Update from the Gold Dome Week 8
News March 9, 2020By: Sen. Steve Gooch (R — Dahlonega)
Sen. Steve Gooch
ATLANTA — After numerous lengthy committee meetings and passing 30 bills and resolutions in chamber, the Senate adjourned on Friday to complete our 25th legislative day. The days we have left remaining continue to diminish, but we made great progress on a number of important bills this week and set the state for a productive Crossover Day, which will take place next week.
To follow up on an issue that was discussed last week, progress was made on Senate Bill 415, which would enhance Georgia’s civil justice climate. After a few more lengthy hearings on this bill this week, it received favorable passage from the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee. The bill has undergone a few changes, but its core purpose of streamlining how personal injury liability lawsuits are facilitated and evening the playing field between big corporations and main street businesses remains. SB 415 provides a remedy for several urgent, critical issues in our civil justice environment and will be a necessity if Georgia is to remain the number one state in which to do business. While passing committee is a significant accomplishment, more work remains to get SB 415 a vote on the Senate floor.
Over the past few years, the Senate passed several pieces of legislation to increase access to broadband internet connections, particularly in rural parts of the state. Last year, SB 2 was passed which allowed Electric Membership Companies (EMCs) to engage in broadband services and granted them the authority to utilize existing easements to deploy broadband. However, there was a small oversight with how these EMCs could operate along railroad easements. Senate Bill 370, which I sponsored, simply requires EMCs who work along these easements for broadband services to follow standards established by the Federal Railroad Administration. This bill will help further the spread of broadband across Georgia, while also ensuring the safety of those doing the utility work to make it possible.
This week, I also had the opportunity to recognize a distinguished group of passionate military veterans wishing to raise awareness about the growing issues of veteran suicide. I was pleased to welcome the United States Mountain Ranger Association to recognize Veteran’s Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month and announce the selection of “safety green” as the official color of their mission. Additionally, I introduced Senate Bill 336, which would create a special license plate for U.S. Army Rangers and recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal. While this small token will never be enough to thank these men and women for all that they do for our country, I hope these license plates will at least raise awareness of some of the urgent issues faced by veterans each day. Army Rangers have a unique connection with our community, due to the close proximity of Camp Merrill where prospective Army Rangers receive their Phase Two training in the North Georgia mountains, and I will never miss an opportunity to show them our appreciation for their service.
Next week, the Senate is scheduled to convene for four legislative days, concluding with Crossover Day on Thursday. As the final day for Senate bills to receive passage and be sent over to the House for consideration, we will likely face a lengthy calendar of legislation to consider. Throughout this process, we will be sure to keep the citizens of Georgia in mind with every vote that we take. If I can ever be of any assistance, or if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to my office.
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Sen. Steve Gooch serves as Majority Whip of the Senate Majority Caucus. He represents the 51st Senate District, which includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Union and White counties, and portions of Forsyth and Pickens counties. He may be reached at 404.656.9221 or via email at [email protected]
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Update from the Gold Dome: Week 7
News March 2, 2020Sen. Steve Gooch
By: Sen. Steve Gooch (R — Dahlonega)
This week, the Senate completed Legislative Days 17 through 21, meaning we are now officially past the halfway point of the 2020 session.
In these 21 days, the Senate has addressed issues across the spectrum of policy areas including healthcare, public safety and foster care reform.
Our state has a lot to be proud of, especially our designation as the number one state in which to do business. However, a large part of fostering a positive business climate is having a strong legal system that promotes fairness and is efficient enough to handle some of the complex litigation that arises from business liability disputes. Currently, Georgia is severely lacking in several aspects of our legal environment that need to be addressed quickly in order to improve our civil justice environment.
Last summer, a Senate Study Committee traveled across the state to hear from stakeholders in the business and legal communities on some of the major areas of litigation that need to be improved in Georgia. This committee ultimately supplied a list of recommendations, which were taken into account in Senate Bill 415, which I sponsored. SB 415 received an extensive hearing in an Insurance and Labor subcommittee and addresses a variety of issues that would allow our judicial process to operate more efficiently and even the playing field for both mom and pop shops on main street, as well as larger corporations.
I am hopeful that this bill will move quickly through the legislative process so we can begin to make the incremental changes necessary to improve Georgia’s civil justice climate. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the senate to perfect this bill and get Georgia back on the right track.
In keeping with the theme of making Georgia’s business climate as strong as it can be, the Senate passed a bill that would allow the legislature to determine the economic viability of certain tax credit programs. While tax credits are undoubtedly an asset in attracting businesses to locate to or expand in Georgia, we also need to ensure that we are receiving a beneficial return on investment.
Senate Bill 302 would allow the Chairmen of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee to each request five economic analyses of tax credits each year. These analyses must include, among other things, the net change in state revenue associated with the credit. Having this data available will not only allow us to determine which current tax credits are more beneficial than others, but will also inform how tax credits are implemented in the future.
Healthcare was another issue that was addressed this week and the Senate made meaningful process in addressing an issue that has affected many patients across the state. “Surprise billing” has been an area the legislature has been trying to fight for years and this week we passed a bill that attempts to resolve many of the issues faced by consumers.
Senate Bill 359 would take the patient out of the middle of a price dispute when they unexpectedly receive out-of-network care and outlines an arbitration and negotiation process to allow insurance companies and healthcare providers to work these discrepancies out themselves. This will allow the consumer to focus on getting better and grant them more peace of mind when undergoing a medical procedure.
Since we are now past the official halfway point of the session, our next important deadline will be Crossover Day, which will fall on March 12. While that may sound far off, at the pace the Senate has been moving it will be here before we know it. There is still a lot of work to accomplish in the time we have remaining, such as the budget, but I am never too busy to hear from you. If you ever have any questions or concerns, I encourage you to reach out to my office.
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Sen. Steve Gooch serves as Majority Whip of the Senate Majority Caucus. He represents the 51st Senate District, which includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Union and White counties, and portions of Forsyth and Pickens counties. He may be reached at 404.656.9221 or via email at [email protected]
Taylor says design standards bill in Gen. Assembly would harm citizens’ right to self determination
News February 16, 2020
DAHLONEGA, Ga. – City Council will consider a resolution presented by Council member JoAnne Taylor in support of locally-established building design standards for residential dwellings during the Tuesday (Feb. 18) work session. The meeting begins at 4 p.m.
Taylor’s resolution is in response to two bills now in the Georgia General Assembly (HB 302 and SB 172) that would prohibit local governments from adopting or enforcing ordinances or regulations relating to or regulating building design elements as applied to one or two-family dwellings.
The resolution states: “Appropriate local design standards and land use policies, established by local citizens in each community, create a diverse, stable, profitable, and sustainable residential development landscape” It further states: “State legislation eliminating locally-tailored approaches to design standards would harm self-determination of citizens to establish community standards.”
If approved, a copy of the resolution will be delivered to each member of the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate representing the City of Dahlonega and be made available for distribution to the public and the press.
Council will also consider a resolution to change its regular meeting dates to the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. with the exception of the month of September when the meeting would be held Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. If approved, work sessions would move to the third Thursday of each month at 4 p.m.
An ordinance (2020-07) to include regulations and procedures for mobile food truck services operations in the city will also be considered. The ordinance, if approved, would provide for the application procedures, duties of the permit holders, liability and insurance regulations, suspension or revocation of permit and penalties and limitations. It would also outline general public safety aspects such as removal of litter, disposal of liquids, trash receptacles, eating area displays, health department regulations, assignment of locations, power sources, unattended units and fire safety.
Council will also consider an ordinance (2020-11) to regulate parades, assemblies, demonstrations and rallies in public places. If approved, it will amend the qualifications for special events as well as consolidate the ordinances currently in place regarding parades, assemblies, demonstrations, rallies and special events.
Council will consider a staff recommendation to award two separate contracts to Colditz Trucking, Inc. for road work. The first is a contract for (project #2020-005) asphalt leveling and resurfacing of city streets in the amount of $66,917.52. The second contract is for the (LMIG Project #2020-001) for asphalt leveling and resurfacing of city streets in the amount of $100,219.93.
Council will also consider a staff recommendation to award a contract for Barlow Road Improvements (Project 2020-10) including grading complete, erosion control, construction of curb and gutter, drainage structures, pipe and flumes to Townley Construction in the amount of $228,764.60.
Agenda items considered during a work session are generally voted on during the next regular meeting.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com