Legislators meet with local business leaders

Jefferson County citizens shared a meal and spoke face to face with three of their representatives Friday, Dec. 3 at the Chamber of Commerce’s 22nd Annual Legislative Breakfast.

Sen. Max Burns, Rep. Mack Jackson and Rep. Brian Prince talked about the issues they feel are most pressing and expect to be addressed in the coming legislative session. U.S. Rep. Jody Hice and Sen. Raphael Warnock were both in Washington during the event but sent recorded messages for the citizens of Jefferson County.

Burns, Jackson and Prince each said that their fellow representatives are talking about crime and public safety, especially after an incident during the last session when a fellow legislator had a health incident at their shared hotel in Atlanta and while being treated by EMS the ambulance was stolen.

Burns called it the number one issue on the table.

“We have to address the problem. We have to support law enforcement,” he said. “Last year we did things to ensure that communities could not indiscriminately defund law enforcement. That legislation passed to ensure they couldn’t cut law enforcement more than five percent unless there is a really severe economic challenge.”

All three legislators also talked about the 2020 census and the resulting recent redistricting.

Jefferson County moved from the 10th Congressional District, represented by Jody Hice, back to the 12th Congressional District, represented by Rick Allen.

“It was a necessary requirement because of the growth in our state,” Burns said. “We added over a million people and just missed adding an additional member of Congress.”

Jefferson County will also be losing Rep. Mack Jackson (Dist. 128), and where Sen. Prince (Dist. 127) once represented just the north end of the county, will now serve all of Jefferson County.

Jackson said that he would miss his regular visits to Jefferson County but would continue to serve its citizens indirectly.

Prince said that he was a part of the reapportionment meetings where the district lines were redrawn.

“It was eye-opening to be able to see how that’s done and it’s not easy, it’s not an easy job,” he said.

In addition to answering questions from the floor, the candidates all took time to discuss issues that they felt will be most pressing moving forward this year.

Burns

Burns said that he was glad to see the expansion of US Highway 1 through the county, but that his next dream project would be to find a way to expand Highway 17 from Wrens to Thomson. He said that he is working to encourage the department of transportation to prioritize that project.

“We have a problem with growth and opportunity and we have challenges in education. The budget is going to be key, it’s always key,” Burns said.

He pointed to SB 202, his bill originally, that he says started out as two pages and ended up being around 100.

“You can agree with it or disagree with it, but I suggest to you that it assures that every legal vote counts,” he said.

He said that the government still has not completely funded education to the level that it did prior to COVID and that he sees education as an answer to many of the state’s issues.

The pandemic continues to be a concern and he warned everyone in attendance of the threat is carries.

“I want you to understand that COVID is real,” he said. “It has not gone away. It’s hiding. I am double vaxed and boosted, as they say. I encourage you to consider that.”

Jackson

Rep. Jackson talked about the successes of rural hospitals, like the one in Jefferson County, have seen from the rural hospital tax credit program.

“It is critical to rural communities,” he said. “This year the entire $60 million was completely consumed by mid-September. Georgians are interested in investing and helping our hospital and communities to survive.”

In 2022 the legislature will look at increasing the annual cap from $60 million to $100 million and extending the program beyond 2024.

Jackson also serves on the House’s rural development council which was set up by the speaker of the house to address issues that specifically impact rural Georgia.

“We gave scholarships this year to truck drivers,” Jackson said. “Trucking is very important in this area. Hopefully we can give more this year. Even though agriculture is our number one driver, we just can’t get across the state without our truckers. Our ports are being held up, and there are goods sitting out there in the ocean and we need to move those goods.”

Rural broadband remains one of the biggest issues facing rural Georgia, he said.

“We knew there was a need, but the pandemic really highlighted the need for rural broadband,” Jackson said. “When you talk about telemedicine, virtual learning, even ministries need broadband to get the message out when they closed service because of the pandemic.”

Local electrical membership cooperatives and individual companies are working to provide these services and Jackson said that the legislature will be looking for ways to support them as they do.

Prince said he looks forward to serving all of Jefferson County.

He talked about getting $1 million in seed money to start a veterans cemetery in Augusta that will serve the entire country. He is also serving on a special committee dealing with the recent spikes in the cost of construction

Prince

US Congressmen Hice and Warnock sent recorded messages for the meeting’s attendees.

“There are a lot of exciting things going on (in Jefferson County) and I congratulate each of you for your role in that,” Hice said. “Up here in Washington we have a lot of plates spinning as well. Everything from the vaccine mandates to out-of-control reckless spending...we are going to do everything we can possibly do to make it possible for you to thrive in your businesses and your community and to keep Georgia the number one state in the country in which to do business.”

Warnock talked about working across the aisle to help pass the bi-partisan infrastructure package.

“America needs a home improvement project to help repair our communities, strengthen our economies and heal our divides,” Warnock said. “After a lot of hard work, we got this done for the people of Georgia. From shipping in federal funding for our state roads, bridges and public transportation systems, to boosting federal support for Georgia’s ports and waterways, expanding rural broadband access. Supporting clean energy jobs and more. These investments will deliver for Georgians. Creating jobs and help boost the economy of rural Georgia and Jefferson County.”

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Legislators meet with local business leaders