By Will Bentley
The 2023 Georgia legislative session was a fast paced 40 days as new leadership in both the House and Senate settled into their roles while learning the levers of power on the go. New Lt. Gov. Burt Jones led the Senate, and the House had a new speaker for the first time in over a decade with Rep. Jon Burns taking over after the passing of Speaker David Ralston.
Throughout the session, the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committees in both chambers were busy addressing issues that impact agribusinesses, including logistics, conservation, private property rights and research funding.
TRUCK WEIGHTS
Gov. Kemp put the finishing touches on HB 189 when he signed the legislation into law late in his bill review process. HB 189 will increase truck weights in rural Georgia. Thank you to the bill’s author, Rep. Steven Meeks, and its Senate sponsor, Sen. Russ Goodman, for their months of hard work and tireless dedication to move this effort forward against long odds and plenty of powerful, well-funded opposition.
The legislation will:
- Allow a 10% variance above 80,000 pounds for trucks hauling ag and forestry products, essentially setting those new limits at 88,000 pounds
- Provide a two-year sunset on the legislation to allow lawmakers to revisit the changes as a part of a larger freight and logistics plan
- Give local law enforcement the ability to enforce weight violations on local roads only. The law has set penalties for those that are over the new limit. The legislation directs all fines to be sent back to the state to ensure that local law enforcement does not take the opportunity to go after truckers as a money-making scheme.
- Set a 150-mile radius from point of origin for the weight variance
- The increase does not apply for trucks within a 13 county non-attainment zone within metro Atlanta.
CITRUS COMMISSION AND FARMLAND CONSERVATION
Kemp put his signature on two additional bills that will positively impact agriculture. The two bills were HB 545, carried by Rep. Chas Cannon and Sen. Sam Watson, which creates the Agricultural Commodity Commission for Citrus Fruits, and SB 220, carried by Sen. Russ Goodman and Rep. Robert Dickey, which creates the Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund. The Georgia Agribusiness Council (GAC) was heavily involved in the process for both of these initiatives and believes that they will be beneficial to the state’s No. 1 industry.
HB 545 will create a commodity commission for the ever-growing citrus industry in Georgia. The commodity commission will allow for producer-funded research and education surrounding the specialty crop. Over the past few years, this sector of the industry has seen exponential growth, and Georgia citrus has become a real contender in the popular citrus market. The formation of this commodity commission will serve as a catalyst for success in the state’s ability to produce and market citrus products.
SB 220creates the Georgia Farmland Conservation Fund, which allows for the purchase of the development rights on qualifying farmland and will put the land into an easement that will require it to remain in agricultural production in perpetuity. This program will be completely optional to those producers that wish to keep their farm in production for the next generation. The state has seen a huge population growth in recent years, and many producers and landowners are phasing out of the industry by selling their land to developers that pay a premium. This fund aims to give landowners another option if they wish to see their farm remain a farm. While this program will not be suited for everyone, it will be extremely beneficial and attractive to others.
These are just a few of the hundreds of bills that were brought forward during the legislative session. GAC was fully involved in the process and fought on behalf of the agriculture industry every day. The organization is made up of every part of the agribusiness industry, from farms, retailers, crop protection and plant food, to manufactures and all parts in between.
To stay up to date on what is happening under the gold dome and to help support your industry, join the Georgia Agribusiness Council and be a part of advocacy efforts to protect Georgia’s largest industry. Visit ga-agribusiness.org for more information.
Will Bentley is president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council.