The 2010 Session of the Georgia General Assembly gets underway today at the State Capitol. While thousands of bills will be debated, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce will maintain a tight focus on several key issues that we believe will allow our state to prepare for recovery and begin to replace the many jobs that have been lost in recent times.
Bookmark our homepage and be on the lookout for updates and calls to action throughout the session. And sign up to follow us on Twitter @gachamber.
The Georgia Chamber's legislative priorities for this year include:
Taxation and Economic Development
Work with state leaders to ensure that job creation and economic recovery are not stifled and that Georgia's budget deficit is addressed in a way that considers our state's competitiveness, encourages local job growth, and stimulates economic recovery
Reduce the capital gains tax on business to provide for increased capital investment in Georgia
Eliminate the inventory tax, which currently puts Georgia at a competitive disadvantage with our neighboring states
Renew the cap on sales tax for energy used in the manufacturing process
Prevent Georgia companies from being subjected to the expense and burden of multiple sales tax audits
Allow investment of a portion of Georgia's public pension funds in private equity to provide additional capital for business ventures in the our state
Legal Reform
Protect the significant reforms established in 2005 including the requirement to prove gross negligence with regard to emergency room liability, caps on non-economic damages, the elimination of joint and several liability, and provisions to discourage frivolous litigation
Amend Georgia's constitution to provide for legal enforcement of reasonably structured employment agreements
Ensure adequate funding for Georgia's judicial system so that all cases can be resolved in a timely manner
Enforce Georgia's right-to-work laws so that no employee is forced to join a union as a provision of labor
Water Policy
Fund Georgia's Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Plan to support successful long-term planning of this finite resource
Support the goals of the Governor's Water Contingency Planning Task Force withregard to conservation, capture and control measures needed to meet the water supply gap that would exist should U.S. District Judge Magnuson's ruling go into effect in 2012
Transportation
Identify a sustainable, balanced source of funding that will allow Georgia to build and maintain a comprehensive, multi-modal transportation system that can safely and efficiently move both people and freight within and through our state
Health Care
Create a $10 vehicle tag fee, or other dedicated source of funding adequate to support a meaningful trauma care network that can provide qualified trauma treatment to all Georgians in a timely manner
Prevent costly insurance mandates and maintain benefit flexibility for employers so that they can continue to provide health insurance for employees while keeping their business solvent
Education
Clarify the roles, responsibilities and training requirements for school board members in order to ensure that Georgia's public schools benefit from the best possible leadership
Provide continued support for the Georgia Work Ready program so that our communities are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow
