Legislative Week Four
Monday, February 3, was
Legislative Day 10
and marked the start of the fourth week of the 2020 legislative session. This week, my colleagues and I have been busy meeting in our committees, and the House convened on the House floor for three days where we passed several important measures, including an adjournment resolution that set our calendar for the next few weeks of the legislative session.
On Wednesday, the House unanimously adopted House Resolution 935, a bipartisan measure that would reauthorize the
Georgia Commission on Freight and Logistics
for the 2020 calendar year. The commission, which was first created in 2019, would continue its work to develop unique and specific solutions for trucking, rail and air cargo, including reducing the driving risks for truck drivers and other motorists, expanding dedicated lanes for moving freight and reducing traffic impacts in and out of the ports and around key metropolitan areas. By the end of the year, the commission would submit a comprehensive report detailing a legislative framework for funding and policy development ahead of the 2021 legislative session.
HR 935
will now be considered by the Senate, and if it is adopted, the commission would continue its necessary work to identify ways to support the state’s freight and logistics industries and allow Georgia to maintain its competitive advantage in these industries.
Finally, before we adjourned for the week, the House adopted
Senate Resolution 712
, which is a second adjournment resolution that determined our legislative calendar for the coming weeks. This adjournment resolution is unique in that it allows the General Assembly to remain in recess until February 18 so that we can better focus our time and energy on the Amended FY 2020 and Fiscal Year 2021 budgets. My colleagues and I will use this time to craft balanced budgets that invest wisely and move our state forward.
The House and Senate will reconvene on Tuesday, February 18 for Legislative Day 13. Until then, the House will hold important budget hearings and devote our time at the Capitol to finalizing the state budgets.
Please contact me with your input and thoughts on proposed legislation that may impact our community.
When you visit your Capitol please consider stopping by our office at Capitol 417. You can also reach me by phone at my Capitol office at 404-656-5064 or by email at
chuck.martin@house.ga.gov
.
To join our mailing list and get
The Capitol Express
directly to your inbox,
text MARTIN4GA to 22828
.
Yours in Service
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Recognizing the Technical College System of Georgia's Annual Award Winners
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On Monday, February 3rd, the State House recognized three special guests from our Technical College System. In each case, these individuals have the distinction of being the best in the state of Georgia for their respective categories.
On the left is
Heather Williamson
from Central Georgia Technical College. Ms. Williamson is a graduate of Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) in Warner Robins, and is the
2019 State GOAL (Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership) Winne
r. This award is the highest honor a technical education student can receive. After she earned an associate degree in Early Childhood Care and Education, she became a paraprofessional in an elementary school classroom in the Houston County school system.
In the center, please recognize
Leyner Argueta
. Mr. Argueta is an instructor at Georgia Northwestern Technical College where he teaches Management and Supervisory Development. He was the recipient of the
2019 Rick Perkins Award
given to the top instructor in the Technical College System of Georgia.
And on the right is
Ms. Simonne Crane
from West Georgia Technical College. Ms. Crane distinguished herself among her peers and was selected as the 2019 EAGLE Award winner. The E.A.G.L.E. award stands for
Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education
and is awarded to the Adult Education student of the year.
Such an honor to be able to recognize these outstanding individuals in their respective areas!
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Meeting with State Retirees
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Great opportunity to meet with a group of former state employees to discuss issues impacting our state. Along with all Georgians, I appreciate their work that makes Georgia the great place it is today, and I look forward to working hard for them and for all in Georgia to keep Georgia a great place to live, work and retire!
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Great to welcome Kristen Crawford, State Director for Advocacy and Access, Arthritis Foundation, her son and mother, Alice Crawford to our State Capitol! I appreciate them spending time with me and all the work Ms. Crawford does on behalf of Georgians!
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Cutting Tax on Personal Transportation Services
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Last week along with several co-sponsors, I introduced legislation,
HB 868
, to remove the tax that Georgia levies on personal transportation services. Currently, Georgia charges sales tax on taxi and limo rides and, pending a court decision, may begin to do so on ride share services like
Lyft
and
Uber
. Make no mistake this tax is paid by individual Georgians and increases the cost of transportation by almost 10%. Keeping the cost of personal transportation services/ride share lower will encourage use, and increase sharing.
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January Net Tax Revenues Up 4.5%
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Atlanta, GA
- The State of Georgia’s net tax collections for January totaled nearly $2.36 billion for an increase of $100.8 million, or 4.5 percent, compared to January 2019 when net tax collections totaled $2.25 billion. Year-to-date net tax collections totaled roughly $14.21 billion for an increase of $133 million, or 0.9 percent, compared to the previous fiscal year, when net tax revenues totaled $14.07 billion.
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I remain honored to serve my neighbors in House District 49 and Georgians on the following committees:
and
You can find the schedules of these committees and the online streaming links of each by clicking on the links above or by
clicking here
.
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For the next few months during this Legislative Session, you'll most likely find me at the Capitol in my office. It is my absolute honor to serve you all and my hometown community; look forward to hearing from and seeing you.
417 State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334
404.656-5064
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