Get the Latest Legislative News at Next Week’s

 Capitol Connection Conference

ACCG looks forward to seeing you at next week’s Capitol Connection Conference, scheduled for January 30 – 31 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.  Be sure to take a look at the conference agenda to learn more about pending legislation, training classes and other information sessions that are planned.  Governor Nathan Deal, Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and House Speaker David Ralston are all scheduled to speak to county officials on Tuesday, January 31.  For the full conference agenda, click here.

Conference Session on Transparency and Ethics:

Monday, January 30 at 3:45 p.m.  

ACCG has scheduled a legislative roundtable during the Capitol Connection Conference that will focus on transparency and ethics.  Holly LaBerge, Executive Secretary of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission will highlight the requirements and filing procedures commissioners must follow for campaign disclosure reports and financial disclosure reports.  In addition, Attorney General Sam Olens will provide an overview on the proposed substitute to HB 397 which seeks to rewrite and update the open meetings and open records laws.  A panel composed of Representative Jay Powell from Mitchell County (the author of the legislation), Representative Wendell Willard from Fulton County and Forsyth County Attorney Ken Jarrard will discuss the bill and answer questions.  The session will be held on Monday, January 30 at 3:45 p.m. in Atrium Ballroom A on the Atrium Level of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

Over 60 State Representatives Sign On to Legislation Addressing the Redirection of Dedicated Fees

Representative Jay Powell has received widespread legislative support for House Bill 811, which seeks to address the redirection of dedicated fees that are supposed  to be set aside for programs such as cleaning up landfills and hazardous waste sites, indigent defense, driver’s education training and other programs.  In recent years, millions of dollars have been redirected from these dedicated funds to address budget shortfalls.  Under this bill, fees not appropriated for their statutorily-intended purposes will be reduced or eliminated, proportionate to the amount that is redirected.  To minimize the impact on the state budget, the new appropriation requirements will be phased in over five years.  ACCG supports this legislation, which was identified as a top priority for counties.  For more information, click here.

Metal Theft Legislation Introduced in the State Senate

In recent years, many counties have had first-hand experience in dealing with metal theft.  This week, Senator Renee Unterman introduced Senate Bill 321, which incorporates the provisions of several other metal theft bills that have been introduced and has received the support of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.  This legislation requires secondary metal recyclers to obtain a permit from the sheriff every year.  The information from the permits would be entered into a statewide electronic database created by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Legislative Schedule Released through Day 31

Earlier this week, the General Assembly passed an adjournment schedule through legislative day 31.  While this schedule may be modified to extend beyond this period, ACCG wanted to share it with you for planning purposes.  Currently, crossover day is scheduled for Wednesday, March 7.  For the schedule that has been released, click here.