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The ADVANCE, February 17, 2021/Page 12A
Summary for Fifth Week of 2021 Session
By Rep. Robert Pruitt
(District 149)
During the fifth
week of the 2021
legislative session,
the House voted
on House Bill 112
which seeks to ex
tend the protections
provided by the
Georgia COVID-19
Pandemic Business
Safety Act. This was
passed last June to
provide care facilities, health care pro
viders, businesses, and individuals cer
tain immunities from liability claims re
garding COVID-19. If it is passed by the
Senate, HB112 would be extended until
July 14, 2022.
Third-party solicitations have caused
Georgia’s small business and individu
als to lose money each year. As a result,
House Bill 153 was voted on and unani
mously passed. This will require any per
son or entity who mails a solicitation for
services related to corporate filings with
the Secretary of State to include a dis
claimer at the top of the document no
tating that it is not a bill or official gov
ernment document. HB 153 would help
the business community, especially our
small business owners, save money on
their annual filings.
The Amended Fiscal Year 2021 Bud
get was also a priority over the last week.
The Senate made revisions which the
House approved with a House amend
ment. The final version has a revenue in
crease of $654.3 million, which is 2.5%
over the original budget. Due to the in
crease, additional funding will support
the Department of Public Health and
restore 60% of funding for K-12 educa
tion. Furthermore, it will allow us to give
Georgia teachers and other school work
ers a $1,000 pay raise and assist schools
as they continue during pandemic.
Governor Brian Kemp, Lt. Gover
nor Geoff Duncan, and Speaker David
Ralston announced a $1,000 one-time
bonus for 57,159 state employees who
earn less than $80,000. Correctional of
ficers will also receive this bonus along
with a 10% salary raise. This bonus is a
small way of showing our appreciation
for our state employees who have worked
diligently during the pandemic.
They also announced the expansion
of rural broadband services across 18
counties in Middle Georgia through a
new Electric Membership Cooperation.
A partnership between Central Georgia
EMC, Southern Rivers Energy, and Con-
exon will provide high -speed internet to
80,000 homes and businesses within the
next four years. This EMC partnership
will design and build 6,890 miles of fiber
network to provide broadband coverage,
improve electric service and increase re
liability through smart grid capabilities.
The House passed the following bills
this week:
House Bill 67, which would extend
the sunset from July 1, 2021 to July 1,
2026 for state agencies and departments
to write off small amounts due to the
state, as well as non-lapsing revenue col
lected by the University System of Geor
gia and the Technical College System of
Georgia.
House Bill 97, which would require
that any person appointed as a chief clerk
of a probate court, or any clerk desig
nated by a probate judge to exercise such
judge’s jurisdiction concerning uncon
tested matters, to take the oath provided
in the bill;
House Bill 105, which would update
Georgia’s law to specifically authorize the
Department of Defense to provide com
pensation to Georgia’s guardsmen who
are called to active duty without the gov
ernor declaring a state of emergency;
House Bill 106, which would add
the Georgia State Defense Force to the
state’s indemnification fund;
House Bill 129, which would raise
the minimum salary to $83,750.51 for
sheriffs serving in a county with a popu
lation of 39,000 to 49,999;
House Bill 134, which would exclude
cybersecurity contracting and planning
meetings from the state’s open meeting
requirements and exempts any docu
ment or plan for cybersecurity devices,
programs or systems from public inspec
tion;
House Bill 174, which would update
the effective date of the Uniform Carriers
Act from January 1, 2020, to January 1,
2021, to comply with federal law;
House Bill 205, which would create
new regulations for the travel insurance
industry, including establishing uniform
meanings of key terms and clarifying
sales practices and application of Geor
gia’s unfair trade practice laws;
House Bill 208, which would desig
nate the second Wednesday of February
as “National Swearing-in Commitment
Day” to celebrate the Junior Reserve
Officers’ Training Corps, which allows
young men and women to experience a
sample of military life;
House Bill 246, which would in
crease the fee for a replacement permit or
license from $5 to $ 10, as well as increase
the cost of a limited driving permit from
$25 to $32 and the replacement fee for
this permit from $5 to $10;
House Bill 265, which would make
several annual updates to the state’s In
ternal Revenue Code, such as an increase
in the deductibility of medical expenses,
charitable contributions and business
meals, as well as clarification of the tax
treatment of loan forgiveness from the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic
Security Act.
As bills continue to make their way
through the legislative process, please
contact me with any questions or con
cerns you have regarding potential poli
cies that may impact our district. I hope
to hear from you this legislative session.
You may reach my office at 404-656-
0116, or you can email me directly at
robert.pruitt(a)house.ga.gov. As always,
thank you for allowing me to serve as
your representative and I look forward to
seeing you soon.
As the State Representative for District
149, Robert Pruitt serves Dodge County, Telfair
County, Wheeler County, Cadwell, and
Hazlehurst. During the second week of the
2021 Legislative Session, Rep Pruitt was
appointed to serve on the Industry and Trade,
Economic Development, and Small Business
committees for the next two years. Robert
and his wife Kelly have been long time
residents of Eastman.
Georgia’s medical cannabis program
working to license manufacturers
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
Nearly 70 businesses
have applied for licenses
to produce low-THC can
nabis oil for medical use
in Georgia, the commis
sion in charge of the state’s
medical cannabis program
announced Wednesday.
The companies are
seeking either Class 1 or
Class 2 licenses. Under
legislation the General As
sembly passed in 2019,
Class 1 licenses will let the
recipient grow marijuana
indoors in up to 100,000
square feet of space.
Class 2 licenses will au
thorize recipients to grow
an indoor crop occupying
up to 50,000 square feet.
About 14,000 Geor
gians suffering from a list
of chronic diseases eligible
for treatment with medi
cal cannabis and registered
with the state will be able
to receive the oil. The list
of diseases that qualify pa
tients for cannabis oil un
der the legislation include
cancer, seizure disorders,
multiple sclerosis, amyo
trophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS), Crohn’s disease,
Parkinson’s disease, mito
chondrial disease and sick
le-cell anemia.
The Georgia Access to
Medical Cannabis Com
mission launched the li
cense application process
last November.
The commission has
put an emphasis on at
tracting applications from
businesses owned by mi
norities, women and/or
veterans.
“Today is a great day
for patients who need ac
cess to low-THC oil, and
economic development
for minority-, women-, and
veteran-owned business
es,” said Andrew Turnage,
the commission’s executive
director.
The commission will
announce contract awards
at the end of the review
process, likely in late spring
or early summer. Com
panies then can begin to
construct facilities and be
gin production, a process
that could take six to eight
months.
Once the manufac
turing licenses have been
awarded, the commission
will develop rules and reg
ulations for granting licens
es to dispensaries that will
distribute the low-THC oil
to patients.
Patients and other
members of the public will
be able to keep track of the
program’s progress and
sign up for notifications
by clicking on the com
mission’s website at www.
gmcc.ga.gov.
2021 Marks 300th Anniversary
of Georgia’s Founding
Fort King George
takes travelers back to
colonial days
This year marks a turn
ing point in North Ameri
can colonial history. Three
centuries ago, British sol
diers established their
first fort on land that was
to become the colony of
Georgia. Called Fort King
George, it protected a low
bluff on the mighty Altama-
ha River from French and
Spanish explorers, as well as
Guale Indians.
From 1721 until 1727,
Fort King George - now a
state historic site - served
as the southern bound
ary of the British Empire
in North America. After
a fire damaged buildings,
General James Oglethorpe
brought Scottish High
landers to the site in 1736.
Their settlement was called
Darien, eventually becom
ing a bustling seaport that
rivaled Savannah for ship
ping lumber.
Today, this 18th-cen
tury frontier settlement is
open for tours where visi
tors can explore numerous
reconstructed buildings.
Overlooking a scenic tidal
river are officers' quarters,
barracks, a guard house,
moat and palisades. Guests
are welcome to climb lad
ders inside the blockhouse,
he on soldiers’ bunks, peek
out of musket holes and
even ring the dinner bell.
Actively exploring the fort
helps guests, especially chil
dren, imagine life 300 years
ago. A museum highlights
the Guale Indians, 1580s
Santo Domingo de Talaje
mission, British colonists,
the Scots of Darien and the
19th century timber indus
try. The remains of three
sawmills, soldier graves and
tabby ruins are still visible
today.
To celebrate the tricen
tennial, rangers will host
a series of presentations
and celebrations through
out 2021. The next virtual
speaker presentations will
be February 28, spotlight
ing Gullah Geechee heri
tage, and March 28, cov
ering the Scots of Darien.
Plans for future presenta
tions include local historian
Buddy Sullivan, archaeolo
gist Dr. Richard Jefferies
and former site managers.
Fort King George His
toric Site is open Tuesday
through Sunday, and admis
sion is $4.50 for children
and $7.50 for adults. To
learn more, visit GaState-
Parks.org/fortkinggeorge
or call 912-437-4770.
Bill to block local choice
in energy use debated in
Georgia House committee
By Beau Evans
Staff Writer
Capitol Beat News Service
A bill to limit how local govern
ments in Georgia can impose what energy
sources their businesses, houses and other
buildings can use faced debate in a state
House committee on Monday.
Sponsored by state Rep. Bruce Wil
liamson, R-Monroe, the bill would block
city and county governments from pro
hibiting service connections to local hous
es and businesses “based upon the type or
source of energy or fuel to be delivered.”
It is identical to a separate bill intro
duced Monday in the General Assembly’s
other chamber by state Sen. John Kenne
dy, R-Macon.
Monday’s debate in a House Energy,
Utilities and Telecommunications sub
committee set up a battle between city,
county and state leaders over what build
ing-code rules local officials can pursue
to reduce harmful future climate change
caused by fossil fuels like oil and natural
gas.
Supporters say the bill’s legal protec
tions would block local city and county
governments from demanding what ener
gy sources local communities can use for
their homes and businesses, particularly
benefitting farmers who are now strug
gling to adapt in a changing fuel-consump
tion market.
“We do not support the government’s
picking winners and losers,” said Alex
Bradford, the state affairs coordinator with
the Georgia Farm Bureau. “This legisla
tion would give some continuity of fair
ness across the state in ensuring the avail
ability of affordable and reliable energy for
our farmers and agriculture.”
Opponents argue the bill would strip
local governments like Atlanta, Athens
and Savannah of their ability to honor
pledges they’ve made recently on curbing
carbon emissions to offset the anticipated
destructive future impacts of global warm-
ing.
“This bill... seems to anticipate Geor
gia turning into California,” said Jenette
Gayer, director of the nonprofit Environ
ment Georgia.
“I’d urge the committee ... to let our
communities move forward with crafting
a new and exciting energy future in our
own very unique Georgia way that many
of us probably can’t even imagine today.”
Representatives from several local
governments also joined Monday’s com
mittee hearing to voice their opposition to
potential attempts by state lawmakers to
interfere in the affairs of local authorities.
“This measure begins with a dirty
word, especially for a place like Savan
nah: ‘Prohibition,’” said Nick Palumbo, a
Savannah alderman. “Let’s keep the mar
ket open to allow cities ... the option to
choose.”
Williamson, the bill’s sponsor, said
it would “put the brakes” on local gov
ernments from blocking energy sources
to free up consumer choice for fuel con
sumption and possibly lower prices for fu
els like natural gas.
“This measure would give Georgians a
resilient path for low energy pricing,” Wil
liamson said. “It gives Georgia consumers
freedom of choice ... as energy sources
are kept low by the competitive forces at
work.”
State Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharet-
ta, who chairs the subcommittee, said the
bill will likely get a vote later this week
before potentially moving to the full com
mittee and the House floor.