Week Seven, February 25,
2018
In This Issue
House Passes Historic
Tax Cut
Coastal Delegation Gets
Answers From GDOT
WTOC Interview On Tree
Removal Along I-95 & I-16
Hidden Predator Act
Revamp Advances
Draft EIS for Spaceport
Camden to be Published March 9th
House Passes Historic
Tax Cut
The House got back to
work at the Georgia State Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 20, and we had a very busy
seventh week of the 2018 legislative session. As we get closer and closer to Cross-Over
Day, our agendas continue to get fuller and our days get longer. This week, the
House voted on several bills in the House Chamber, and committees worked
diligently to hear important legislation before next week’s Cross-Over Day
deadline. Also, on Thursday, Feb. 22, we convened for a joint session with our
Senate counterparts to hear the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Chief Justice P.
Harris Hines deliver the annual State of the Judiciary address.
On Tuesday, Feb. 20,
Governor Nathan Deal, along with several House and Senate members, held a press
conference to introduce House Bill 918, legislation that would update Georgia’s
tax code. After being vetted in committee, HB 918 made its way to the House
floor on Thursday, Feb. 22, where it passed overwhelmingly. This legislation
would make necessary changes to our state’s outdated tax code, which has not
been updated in 80 years, and seeks to decrease the tax burden on our citizens
by cutting individual and corporate state income taxes. HB 918 would double the
state standard deduction for Georgia taxpayers for all filing statuses,
effective Jan. 1, 2018, and would reduce the income tax rate for individuals
and businesses from 6 percent to 5.75 percent beginning on Jan. 1, 2019. The
legislation would further reduce the tax rate to 5.5 percent on Jan. 1, 2020,
but would require approval of the General Assembly and signature of the
governor in order to take effect. Furthermore, the bill contains a big tax
break for Delta Airlines that I was not too crazy about. The Delta tax
break would eliminate the sales tax on jet fuel which is allegedly designed to
make our state be more competitive and to encourage airlines to fly additional
direct flights from Georgia to global destinations. However, since the passage
of this bill, Delta Airlines have insulted many members of the National Rifle
Association who actually fly on their airline. Delta, along with United
Airlines, announced that they
ended their discounted rates to NRA members amid the recent national gun
control debate. I voted for this bill because the average Georgian has
not seen their state income tax rate cut in 80 years. However, after learning
that Delta nixed the discounted rates on NRA members as a political statement,
I will now be urging my senate colleagues this week to nix the Delta tax exemption.
As the old saying goes, Loose lips, sink ships. Furthermore, this revenue
neutral tax proposal would also address the state revenue projections resulting
from the recent Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed by President Donald Trump.
This historic tax update would benefit all of Georgia’s citizens by allowing
them to keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets, and I am proud
of the General Assembly’s work on this important measure.
This week, the House
passed several bills that came from the House Rural Development Council’s (RDC)
legislative recommendations. On Wednesday, Feb. 21, the House overwhelmingly
passed House Bill 769 in an effort to improve access to quality health care in
the rural parts of our state. This bill includes several health care
provisions, such as allowing for remote pharmacy orders, updating credentialing
and billing practices, establishing the Rural Center for Health Care Innovation
and Sustainability, establishing micro-hospitals and creating a grant program
for physicians practicing in medically underserved rural areas of the
state.
Under HB 769, a Georgia
licensed pharmacist located within the United States could remotely place pharmacy drug orders for hospital patients, provided that the orders are
reviewed by a pharmacist who is physically in the hospital within 24 hours or
by the next business day. The bill would also direct the Department of
Community Health to study various ways to streamline and expedite the
credentialing and billing process for state medical plans. Additionally, HB 769
would establish a Rural Center for Health Care Innovation and Sustainability
through the existing Office of Rural Health. This center would provide
leadership training and health data analysis for rural hospitals and would be
located at a Georgia postsecondary institution with a health program or college
that focuses on rural and underserved areas of the state. The center would educate
and train rural hospital leaders on best practices and hospital operating
standards. Furthermore, the legislation would allow for the creation of
micro-hospitals, a hospital in a rural county that has two to seven inpatient
beds and provides 24/7 emergency services, without requiring a new certificate
of need when a hospital is closing or has recently closed and is purchased by a
hospital in a neighboring county. Finally, the bill would create a grant
program within the Georgia Board of Physician Workforce to provide financial
assistance for some rural physicians who establish or operate a practice in an
underserved area of the state. This measure was the first RDC-related bill to
pass the House this session, and the bill’s wide-ranging health care provisions
would allow this critical sector to thrive in rural Georgia.
This week, the House
overwhelmingly passed two other bills that would also greatly benefit our rural
communities, House Bills 735 and 876. HB 735 would create an income tax credit
for track maintenance expenditures on owned or leased short line railroads.
This legislation mirrors the Federal Railroad Track Maintenance Credit, and the
tax credit would be 50 percent of the maintenance expenditures during the
taxable year and would be capped at $3,500 per mile of railroad track. Short
line rails serve as a virtual lifeline to our rural communities, and this
measure would incentivize investment in rail infrastructure, boost
reinvestment, create jobs and keep rural Georgia connected to the rest of the
state.
This week, the House
unanimously passed a measure to help fight the horrific practice of sex
trafficking within our state. House Bill 732 would expand the definition of sex
trafficking to include anyone who patronizes sexually explicit conduct from a
sex trafficking victim. With this clarification to state law, anyone who
commits this offense would be charged with a felony and would be required to
serve a prison sentence of five to 20 years. HB 732 would ensure that
individuals who knowingly engage in sex trafficking acts with victims of sex
trafficking are prosecuted accordingly, and this bill is a significant step to
address this serious issue in our state.
On Thursday, Feb. 22,
the House unanimously passed a bill that would have a great impact on Georgia’s
active-duty military members. House Bill 840 would exempt active-duty military
members serving in a combat zone from penalty fees associated with
unintentionally unpaid special, occupational or sales taxes and license,
regulatory or administrative fees incurred while they are in a combat zone. HB
840 does not exempt active-duty military members from paying these taxes, but
it does give them 60 days from the time they return from their military service
to make full payment of the taxes due without penalties if they present proof of their presence in a
combat zone. Oftentimes, active-duty military members are unable to renew licenses, like small businesses licenses, that expire while they
are stationed in a combat zone, and this bill would prevent our service members
from being penalized with late fees while they are deployed.
Finally, on Thursday,
Feb. 22, Chief Justice Hines delivered the annual State of the Judiciary
address. Each year, the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court addresses
the General Assembly to report on the judicial branch’s accomplishments and
future objectives. During his remarks, Chief Justice Hines, who serves as the
head of the judiciary, pointed out that 2018 will bring about great change to
the judicial branch, as several new judges will be elected, Georgians will
elect a new state Supreme Court justice and Gov. Deal will make his fifth
appointment to Georgia’s highest court. Chief Justice Hines also highlighted
several accomplishments of Georgia’s criminal justice reform, which is one of
Gov. Deal’s greatest legacies during his time in office. Furthermore, Chief
Justice Hines announced that the Court Reform Council recommended the creation
of a statewide business court to handle complex financial cases. This court
would have jurisdiction similar to our federal courts and would operate
similarly to the specialized business courts that now operate in Fulton and
Gwinnett counties. Legislation relating to these courts will likely come before
the General Assembly in the future.
Next Wednesday, Feb. 28,
marks legislative Day 28, otherwise known as Cross-Over Day. This is the last
day a bill may pass out of its original legislative chamber and remain eligible
for consideration this legislative session. With this deadline in mind, my
colleagues and I will be working even longer hours next week to ensure that
quality and meaningful legislation passes the House this session. If you have
any questions or concerns regarding any legislation up for consideration in the
House, or any input on how I may better serve our community, please do not
hesitate to contact me. I can be reached at my Capitol office at 404-656-0177,
or via email at jason.spencer@house.ga.gov. Also, if you ever find yourself in
Atlanta during the legislative session, please feel free to stop by my Capitol
office, which is located at the Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Suite
501-D, 18 Capitol Square NW, Atlanta, GA 30334. Sincerely, Rep. Jason Spencer
COASTAL DELEGATION GETS
ANSWERS ON INTERSTATE TREE REMOVAL MISHAP
ATLANTA, At the leading of State Representative Jason
Spencer (R-Woodbine), with the support of State Representatives Jeff Jones
(R-Brunswick), Don Hogan (R-St. Simon’s Island), the Georgia Department of
Transportation (GDOT) will begin an interstate beautification plan on
Interstates 95 and 16 in Camden County after thousands of trees were removed
along I-95 causing tremendous noise for residents.
This effort comes after
an overwhelming outcry and demand from the public for more answers as to why
the state transportation department would execute such an unsightly, massive
and ill-informed project without any public input from the tax payers or local
officials and how it would affect residents. said Rep. Spencer. GDOT has
finally given us a timeline that informs the community of when the beautification
activities begin, said Rep. Spencer. Even though it is after the fact and the
majority of the damage has been done, I am thankful they will now be meeting local
officials, as they should, to review and receive input on the next phase
of project and get a consensus going forward. People are not happy and
rightfully so. The beautification phase, however, does not solve the increased
noise problems that residents along the interstate now have to deal with. The
noise must be addressed.”
"Thanks to
Representative Spencer for organizing the recent meeting with GDOT. said Rep.
Jones. However, the entire process and the reasoning we were given for the
clear-cutting of all the beautiful trees on IH95, IH16 and on other state roads
in Georgia is troubling to me on its face. It seems that we are spending
taxpayer money for a project of questionable value. Now, we must
spend additional taxpayer money to 'beautify' these clear-cut areas. If
asked, I suspect our taxpayers would vote no on the entire effort. Just because
GDOT has the money to spend doesn't mean they should. All we ask is for GDOT to
keep local citizens and elected officials informed before they undertake such a
sweeping and, in my opinion, questionable project, and to spend taxpayer
money in a prudent manner."
Meetings will be
scheduled with Camden County and the cities of Kingsland, St. Mary’s and
Woodbine to discuss beautification projects with local officials. The GDOT
landscape architect will work with Camden County to determine the variety of
trees to be planted, and ensure that grass and pollinator gardens are planted
during the appropriate growing seasons. Proposed planting locations include
Exit 1 on I-95 and wide median sections of I-16.
*Editor’s note:
Documents with details on the beautification project have been attached to this
press release for your convenience.
ATTACHMENTS:
1) Copy of
interstate vegetation management schedule
2) I-95 Exit
1 beautification plan
GDOT addresses massive
tree removal on I-95 and I-16
From the article:
While the state
increased safety, a domino effect of pitfalls followed. The project eliminated
sound and privacy barriers for hundreds of people living near the highways, but
GDOT says the trees didn't qualify as a blockade in the first place.
Representative Spencer
says he disagrees and is pushing for verification. "I would like for them
to do a sound study now. What does it sound like now? Because all of my constituents
can't be wrong on this," he said.
Representative Spencer
met with GDOT two weeks ago and says during his meeting, they said the large
and old trees were especially unsafe during hurricane seasons. Their stability
posed threats and caused countless re-entry delays following evacuations by
falling into the highways.
Rep Spencer's Hidden
Predator Act Advances Out Of Subcommittee
From the article: Following
a prolonged debate over language, the subcommittee voted in favor of moving a
revised Georgia Hidden Predator Act onto the full committee. It’s designed to
make it easier for victims of sexual assault to sue the organizations accused
of not doing enough to protect children from abusers. The original Hidden
Predator Act, passed in 2015, is widely considered to be among the nation’s
weakest.
Draft EIS released by
March 9 By Jill Helton--Tribune & Georgian The Federal Aviation
Administration announced today that the draft environmental impact statement
for Spaceport Camden would be released no later than Friday, March 9. We
are working to release the draft EIS for public review by March 9. The public
hearings will be held the week of April 9 in Camden County, said Stacey Zee,
FAA spokesperson. Once it is available it will be posted at https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmen....
The website will also be
updated to provide details on the public hearings, Zee said in an email on
Friday, Feb. 23. I will send out an email once the draft EIS and details about
the public hearings are posted to the website. A notice will appear in the
Federal Register on March 16; this will start the 45-day public review period on
the draft EIS.
The EIS process began
with public hearings in late 2015. It is one of the steps required for the
county government to pursue a launch site operator license. In that licensing
application period, which is expected to last about 180 days, the FAA considers
policy, location, safety and environmental reviews before deciding whether to
issue the license. Each space company that wants to launch from the site is
additionally required to secure an FAA permit for that activity.
Questions related to the
Spaceport Camden EIS may be directed to Zee by emailing her at
Stacey.Zee@faa.gov.
GA State Representative
Jason Spencer
28 Yachtsmen Court Woodbine
Georgia 31569
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