2016 Georgia Agribusiness Council weekly legislative report 
Volume 25, No. 7      Published by the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc.       February 26, 2016
This was an especially active week under the gold dome as lawmakers moved quickly to advance legislation ahead of the Day 30 crossover deadline. Twenty-nine legislative days have ticked off the 40 Day clock as lawmakers head home later today. They will return Monday to take on a long list of bills, setting the stage for the final 10 day stretch…and a little March Madness of their own. We have listed several bills that need your attention – time is short for making changes and letting your elected leaders hear from you.

Here’s an update on bills of interest:
AGRICULTURAL TAX EXEMPTIONS (GATE)
The House passed a revised version of HB 911 on Thursday afternoon, sending the discussion to the Senate. There are some favorable components to this bill, but there is still much work to be done. The revised bill changes the qualifying threshold from $2,500 up to a new level of $7,500. It creates a three-year card (with a fee of $150). However, agriculture retailers (or any retailer that accepts the GATE card) would be mandated to perform several functions for GATE card customers:
1. All GATE items sold must be denoted as sales tax exempt on the receipt.
2. The retailer must maintain copies of receipts.
3. The GATE card holder's name and certificate number must be listed on each receipt by the retailer. 
4. The retailer must verify the validity of the GATE card at least once a year.
5. Any invalid cards detected by the retailer must be reported to the Dept of  Agriculture. 
We recognize that these requirements can be burdensome to retailers and we have expressed that sentiment to legislators over the past few weeks. Some of these actions are being performed voluntarily, but this bill would make them mandatory. Your input is appreciated. We also encourage you to call or email State Senator to express your concerns. With your input and direction, we will continue to work on this legislation as it moves forward.
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP & WATERS OF THE U.S. (WOTUS)
 The “Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) like bill” received a hearing in a House Natural Resources subcommittee Thursday afternoon. We were among the agriculture, forestry, construction, and real estate groups that spoke to oppose HB 966. The bill received several modifications, but is still a far cry from property rights policy needed for Georgia as it seeks to redefine how stream buffers are delineated. It would also create an opening for even more lawsuits from environmental zealots. We appreciate Rep. Lynn Smith and Rep. Buddy Harden for hearing our concerns and for not allowing the bill to advance.

On the flip-side, our allies, House Ag Committee Chairman Tom McCall and Senate Ag Committee Chairman John Wilkinson have introduced anti-EPA resolutions of their own, HR 1343 and SR 1018. These identical resolutions stress the need to repeal the federal WOTUS regulations being pushed by EPA and highlight the opposition that has been expressed by a long list of landowners and nearly every level of elected leadership. Senator Wilkinson passed SR 1018 out of his Senate Agriculture Committee on Monday and we look forward to seeing it advance to the Senate floor soon. This action will send yet another signal to the EPA that their WOTUS regulations are just another government overreach and we need to “ditch the rule.” We thank Chairman McCall and Chairman Wilkinson for their leadership and for continuing to fight EPA and their land grabbing agenda. 
(photo: Senator John Wilkinson) 
SEED LAW
 HB 1030, which would alter the requirements for those able to be appointed to the Georgia Seed Commission, passed the House on Wednesday. Rep. Sam Watson is leading this effort to broaden the eligibility of those involved production, conditioning, or marketing of seed, turfgrass, or horticultural plants are eligible. It now heads to the Senate.
BUDGET
The FY 2017 budget continued its march through the committee process in the Senate this week. While there are many good items as a part of the budget, we remain concerned that the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission (GSWCC) had funds eliminated that they use for irrigation meter monitoring and maintenance. These funds were moved to the Georgia Forestry Commission, which has been a partner for GSWCC to help read the meters. The GSWCC has led the metering program since inception in 2004. Their service not only includes leading efforts to read over 12,000 meters each year, but also the repair or replacement of damaged meters. In addition, HB 1084 that would change Georgia law with regard to GSWCC having these responsibilities. Those with concerns about these proposed changes in the budget and law are encouraged to contact your State Representative and State Senator immediately.
UAVs (Drones)
 A revised SB 325 passed the Senate Science and Technology Committee on Tuesday. It would preempt local regulations on drone/UAV use with a statewide approach, which we support.  It also outlines the development of a five-year “Georgia Unmanned Aircraft Commission” to better evaluate the various benefits of drone use for the state.  Agriculture is not specifically listed in the bill, but we have been assured our industry will have a seat at the table. We will continue working with Senator Judson Hill to be sure ag interests have a role to play in this process. 

In the other UAV news, Rep. Kevin Tanner made numerous revisions to HB 779  over the past week. It now narrows the scope of UAV use for law enforcement and State agencies. It also maintains language regarding the unlawful uses of drones, such as such as flying over public roads and highways. There are no specific references to agriculture in the bill, but we will continue to monitor the legislation as it moves forward.   
Boston Gin Co.
Brown Implement & Milling, Inc.
CSA Farms, Inc.
Center for Agribusiness & Economic Dev.
Coley Gin & Fertilizer Co. Inc.
C.M Tanner Grocery Co. Inc
Curry Farm Supply Inc.
Doerun Gin Co. Inc.
Doug Hopkins
Georgia 4-H Foundation
Hardy Farms
IsoAge Technologies L.L.C.
Israel Farm Supply Inc.
J & B Irrigation Inc.
KAKEGA LLC
Lauri Jo's Southern Style Canning
Leger & Son, Inc.
LHR Farms, Inc.
Majors Electric & Mechanical Co., Inc.
Marion Reeves Equipment Sales
Mercier Orchards
Mobley Gin
Newcastle Trucking, LLC
Northeast Georgia Livestock. LLC
Patrick Farms
Pike Creek Turf, Inc.
Pineland Plantation
Plantation Seed Conditioners, Inc.
Quality Gin, Inc.
Quality Feedstuff, Inc.
Russell Landscape Contractors, LLC
Segura's Harvesting
Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association
Southern Crop Production Assn.
Southern Equipment Dealers Association
Sylvania Peanut Co. Inc.
Swainsboro Stockyard
The J.L. Morgan Co, Inc.
  Special thanks to our Star Sponsors listed below. We welcome having GAC member companies be a part of this initiative. Please call our office at 706-336-6830 or  click here for details . Thank you!
IMMIGRATION 
 Ag interests and others worked all last year to silence SB 6…and we were successful. It would have prevented those with “deferred action” from the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) from obtaining a Georgia driver’s license, among other penalties. This bill surfaced again this session, but in a very weak form.  Thanks to the outstanding work of Sen. Tyler Harper, it advanced in a very whittled down form.  It would now allow those with “deferred action” status to receive a temporary “driver permit” that would have a special design signifying it is for those with DHS deferred action. It is a much improved bill from where it started and we appreciate the compromise approach on this very important matter.
SALES TAX DATA PRESENTATION
 We appreciate Dr. Kent Wolf and Ms. Sharon Kane from the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development for sharing their presentation on the impact of Georgia’s sales tax law changes. At the request of legislators, they visited the State Capitol Monday to share their work and we were pleased to help host these meetings. In addition to meeting with legislators, they allowed us to capture a brief video of their summary, showing the changes from sales tax collections and important influence of automotive title ad valorem tax (TAVT) collections and distribution. This is a very important presentation of actual Georgia Dept. of Revenue data that shows that decreases in county tax revenues are tied closely to declines in the automotive title ad valorem tax (TAVT). Check out the brief video:
GAC MEMBERS MAKE STRONG SHOWING AT AGRITOURISM CONFERENCE
GAC was delighted to be a part of the  Georgia AgriTourism Association’s (GAA)  Annual Conference that was held earlier this week at  Berry College , a fine institution we are proud to have as a GAC member.  Participants learned about the taxes and local issues that affect day-to-day operations, the ins and outs of hosting specials events on the farm and utilizing social media resources to make the most of marketing efforts.  GAC’s  Anna McIntyre  briefed the crowd on the latest with HB 911 and the anticipated changes to the GATE program.  She stressed that it takes the industry working together to ensure the program is viable into the future. Several GAC members served as guest speakers throughout the sessions- Caroline Lewallen of  Jaemor Farms , Jeff Manley of  The Rock Ranch , Jenni Harris of  White Oak Pastures , David Lillard of  Mercier Orchards  and Nowell Berreth of  Alston & Bird, LLP  all offered their expertise respectively. GAC Board Member Cynde Dickey of  Dickey Farms  in Musella presided over the conference as the GAA president. Congratulations to the GAA staff for an outstanding conference.
GRAPEVINE
Congratulations to Georgia FFA on their annual day at the Capitol.  The halls were filled with FFA blue jackets representing agriculture education very well. We were pleased to attend their breakfast event where they were welcomed by numerous state leaders, including Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black .
G AC’s  Jonathan Harding  had the privilege of speaking at the  Walker County Young Farmer’s Banquet  Tuesday night.  It was a pleasure getting to talk with Young Farmers about current issues at the State Capitol, activities of the Council, and highlight the importance of the agriculture industry.  
We were pleased to attend the Georgia Board of Natural Resources meeting this week as we watched our good friend Mrs. Phyllis Johnson participate in her final meeting of this esteemed group of statewide leaders. Appointed by Governor Perdue, Phyllis joined the Board in 2003 and became a fast friend on issues impacting agriculture and forestry. She was a natural fit as her family owns and manages a tree farm and hunting preserve known as Rocky Branch in Jeff Davis County. Thirteen years is a long time to provide public service to an agency board. We are grateful for her leadership and friendship throughout her service.  Thank you, Phyllis.
 We would like to congratulate GAC members who were finalists in the 2016 Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest!
Water: We look forward to upcoming water tours in March 2016! GAC partnered with the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) to provide this opportunity to learn from expert county and state officials about the many ways we are conserving water resources while getting a first-hand look at state-of-the-art facilities and technologies used in water management. Tours will take place in the Metro Atlanta region as well as Southwest Georgia. Space is limited. Please click here for details.
*Pesticide Drift Training: The University of Georgia and Georgia Department of Agriculture have collaborated to provide a series of required classroom trainings for the use of auxin herbicides (2,4-D or dicamba) in auxin-tolerant seed technologies. The 2016 crop year will be the first time these cotton and soybean seed technologies are available for use in Georgia. No doubt they will prove helpful for the control of glyphosate-resistant pigweed and other weeds. Even though 2,4-D and dicamba have been used effectively for decades without this required advanced use training, the Georgia Department of Agriculture decided to require attending a "Using Pesticides Wisely" training prior to making applications of dicamba to dicamba-tolerant cotton/soybean or 2,4-D to 2,4-D-tolerant cotton/soybeans in Georgia. The training will focus on helping applicators/growers make wise decisions when applying not only 2,4-D and dicamba, but all pesticides. Growers that attended trainings during 2015, as long as they registered, are not required to attend the meeting again. Drift prevention or reduction is important for all product uses. Click here for the list of "Using Pesticides Wisely" workshop dates and locations.

* March 4, 2016 is the Evening for ABAC  which supports the ABAC Foundation.  Acts include Jeremy Davis and the Fabulous Equinox Jazz Orchestra. Please join ABAC for this wonderful event.  For more information  click here .

* We are proud to again be a sponsor for the Georgia Peanut Commission and National Peanut Buying Points Association, Peanut Butter & Jelly Day at the State Capitol. This special event will be held Wednesday, March 16 from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

* Nominations for the CAES Alumni Association's Awards are now open .  These awards recognize alumni who have made significant contributions and have achieved excellence in their chosen field and/or in their community.  Click here for nomination form .  

This information is intended for members of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc. No part of this document shall be copied, edited, or redistributed in any form without express written consent from the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc.

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