January 20, 2023 Volume 14, Issue 2 View in Browser

Budget is Focus During Second Week of Session

Though the General Assembly was in recess this week, state legislators remained hard at work while engaged in budget hearings. As you will see in this issue of the ACCG Legislative Update, workforce housing continues to emerge as a main focus for key state leaders, including Gov. Kemp and House Speaker Jon Burns. Additionally, several ACCG legislative priorities are funded in the budget, including full funding for the Local Maintenance and Improvement Grants (LMIG) and funding for mental health crisis beds as well as other mental health support services. Click here to review ACCG's budget summary for more information on the proposed items that impact county government operations. The complete FY 2024 budget, in addition to the AFY 2023 (supplemental) budget, can be accessed here on the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget website. Also included on that page is a document outlining state agency performance measures.

Input Needed: Submit Your County's Housing Efforts to ACCG Workforce Housing Availability Continues to Emerge as a Major Focus This Session ACCG reported in last week’s Legislative Update that Gov. Kemp announced that expanding the availability of workforce housing would be one of his priorities for the 2023 session. The Governor then requested $35.7 million in the amended FY 2023 budget to establish the Rural Workforce Housing Fund within the One Georgia Authority. This money will be dedicated to local development and housing authorities to prepare land for housing developments to support upcoming economic development projects. This will also assist the local development and housing authorities ensure the state's workforce has access to quality work and affordable housing opportunities. On Thursday, newly elected House Speaker Jon Burns echoed this sentiment, listing workforce housing as one of the House’s top priorities. Both Gov. Kemp and Speaker Burns stated that they hope to work with local governments on finding solutions. ACCG anticipates several significant housing bills to be introduced this session. While we continue to oppose state preemptions on local zoning, land use and building code practices, we are being proactive in offering legislators recommendations to incentivize and facilitate workforce housing this year. As the ACCG Housing Subcommittee and Policy Council work on these recommendations, we would like to know what your county has done, or is contemplating, to expand workforce and affordable housing in your community. If applicable, please send a brief outline of your county’s housing efforts to ACCG Director of Governmental Affairs Clint Mueller at cmueller@accg.org.

This Week's Bills Click here to review the list of this week's bills. Legislative Tracking Database Access the Legislative Tracking Database for a compilation of all bills ACCG is following.  Sign Up to Receive Legislative Updates

Virtual Legislative Update Replay Watch the replay of this week's Virtual Legislative Update here. As a reminder, join the ACCG Governmental Affairs team every Friday at 9:00 a.m. during the legislative session. This is a recurring event, so county officials can access the meeting each week through this link.

Important Updates

Legislation to Dedicate All Hazardous Waste Trust Fund Fees Introduced An ACCG Policy Agenda item has been introduced. House Bill 31, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Buckner, ensures that all fees that contribute to the Hazardous Waste Trust Fund (HWTF) are statutorily dedicated to the HWTF. Almost every county in Georgia has at least one hazardous waste site, and many could benefit from this revenue. See ACCG’s talking points on this bill here.

House and Senate Announce Committee Appointments Both the House and Senate recently announced new committee appointments. Click here to view the list of House appointments. Click here to view the list of Senate appointments.

Save the date for the 2023 Legislative Breakfast to get the latest updates and learn more about trending state issues. With the Georgia General Assembly back in action at the State Capitol, legislation passed during the 40-day session can have a direct impact on county government operations. For this reason, it is important for county officials to stay involved and engaged. The ACCG Governmental Affairs team does an outstanding job working on behalf of Georgia's county governments, but it is extremely important for state leadership and legislators to see and hear from county officials and staff on issues before the General Assembly. Attend this event to do your part to help advance sound policy for Georgia's counties. Invited speakers include Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, and Speaker of the House Jon Burns. More information, including an event agenda and registration details, are forthcoming and will be available soon. *Details about how to invite your legislators will be shared along with registration information.

Stay Connected and Engaged!

Weekly Friday Lobbyist Meeting Returns in Person The Governmental Affairs team will once again host in-person meetings periodically on Fridays at the State Capitol during the 2023 legislative session. These meetings are for county contract lobbyists, county officials, and county staff who want to strategize and discuss legislation impacting counties in more detail. The first meeting of the 2023 session will take place on Friday, January 27 from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. in Room 328 of the Coverdell Legislative Office Building. The building address is 18 Capitol Square, Atlanta, Georgia 30334 – right across the street from the Capitol. ACCG Administrative and Policy Coordinator Tottianna Davis (tdavis@accg.org) will issue reminders about the meeting, including details such as the location and time. Please email her if you would like to be added to the distribution list to receive details.

Update Your County's ACCG County Legislative Coordinator (CLC) Annually, ACCG asks counties to update their county’s designated CLC to ensure the most accurate data is reflected in our records. The CLC’s primary responsibilities are to relay pertinent information about current legislation to county commissioners and county management, to maintain an open line of communication with ACCG to ensure county-specific information is readily available for legislators. ACCG encourages all counties to participate and designate a CLC for the legislative session.  Click here to see your county’s current CLC. To change or appoint your county’s CLC for 2023, please contact Tottianna Davis at tdavis@accg.org or (404) 522-5022.

Policy Communication Tools Don't forget about the various communications tools that will help keep you informed and engaged. Click here to read all about them!

ACCG News

News You Can Use - Articles Related to ACCG Policy Issues Articles covering some of ACCG's major policy issues are found here. Click the hyperlinked title to begin reading. Lawmakers: Speaker Jon Burns Looks Ahead at Prominent Issues in the 2023 Legislative Session Georgia Public Broadcasting - January 20, 2023 New Georgia House Speaker Not Making Many Policy Commitments WABE - January 19, 2023 Mix of Old and New in Georgia Senate Committee Leaders WABE - January 13, 2023

Questions? Email the ACCG Governmental Affairs team: Clint Mueller Todd Edwards Kathleen Bowen Gabriel Carter Dante Handel

ACCG is YOUR county association. We are here to advance all Georgia county governments. Please feel free to contact a member of the Governmental Affairs team if they can assist in any way.

Visit www.accg.org for more legislative news.