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Big Week for County Priority Legislation at the Capitol
As Governor Nathan Deal indicated at the Capitol Connection Conference, leadership in the state legislature is focused on addressing priority issues this year. The official legislative days are passing quickly, with the legislature scheduled to complete Day 14 today. While many bills appear to be stalled in committee and subcommittee hearings, several of the bills that address county legislative priorities are starting to move.
Juvenile Code Rewrite and Juvenile Justice Reform Bill Introduced on Thursday
HB 242, introduced on Thursday, includes the rewrite of the juvenile justice code legislation that was under consideration last year as well as the recommendations from the Criminal Justice Reform Council for juvenile justice reform. While ACCG has been told that the legislation will not have a negative financial impact on counties, ACCG is in the process of thoroughly reviewing the 200+ page legislation. ACCG will provide an analysis of this important legislation to counties early next week.
HB 183 Addresses County Concerns about Illegal Immigration Reform
One of ACCG’s top legislative priorities this year is to address issues related to the implementation of the illegal immigration reform legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2011. HB 183 incorporates many of these issues, including the consolidation of immigration reporting requirements, the elimination of the requirement for businesses to annually submit E-Verify information, the clarification of "public benefit" as defined by the Attorney General and other concerns. For a complete summary of this priority legislation, click here. ACCG encourages county officials to contact their representatives and encourage support for this legislation which reduces the administrative concerns of counties for implementing this legislation as well as the bureaucratic processes placed on individuals and businesses through the original legislation.
Modifications to Energy Excise Tax Legislation Introduced
Last year, the General Assembly passed legislation to provide for an exemption on the state and local sales tax on the energy used in manufacturing. Local governments were given the flexibility to replace this lost revenue with a local energy excise tax. Approximately one-third of Georgia counties have taken this action. HB 250, which was introduced this week, addressed several concerns with the legislation passed last year. This legislation includes an amendment that addresses how quickly the excise tax can become effective after the adoption of the ordinance (Section 5); provides for a Statute of Limitations of three years for the collection of unpaid excise taxes from a purchaser or dealer (Section 6); and provides for penalty provisions against dealers and purchasers for noncompliance as well as clarifies the audit authority of a local government (Section 7). For a complete summary of the proposed legislation, click here.
Rep. Mark Hamilton Introduces Legislation to Limit Lobbying by Public Employees
Rep. Mark Hamilton has introduced legislation (HB 228) that prohibits public employees from using government property for promoting or opposing the passage of legislation by the General Assembly or the approval or veto of legislation by the Governor. This legislation prohibits county employees from contacting members of the General Assembly or the Governor to discuss the impact of pending legislation on local governments, unless they are registered as lobbyists or if information is requested directly from them. ACCG is working to modify this legislation to allow county employees who are authorized by the commission to speak on behalf of the county to contact legislators regarding pending legislation.
Contact Legislators about Forestland Protect Act Grants
If your county has land enrolled through the Forestland Protection Act, please encourage your legislators to appropriate the constitutionally mandated reimbursements to your county. Only 39 of the eligible 132 local governments have received their 2011 grant payments. The State of Georgia is budgeting for the 2012 grants in the FY 2014 budget. The amount budgeted, $14.2 million, is almost $11 million short of the estimated $25 million that will be needed to pay for the 2012 grants. The bottom line is that the state is over a year late and several million short of meeting its constitutional obligation to the counties for this program. Make sure your legislators know the amount your county is owed and the impact the late and underfunded payments will have on your budget.
Get More of "The County Scoop"
Be sure to watch the County Scoop videos which provide additional details about legislation that is working its way through the Capitol. To view the videos, click on the arrows in the boxes above. For a link to all of this week's video, click here.
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