MACON, Ga. — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp was in Macon Friday morning signing a handful of bills into law.
House Bill 575 was one of the bills on the table. It allows consolidated governments to increase its OLOST, a penny sales tax, from 1% to 2% if the local government passes a resolution.
This penny sales tax is meant to help Bibb County property owners by rolling back the millage rate. In exchange, people will have to pay an extra cent on the dollar for taxable items they purchase in the county. Voters will have to vote on whether they want the change.
It barely passed the State Senate by 29-23.
Here's a full list of bills on the table in Macon Friday morning:
- HB 90: Creates uniformity with the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) by specifying that buyers are not liable for damages sought by owners of the title to the timber that buyer bought.
- HB 355: An update to Georgia’s Carbon Sequestration Registry. It allows for building materials that sequester carbon to qualify for carbon credits, and adds stands of timber to the list of items that qualify for the credits.
- HB 282: Updates the Qualified Timber Property. It sets appraisal at a 50-50 split, which is determined based on fair market value and an income approach.
- SB 119: Removes the notification requirement to GFC for burning backyard debris. It sets times, location, and precautionary requirements for burning backyard debris and does not override any local ordinances that counties or municipalities may have in place.
- HB 619: Conveys Patrick’s Fishing Paradise in Enigma, GA from the Department of Natural Resources to a private entity.
- HB 498: An amendment to the Constitution that allows independently qualifying family farms to enter into a partnership and be exempt from paying ad valorem taxes.
- HB 336: Updates Georgia’s Hemp laws to comply with federal laws. It also makes it illegal to grow hemp in residences and increases surety bond requirements on processors to help protect farmers.
- SB 247: Updates notice requirements and participation requirements for commodity commissions as it relates to marketing orders and major amendments.
- HB 575: Allows for consolidated governments to increase its OLOST from 1% to 2% if the governing authority passes a resolution and the voters pass a referendum.
The Georgia governor will head to the Barrow County Sheriff's Office Gun Range in Bethlehem, Georgia at 1:30 p.m. next, to sign legislation protecting police budgets.