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Volume 26, No. 6 Published by the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc. February 17, 2017
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GEORGIA SOAKS FLORIDA IN BATTLE OVER WATER
We have much to celebrate with the ruling of the Special Master this week, giving Georgia the win over Florida in the long-fought battle over water rights. Read the report of the Special Master here. Last year, GAC was pleased to join efforts with the Georgia Urban Ag Council and Georgia Green Industry Association in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court. This document expressed the conservation efforts of agriculture, both in the urban areas and traditional ag irrigation setting, and discussed the economic importance of irrigation to rural economies. Other friends of agriculture also filed documents in support of ag irrigation efficiency across the state. This was a great victory for our water rights, but it is not over. Florida has already spent over $40 million suing Georgia and is likely to spend millions more trying to save face and exploring other options. Additional suits may be filed and congressional action is still a possibility. Regardless, we should be very proud of the progress made saving water resources in agriculture and metro areas. We must not rest on this success, but continue to lead by example. Water stewardship never stops. Our Florida neighbors would be better served investing in programs like Georgia has done. We are grateful for the effective water policies put in place across Georgia over the last 15 years and for the legal team that pulled it all together.
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It was a wild week in the capitol halls as the pressure to advance bills has now started to build. Lawmakers are in session again today as they mark the halfway point of the 40-day session. They will return on Tuesday for another four-day sprint. The very important “cross-over day” will be on Day 28 (March 3). You’ll recall this marks the deadline when bills have to have passed their chamber of origin (House bills have to pass the House and Senate bills have to pass the Senate) or they are dead for the year. We had several bills with activity this week. As always, let us know if you have any questions…here we go:
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AD VALOREM TAX EXEMPTION ON LEASED FARM EQUIPMENT
HB 290 by Rep. Sam Watson (Moultrie) passed the House Ways & means Committee on Thursday and has broad support. We appreciate the engagement by GAC members AGCO and John Deere by providing examples of county tax assessors misinterpreting the law and charging property taxes when they shouldn’t. It totals many thousands of dollars taken by a variety of county governments. This bill should (fingers crossed) help these counties understand that leased farm equipment to family farm operations is NOT subject to property tax. Our thanks to Rep. Sam Watson for leading the charge and we are proud to be among those helping push it. We expect to see it get a vote in the House very soon.
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ETHANOL BAN IN FUELS
SB 115 was discussed in the Senate Agriculture Committee on Wednesday. While there are some legitimate concerns about the use of ethanol in fuel, this bill would prohibit the sale of ethanol gasoline throughout Georgia. We were pleased to speak against the bill in committee, highlighting the important economic benefits of ethanol availability and the impact of a stable corn market for Georgia farms. In the end, the bill was tabled by the committee as many concerns had the committee uncomfortable about seeing it advance. Click here to access our comments with Southeast AgNet on this issue.
In addition, the Senate Agriculture Committee did pass SR 205 by Senator Frank Ginn (Danielsville). It is an effort to urge Congress to look at eliminating the use of ethanol in fuels across the nation. Senator Ginn and others have real concerns about the ethanol market and this resolution reflects them.
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SOLAR PANELS
HB 238 by Rep. Matt Hatchett is another attempt to secure approval to better advance solar panel use in agricultural areas. This bill would allow the use of solar panels to be installed on land entered into a Conservation Use Valuation Assessment (CUVA) or Forest Land Protection Act (FLPA) covenant without a breach of the covenant. The land where the solar panels are installed must be removed from the covenant and placed on the tax digest and valued at fair market value for tax purposes. With increased solar panel interest and access, CUVA & FLPA property covenants could be problematic for rural areas, thus impacting our members. We were pleased to speak in support of the bill as it passed the House Ways & Means Committee on Thursday.
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WATER RESOURCES
On Wednesday SR 152 (also by Sen. Frank Ginn) passed the Senate Natural Resources & Environment Committee. This would create a joint study committee with the House Natural Resources Committee to take a closer look into issues related to stream buffers on state waters. With water continuing to be a heated issue up at the Capitol we will continue to monitor this movement throughout the year.
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BUDGET
HB 44, the FY2018 budget cleared the House Appropriations Committee and is being voted on in the House Chamber today. GAC member and House Appropriations Chairman Terry England (Auburn) is a great leader in this $28 billion state budget process. It contains several funding enhancements of interest: Department of Agriculture saw increased funds to provide for food safety, plant and animal industry positions. UGA Experiment Station and Extension Service saw a much-needed boost to their maintenance and operations budgets of nearly $6.5 million. The Veterinary Medicine Experiment Station picked up $310,000 for two field services clinical veterinarians dedicated to food animal practice and the Poultry Diagnostic Research Laboratory received $125,000 for two positions to address disease surveillance. $2.5 million in 20-year bonds was added to design, construct and equip the renovation of the Poultry Science Research Facilities in Athens. $1.2 million in 20-year bonds was added to design, construct and equip the Georgia Grown building in Perry. It will now move to the Senate to begin their review.
The path of Georgia’s FY 2017 current operating budget, HB 43, was completed this week as Governor Deal signed it into law.
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SB 69 by Sen Ag Chairman John Wilkinson (Toccoa) was voted out of the House Ag Committee on Wednesday. Certified organic operations in Georgia are currently required to register each year with the Georgia Department of Agriculture at no cost. This is already required by the USDA and these businesses are already posted on their official website. This bill strikes the language that requires Georgia to take action thus reducing costs.
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SB 78, by Senator Lee Anderson (Grovetown) was also voted out of the House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday with a unanimous vote. This legislation is needed for the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Commissioner to allow specific variances to certain food safety regulations. These variances are required to make certain food products and are part of federal guidance handed down by the Food and Drug Administration. This bill will give the Department the flexibility to accommodate the needs of food producing businesses while continuing to protect the public health.
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HB 176 by House Ag Chairman Tom McCall (Elberton) provides a certain authority needed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) to enter into agreements with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enforce provisions of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This bill is necessary to keep FDA away from Georgia businesses by allowing GDA to do the work. On Wednesday afternoon, it unanimously passed out of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
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LIVESTOCK DEALER SURETY REQUIREMENTS
HB 49 by Rep. Clay Pirkle (Ashburn) continued to move swiftly as it passed the Senate Ag Committee on Wednesday. The legislation establishes a 3-year livestock dealer and market operator license for a fee to ensure they are following existing surety requirements. The fee is not to exceed $200 for livestock market operators or $25 for dealers.
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UPDATED HUNTING LICENSES
HB 208 by Rep. Trey Rhodes (Greensboro) passed the House Games, Fish & Parks committee chaired by Rep. David Knight (Griffin) on Tuesday. This bill raises the fees for hunting, trapping and fishing licenses. The boost in revenue will be re-invested in fish and wildlife programs to help maintain and enhance those related hunting and fishing departments. This initiative is coming from Governor Deal's team and is expected to move steadily over the next few weeks.
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Special thanks to our 2017 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!
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Agri-Business Supply Inc.
DeWitt Produce Co. Inc.
Gillis Bros. Inc.
Leatherbrook Holsteins LLC
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A.M. Bickley Inc.
Barrington Dairies
Bay Branch Farms, Inc.
Clay Co. & Associates
Curry Farm Supply Inc.
GA Ag. Commodity Commission for Tobacco
GA Association of Professional Ag. Consultants
Georgia Watermelon Association
Greg Sikes Farm, LLC
Saddle Creek Farm
Vidalia Onion Business Council
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RURAL GEORGIA INVESTMENT INITIATIVES
HB 73 by Rep. Penny Houston (Nashville) passed the House on Thursday with a vote of 158 - 3. Called the “Revitalization of Vacant Rural Georgia Act”, it is designed to encourage investment, job creation, and economic growth in long-established business districts with the incentive of tax credits in rural downtown areas. In an area with a population of 15,000 or less, a business is able receive up to a $2,000 tax credit for five years in which new full-time equivalent jobs are created and maintained. Another tax credit would compensate the business with 25% of the purchase price of the building and up to 50% of the rehabilitation costs. Many view this as an important step by the General Assembly to help keep small towns across the state sustainable and viable for future growth opportunities.
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A much bigger initiative, HB 314 by Rep. Jason Shaw creates the "Georgia Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act." It is meant to provide a non-traditional funding program for rural areas. This seven-page bill has several nuances and is likely to see multiple changes as it is discussed in committee. It would supplement traditional funding mechanisms and targets counties with less than 75,000 in population and is available for businesses with fewer than 250 employees. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs would provide administrative oversight of this program. Upon making a capital investment in a rural fund, a qualified rural investor earns a vested right to a tax credit against the entity's state tax liability. We met this week with advocates of the bill to ask questions about impacts this could have to other lenders. Rep. Jason Shaw is heavily involved in this effort and we are working with him to keep our member interests in play. We welcome your input.
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CONSERVATION FUNDS FROM STATE SALES TAX
HB 332 by Rep. Sam Watson seeks to hook 75 percent (3 of the 4 cents collected is state sales tax) on the sale of outdoor recreation equipment to be dedicated to the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund. These dollars would then be used by the state to fund the protection and preservation of conservation land, providing stewardship for state lands and wildlife management areas, support local parks and trails, and preserve critical conservation land. It could generate as much as $30 million per year. Such a move would require a constitutional amendment, which is captured in the accompanying HR 238.
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2017 - 2018 GAC MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
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The Council staff is preparing our 2017-2018 GAC Membership Directory. As you may know, our biannual publication provides GAC members with our current 1000+ membership list, associations and organizations, Georgia legislative information, congressional contacts and more. A mailer is being distributed next week to members to update their information – so please make sure our database is current with your contact information.
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to advertise! If you are interested in placing an ad in the directory, please see the link at www.ga-agribusiness.org or email Maggie Wooten at mwooten@ga-agribusiness.org. All ads will need to be in by March 17, 2017. Thank you!
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CONGRATULATIONS, GARLAND THOMPSON
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We salute the service of former GAC Chairman and longtime friend Mr. Garland Thompson as he retires from the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission board after 42 years of leadership. This commitment to protecting Georgia allowed him to serve under six governors. You will not find a better man and agribusiness leader. Congratulations and THANK YOU, Mr. Thompson. You make Georgia proud!
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*It was great meeting with the leaders of Coffee County this week and friends from Premium Peanut and the Coffee County Development Authority during the Rural Caucus meeting on Wednesday. Rep. Dominic LaRiccia is an avid supporter of agribusiness in his district, which includes Coffee County. We appreciate his leadership to help host this group and promote agribusiness.
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*Congratulations to Cordele/Crisp County for hosting a very popular fish fry at the Capitol this week. It was great seeing several GAC members from the area and lawmakers always enjoy the fellowship from South Georgia friends. Well done!
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*Georgia Farm Bureau's Day at the Capitol was February 15th.
SR 82
recognizes February 15th as Georgia Farm Bureau Federation Day at the state capitol.
GFB President, Gerald Long spoke in front of both chambers to educate the General Assembly on the issues pertaining to ag and farming.
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*Sen. John Wilkinson submitted
SR 81
commending FFA and recognizing February 19 - 26, as National FFA Week, with February 21st as FFA Day at the Capitol. We look forward to this event each year as students from across the state host breakfast for legislators and visit the halls of the state capitol.
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*Georgia Agritourism Association’s Annual Conference will be held February 27 – March 1. This is a great opportunity for people to tour Georgia Agritourism operations, network, and learn about the latest in effective marketing strategies, on-farm activities that work, and hear first-hand testimonials from agritourism operators about their success. GAC is proud to be a sponsor of this event. Call 706-845-9085 for more info.
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*The Georgia Citrus Association will have their first annual meeting on February 27th at the UGA Tifton Campus. This new association will be a catalyst for the fruit growing industry in Georgia. Click here for tickets!
*The annual
Wild Hog Supper that was supposed to take place earlier this month but was postponed due to inclement weather has been rescheduled for Monday, February 27th from 5:30-7:30 PM.
It will continue to be at the Georgia Freight Depot. Tickets are still available for purchase.
*March 3rd, the Georgia Cattlemen's Association will be hosting a steak biscuit breakfast for legislators and guests at the capitol. Beef for breakfast!
*We hope you will make plans to join us at the
Georgia FFA Foundation Blue & Gold Gala
slated for Friday, March 10 at the St. Regis Buckhead hotel in Atlanta.
Click here for details
.
*The Georgia Peanut Commission and National Peanut Buying Points Association will be hosting Peanut Butter & Jelly Day at the State Capitol on Monday, March 20, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. GAC is proud to be a sponsor of this annual event. SR 194 by Sen. John Wilkinson commends those in the industry and recognizes this date.
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* Georgia Ag Week: The Georgia Department of Agriculture is leading our state’s biggest and best industry in a one-week collection of activities. Here are the plans:
Monday, March 20 - Seasons & Faces of Georgia Agriculture
Sloppy Floyd Building Plaza, Atlanta
The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s photo exhibit featuring farmers throughout the state will be displayed in the plaza of the James H. “Sloppy” Floyd Veterans Memorial Building. The building houses the Capitol Commons food court, a popular lunch destination for state employees.
Tuesday, March 21- Flavor of Georgia
Old Train Depot, Atlanta
The University of Georgia’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences will once again be hosting their annual Flavor of Georgia Contest to showcase delicious Georgia food products. Visit www.flavorofga.com or contact Sharon Kane at spkane@uga.edu for more info. This event is by invitation only.
Wednesday, March 22- Ag Hero Day (Statewide)
The Georgia Department of Agriculture invites you to celebrate agriculture heroes in your community by writing a note to farmers thanking them for the food and fiber they provide in our daily lives. Schools are encouraged to invite a local Ag Hero into classrooms to discuss the importance of agriculture and the impact farming has on our economy. A “Pennies for Produce” Drive will be held in schools to collect funds for food banks across the state to purchase local produce when in season.
Thursday, March 23- Ag Literacy Day (Statewide)
With the guidance of Georgia Farm Bureau, the Georgia Department of Agriculture is encouraging all of our local and state partners to read a designated agriculture literacy book to a local school classroom. Contact Donna Rocker at dhrocker@gfb.org for classroom activities and more info.
Friday, March 24- Make My Plate Georgia Grown Day (Statewide)
The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School Program and the Georgia Department of Education’s School Nutrition Program have partnered together to create a Georgia Grown menu to feature local products in school cafeteria’s across the state. The Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Department of Education, School Nutrition is encouraging local and state partners to visit a school cafeteria in your community and enjoy a tasty Georgia Grown lunch.
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2017 AGAware Workshops
AgSouth Farm Credit and AgGeorgia Farm Credit are hosting a series of informative workshops in order for farmers to get a better understanding of how to approach their finances.
Topics covered in the program include: Balance Sheets, Income Statements, Family Finance & Family Budgeting, Risk Management, Accrual Income, Applying for Financing and Preparing a Business Plan with bonus video topics on Record Keeping, Marketing, and Technology available for continued education. Click here to register!
- Friday, February 24 - Perry, GA (AgGeorgia Farm Credit Headquarters)
- Friday, March 17 - Greensboro, GA (Greene County Farm Bureau)
- Friday, August 18 - West Columbia, SC (Phillips Market Center)
- Friday, August 25 - Waynesboro, GA (Burke County Office Park)
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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. Georgia Agribusiness Council | 706-336-6830 |
WWW.GA-AGRIBUSINESS.ORG
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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP TO GEORGIA'S STRONGEST INDUSTRY
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