Georgia Chamber of Commerce Legislative Update: October 11
Monday, October 11, 2010
Vote YES for Business on November 2 The Georgia Chamber of Commerce encourages our members to vote for the following ballot measures that will stimulate job creation, improve safety, and benefit all Georgians.AMENDMENT ONE - Employment Covenants (www.jobsoftomorrow.org)
Ensures that Georgia employers and employees enjoy the same certainty regarding employment agreements as in other states.
If passed, this constitutional amendment will allow judges to modify existing employment contracts as needed to reflect their original intent when they are contested in a court of law.
AMENDMENT TWO - Trauma Care Funding (www.yes2savelives.com
Establishes a comprehensive, statewide trauma care network through the creation of a $10 vehicle tag fee that will provide funding for critically needed trauma services throughout the state.
Today, our state has only 16 designated trauma centers, putting many Georgians at risk of being too far away from the specialized care they need to survive an accident at work, at home, or on the road.
AMENDMENT THREE - DOT Accounting
Allows the Georgia Department of Transportation to change its accounting practices from a cash basis to a system of accrual, letting GDOT award multi-year construction contracts on the expectation of future revenues.
AMENDMENT FOUR - Performance Contracting (www.yestoamendment4.com)
Authorizes Georgia state government to enter into multi-year performance contracts for energy-efficient retrofits of state buildings that would be paid for by utility bill savings.
AMENDMENT FIVE - Industrial Property Annexation
Allows owners of industrial property in unincorporated areas to have that property annexed by a city that currently provides municipal services to the property in order to ensure continuation of those services.
REFERENDUM A - State Inventory Tax
Eliminates the state portion of the ad valorem tax on business inventories, which costs retailers and other businesses millions of dollars a year and discourages companies from locating their warehousing and distribution facilities in Georgia.
For more information about these ballot initiatives or the November elections, visit www.gachamber.com/electioncentral.
