 per eligible acre of timberland. Lastly, to complete the governor’s order, the legislature voted on the jet fuel sales and use tax suspension. This measure was approved and extended until June 30, 2019.
For the full list of bills, follow this link: http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/Search.aspx
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For Immediate Release:
Nov. 28, 2018
Annie Wimbush, Communications Associate
annie.wimbush@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028