| This legislation, mirroring HB 158, legalizes gambling in Georgia. Two casino licenses will be granted. One license will be granted within a county having a population of at least 900,000, will be at least a $2 billion investment, located in a convention district and have a hotel with at least 1000 guest rooms. The other license will be granted within a county with at least 250,000 people, be at least a $450 million investment, and located near a convention district. Casinos can be open 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and will pay a 20-percent tax on gross receipts - 70 percent of proceeds go to the HOPE scholarship and 30 percent will go to a needs-based college scholarship. . . |
| During the House Transportation Committee meeting that took place on 3.6.18, the language from SB 386 was stripped and in its place, the language from HB 930 was inserted. HB 930 is the transit bill authored by House Transportation Committee Chairman Kevin Tanner that addresses transit governance and funding options for the Metro Atlanta region (Cherokee, Clayton, Coweta, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale Counties). On 3.23.18, the Senate and the House insisted on their position to HB 930; therefore, a conference committee has been appointed where the differences from the House and Senate transit bills will be discussed with the goal of an agreed upon version will pass both chambers. HB 930 Conference Commitee composition: Rep. Kevin Tanner, Rep. Jan Jones, Rep. Calvin Smyre, Sen. Brandon Beach, Sen. Steve Gooch and Sen. David Lucas. Original Senate Transit Bill Language: This bill provides a new transit governance structure for the Metro Atlanta region and allows for an optional local funding mechanism to fund transit projects (Transit SPLOST). The newly created Atlanta-region Transit Link "ATL" Commission is a new division that would be placed under the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority. The purpose of this commission is to plan and coordinate transit services, transit facilities, and the funding of those purposes throughout its jurisdiction. This jurisdiction consists of any county which has approved a MARTA tax or any county which has approved a Transit SPLOST. The ATL Commission is initially composed of 14 members including the Governor, GDOT Commissioner, CEO of MARTA, Executive Director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, and appointments made by the Mayor of the City of Atlanta, President of the Atlanta City Council, Chair of the Clayton County Board of Commissioners, Chair of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, CEO of DeKalb County, Chair of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Chair of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners as well as an appointee selected by a majority vote of a caucus of the mayors from the municipalities in each county (Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton). If an additional Metro Atlanta county approves a Transit SPLOST, they shall have an appointee to the commission. The legislation provides for a 1% Transit SPLOST for a period of 30 years. An IGA between the county and qualified municipalities must be agreed upon that includes the list of proposed transit projects, an agreement with MARTA for all rail based projects and/or an agreement with the ATL Commission approved bus operator. The ATL Commission will have final approval of the transit project list. |
