On Monday, February 28, the Georgia House reconvened for a long, exciting week of legislating. We had a full schedule and are counting down the days until Crossover Day, which is the last day that a bill can pass out of one chamber and still be eligible for passage this year. We worked tirelessly to pass several important bills in preparation for this quickly approaching deadline.
My week began last Monday with a visit from members of the Vidalia Onion Festival Committee. They came to the Capitol to receive a proclamation from Governor Kemp declaring April 21 – 24 as Vidalia Onion Festival Days. Thank you to Mayor Doug Roper, Committee Chairman Andy Woodruff, Alexa Britton, Jake Cleghorn, Greg Hudgins, and Dustin Booth for making the trip to Atlanta.
Last Tuesday began with a viewing of the National Championship trophy in the Capitol rotunda. Then, my colleagues and I passed an historic tax relief bill that would benefit millions of hardworking Georgians. Our state’s economy has impressively recovered over the last year, resulting in a massive budget surplus of $1.6 billion. House Bill 1302 would fulfill Governor Kemp’s plan to give these funds back to Georgia taxpayers. It would provide a one-time tax credit for eligible Georgia taxpayers who filed income tax returns in both 2020 and 2021. Single tax filers would receive a $250 refund, head-of-household filers would receive $375, and those filing jointly would receive a $500 refund. These refunds would not be available for non-residents, individuals who were claimed as a dependent for either of those tax years, estates, or trusts.
The House unanimously passed House Bill 1064, another bill to keep hard-earned dollars in Georgians’ wallets and reinforce our standing as a military-friendly state. This bill would exempt up to $17,500 in military retirement income from state income taxes for retired service members under 62 years old. If a retiree continues to work and earns at least $17,500, he or she would be eligible for an additional exemption up to $17,500 in state income taxes for a total exemption of $35,000. I believe this is a great way to honor our retired service members and help them adjust to the rising cost of living. Through this legislation, we hope to attract more military retirees to Georgia to put their valuable skills to work here.
Because Georgia’s top industry is agriculture, the House wants to do everything we can to support our future farmers. My colleagues and I passed two bills last week that would encourage hands-on agricultural experiences for Georgia students. First, House Bill 1303 would authorize the Georgia Department of Education to begin agricultural education programs in all public elementary schools. A few years ago, the General Assembly passed legislation that created a pilot program for agricultural education. HB 1303 would make this program permanent and allow all our public schools to take part in it. Furthermore, we passed House Bill 1292 to ensure that students would not be marked absent from school when they participate in 4-H activities and programs. Our goal with these bills is to educate and expose more Georgia students to the agriculture industry and encourage their interest in one of the many related careers.
Some of the many other House bills that were passed and are now under consideration in the Senate include:
- House Bill 1, which would establish that unrestricted outdoor areas of University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia campuses are public forums for their campus communities, and this bill would prohibit these institutions from restricting expressive activities in those areas. In other words, a guest speaker or rally on campus could not be cancelled because other students or professors don’t approve, provided that no laws are being broken or education impeded.
- House Bill 1084, or the Protect Students First Act, which would prevent the use of and reliance on curricula or training programs in state public schools that espouse “divisive concepts” that are specifically included in this bill;
- House Bill 1150, or the Freedom to Farm Act, which would update Georgia laws to prevent a nuisance lawsuit from being brought against a farming operation that has been active for more than one year, address concerns regarding large animal operations, and clarify that the provisions of the proposed law do not apply if a nuisance is caused by negligence or illegal operations;
- House Bill 1175, which would authorize the sale of raw milk for human consumption and establish regulations and standards regarding the safety, transportation, and sale of raw milk in Georgia;
- House Bill 1178, or the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which would codify a parent’s fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their minor children and require the school board or its governing body to consult with parents, teachers, and administrators to develop policies that promote parental involvement in public schools;
- House Bill 1188, which would revise the crimes of “child molestation” and “sexual exploitation of children” to specify that each individual violation of the crimes can be charged as its own count;
- House Bill 1216, which would enhance the penalties for fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer;
- House Bill 1271, which would prohibit a property owner’s association from enacting covenants after July 1, 2022, that forbid an owner from displaying an official U.S. flag in certain ways;
- House Bill 1348, which would add vaping to the Georgia Smoke-free Air Act and align our vaping laws with our cigarette smoking laws;
It is hard to believe that we are now in the final month of the 2022 session, which ends on April 4! If you have any questions about the bills listed above or thoughts you’d like to share on any upcoming legislation, please contact me. I rely on your input and involvement. My Capitol email is Leesa.Hagan@house.ga.gov. As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative.