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Gold Dome Update 
Highlights from the House 
Week Four
Monday, January 29, we reconvened for the fourth week of our 2018 Legislative Session. Several committee and subcommittee hearings met to work diligently through various bills, including measures dealing with Georgia’s outdated adoption procedures, tax reform, as well as, updating the state retirement program for some members of our law enforcement community.
House Bill 159- Adoption Modernization
House Bill 159, which would completely overhaul Georgia’s current adoption process, passed unanimously last week. During the first week of session, we received the Senate version of the bill, which made significant changes to the original legislation we passed in 2017. Upon receiving the newest version, we immediately began negotiations with the Senate and the governor’s office, eventually reaching a compromise.

Among the changes includes shortening the time in which a birth mother can revoke the adoption of her child. Currently, birth mothers have 10 days to revoke the surrender of their newborn. Under HB 159 this revocation period is shortened from 10 to 4 days. 

Additionally, the House version of the adoption bill updates the following:

  • Allows birth mothers to receive reasonable living expenses in both private and agency adoptions, thus leveling the field regardless of chosen adoption procedure.
  • Safeguards several temporary powers of attorney.

The updated bill is now back in the Senate, where we hope they will agree to the current changes. If approved by the Senate, HB 159 will head to the Governor for his signature and final passage into law. 

House Bill 661- Real Estate Tax Lien Reform
Passing unanimously in our chamber last week was House Bill 661, dealing with real estate tax liens. Essentially this bill works to simplify the process for filing and removing realty tax liens. If signed into law, this bill would increase transparency for taxpayers, moving the Department of Revenue’s process to electronic-based transactions, as opposed to the traditional paper transactions. HB 661 also updates legislation signed into law last year, removing a current provision regarding statewide liens, reverting to county specific liens. This bill also stipulates that every realty tax lien be filed with the superior court clerk in the county where the real estate is located.

House Bill 694- Tax Laws
House Bill 694, a measure intended to update the way motor fuel distributors and wholesalers submit their monthly motor fuel tax reports to the Department of Revenue, also passed. This measure would modernize and streamline the filing process for our state’s oil distributors by requiring all monthly reports be submitted electronically.

House Bill 135- State Retirement Reform
If signed into law, House Bill 135 would expand the term “law enforcement officer” to include Department of Driver Services (DDS) investigators. Under the bill, they would qualify to receive up to an additional five years of creditable service in the state’s Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) for prior law enforcement service.

Eligibility stipulations include:

  • DDS investigators receiving retirement benefits from a local government for that same service are not eligible.
  • The individual is not eligible unless they have been a member of the retirement system for at least ten years.

HB 135 corrects an oversight missed in 2016, when we passed a bill allowing all other law enforcement officers to obtain creditable service through the ERS. This bill simply corrects that oversight, making Georgia’s 16 DDS investigators eligible for this benefit.

House Bill 671- Honey Bee Bill
Did you know that more than 100 agricultural crops in the U. S. are pollinated by bees? Further, Georgia is the third largest producer of bees and the tenth largest producer of honey in the nation. Since our state’s largest and oldest industry is agriculture, it makes sense that the honey bee holds the honor of being named Georgia’s official insect!

Last week we passed House Bill 671, which would promote conservation and protection efforts of the honey bee, through the purchase of specialty license plates. All revenue collected would be given directly to the Georgia Beekeepers Association, who will use the funds to support numerous educational, training, research and non-profit grant programs, all intended to help raise honey bee awareness.
Sponsored Legislation
Since my service began in the General Assembly, it has been a top priority to work with our local delegation to determine what legislative action would be most beneficial to our region. In an effort to continue this trend, we have worked together on crafting House Bill 749 which addresses Veterans retirement accounts.

If passed into law, HB 749 , would exempt compensation benefits of spouses and/or dependents of deceased veterans from state income tax. This legislation would assist loved ones of our fallen Veterans, while recognizing current retirement exemptions to include military retirement income. This bill has been referred to House Ways & Means, where we are hopeful it will receive a hearing in the coming days.

My Small Town Video Release
Houston county citizens were treated to a half-time of our own as Warner Robins native, Chris Dunn, released his "My Small Town" video montage. The video highlights the change and growth our region has experienced over the years. It is a great reminder of where we have been, how far we have come and most importantly where we are going.

Once considered a rural community, Houston County has developed tremendously, now being recognized as an urban center for middle Georgia. We are unique in that our region combines the best of city and country living. Thank you Chris Dunn for showcasing our community which is truly the best of both worlds.
4-H Club Capitol Day
Each year we have the pleasure of hosting Georgia 4-H club members to Capitol Hill.
This extraordinary organization helps prepare students through development, mentorship and hands-on projects in areas such as health, science, agriculture  and citizenship.
Great to see our Houston County 4-H members taking advantage of the unique opportunity to visit the gold dome and learn more about their government at work.
Supreme Court Justice, Britt Grant
Great to welcome my friend and Leadership Georgia classmate, Georgia Supreme Court Justice Britt Grant, along with her colleagues to the Capitol. Justice Grant was appointed to serve on the Supreme Court by Governor Deal in January of 2017. The following November, she was named by President  Donald Trump  as a potential nominee to the  Supreme Court of the United States .
Page Program
We are still accepting applications from students interested in the House Page Program. Please contact our office or click here for more information. To be eligible, students must be age 12-18. This is a great opportunity for district students to get an inside look of our government at work!
Please be on the lookout for updates which will be sent weekly for the duration of session. If you are in Atlanta, or plan on making a trip to the Capitol, please come by and say hello. Thank you for allowing me to represent your voice under the gold dome. Your confidence and trust in my efforts to make government simple, smart and effective, means a great deal. If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime.

Respectfully,
Shaw Blackmon
Representative of Georgia's 146th House District
 
Representative Shaw Blackmon
District 146
Email: Shaw.Blackmon@house.ga.gov
Phone: 404-656-0177
Address: 501-E Coverdell Legislative Office Building
Atlanta, Georgia 30334


Rep. Shaw Blackmon represents District 146. He currently serves as a Deputy Whip and as a member of Ways & Means, Economic Development and Tourism, Special Rules, Insurance and
Governmental Affairs Committees. Shaw is also a member of the Military Affairs Working Group.