Jefferson County leaders meet with local legislators

Jefferson County business leaders met with area Georgia Senator Max Burns (Rep., Dist. 23) and Representative Brian Prince (Dem. Dist. 127) during the chamber of commerce’s 23^rd Annual Legislative Breakfast Dec. 2.

The event, sponsored by Jefferson Energy Cooperative, gives law makers a chance to talk with more than 100 area leaders about the biggest issues facing both Georgia and the local area and discuss how recent bills and the coming session can impact their lives, businesses and local government.

Sen. Max Burns  

Burns serves as chairman of the Ethics Committee, on the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Higher Education and Special Judiciary committees.

He opened the meeting praising Gov. Brian Kemp for working to keep Georgia’s economy strong throughout the pandemic.

“We are facing 20-year high inflation...but at the state level our economy is still very, very strong,” Burns said.

One of the legislature’s challenges in the coming session will involve forecasting the state’s revenues over the next year or two in order to pass a balanced budget. Priorities include fully funding education, health care, law enforcement and criminal justice, he said.

Burns pointed to the Rural Hospital Tax Credit program that allows Georgia citizens and businesses to allocate their state taxes to go towards local healthcare providers in rural areas.

“Because the economy is strong, last year (in 2021) the governor proposed the legislature approve the returning of a $1 million in tax payer monies back to you and we did that,” Burns said. “The Governor has indicated a desire to do that again in 2023. I anticipate we will do that next year.”

He said that there will also be a proposal for a one-time property tax grant that will allow property owners to offset some of the cost of property taxes.

Burns went on to talk specifically about three local issues that will impact Jefferson County residents directly.

"We’ve been working with the city and the county, the legislature and the governor’s office to solidify the licensing agreement with TheraTru so they can begin production,” Burns said.

On July 24, 2021, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission awarded TheraTrue Georgia LLC and five other companies a notice of intent to award a medical cannabis production license. Burns said that since that time the competing companies who were not chosen have file law suits that have slowed the process getting the licenses issued.

The senator said that he remains committed to supporting TheraTrue’s license and hopes the issue will not “drag on” into 2022.

“If it does, I will make sure that no one changes the rules and no one changes the decisions,” Burns said.

Another important issue for Jefferson County and all of rural Georgia involves the expansion of broadband high-speed internet access.

"I appreciate the efforts Jefferson County has made. I know how important broadband is to this community,” Burns said. “We’ve got to have broadband to every business, residence, school, government agency so that you can do business. We have to have high speed telecommunications. It has to be reliable and it has to be secure. The reality is infrastructure is critical. You have to have infrastructure to attract industry.”

The final thing he touched on that directly impacts Jefferson County, is soil amendments.

Over the last six months residents have been calling on their commissioners as well as legislators like Burns to address this issue which pits the state department of agriculture’s practice of allowing food processing wastes to be applied to farmland against the property rights of neighbors who say these wastes create conditions that negatively impact their homes and businesses.

Burns said that he wastes from the poultry industry, Georgia’s number one ag product, are filtering down throughout the eastern part of the state.

“It’s causing problems, severe problems, untenable problems,” Burns said. “I have seen good applications appropriately done that created minimal issues. I have seen unhealthy applications, not done properly, create unhealthy issues.”

Burns said he visited several farms in Jefferson County earlier this year along with Tyler Harper, Georgia’s recently elected Commissioner of Agriculture, who will be taking office in January.

“He’s committed to fixing this problem. I’m committed to fixing this problem,” Burns said. “We’re going to resolve this problem to the best interest of you, your community, your neighborhoods and neighbors as well as Georgia and the poultry industry.”

Rep. Brian Prince 

Prince serves as secretary of the Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee, on the Appropriations, Motor Vehicles, Special Rules, Transportation, Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment committees as well as the Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care.

He encouraged everyone attending the meeting to reach out to himself, Burns as well as other state and federal representatives to guide and educate them on the issues that important to the people of Jefferson County.

“Help us know what is really going on. Help us make the correct decisions. We might not always agree, but do know that if you call us, we will return a call. We will listen,” he said.

Prince said that the transportation projects on US Highway One are progressing and he referenced the current suspension of the state gasoline tax. He said that the suspension would not last forever and for citizens to prepare for that tax to return at some point.

He said that the legislature will be working to provide Georgia teachers with additional “wrap-around services” that will allow “teachers to teach.”

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Jefferson County leaders meet with local legislators