Under the Gold Dome 2020 – Crossover Day
Well folks, I’m callin’ it. This is the craziest legislative session in recent memory, granted my recollection doesn’t go back that far. As of Legislative Day 28 (or maybe 29, depending on whose count you go by) the 2020 session is suspended. House and Senate leadership announced Thursday afternoon that they would take a hiatus until such time as the danger had passed, and resume on Legislative Day 30 on a date to be determined.
The House accomplished their primary duty, passing a budget, although the Senate has yet to consider it.
Environmental bills are having a good moment in the Georgia legislature this year as bills banning the burning of chemically treated wood for energy and the disclosure of Ethylene Oxide emissions made near unanimous headway. While the bills may have crossed over, they cannot become law until considered by the opposing chamber.
SB 322 (Ginn-R, Danielsville) allows local communities to waive the development impact fee for affordable housing without replenishing the funds from another source. It has a House companion, HB 388, which stalled in the House last session however SB 322 did cross over and has been assigned to the House Governmental Affairs Committee.
HB 448 (Dollar-R, Marietta) would levy a tax on inkeepers and “lodging facilitators” – ostensibly aimed at AirBNB, with revenues allocated to transportation.
HB 523 (Carpenter-R, Dalton) preempts local governments from regulating short term rentals at all. This bill passed committee, but seems to have encountered opposition and died in House Rules.
A slew of bills (and a resolution) related to property taxes, tax abatements, and tax appraisals have gone precisely nowhere:
HB 837 (Martin-R, Alpharetta) to prohibit County Development Agencies from giving tax breaks for development without the agreement of the local Board of Education,
HR 934 (Harrell-R, Snellville) a constitutional amendment to change how recent land sales prices affect apparised values, and
HB 1038 (Dreyer-D, Atlanta) to dictate how commercial real estate appraisals are calculated to prevent undervaluation.
HB 980 (Anulewicz-D, Atlanta) would provide a definition of “Family” and prohibit local governments from using any other definition for zoning decisions or housing codes. The bill is aimed at easing restrictions on room rentals to allow for more flexible housing options, though some cite a possibility of abuse by bad actors.
HB 511 (Tanner-R, Dawsonville) passed the House handily in the previous session and has emerged from Senate committee. The bill refines organizational and procedural aspects of state agencies tasked with transit and transportation administration, namely The “Atlanta-region Transit Link” (ATL).
