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Request a DemoElection focus group: On health care costs, Medicaid expansion and abortion rights (Pt. 2)
EDITOR’S NOTE: State Affairs has assembled 10 Georgians who’ve agreed to speak with us about the most important issues facing Georgian’s during this election season. We’re following this diverse group of voters as they chronicle their journey through Nov. 8, election day.
Last week, the State Affairs elections focus group discussed — in two parts — the topic of inflation. This week’s topic is health care and abortion rights. Here’s Part 2. To read Part 1, click on the link below.
While many Georgians may not be well-versed on expanding Medicaid in Georgia, nearly all have concerns about the rising costs of Medicare for themselves, their family members and their neighbors.
An estimated 1.4 million Georgians are uninsured and Georgia’s uninsured rate of 13.7% is THIRD HIGHEST IN THE NATION. That rate is expected to climb to one in four Georgians in rural Georgia by 2026, according to the GEORGIA BUDGET & POLICY INSTITUTE. And nearly 600,000 Georgians would be able to see a doctor and not have to worry about facing medical debt if the state expanded Medicaid, according to HEALTHINSURANCE.ORG.
On abortion, the issue continues to come down to religious beliefs, tempered against a desire for personal freedom and bodily autonomy.
Here’s what members of the focus group had to say about this week’s topic — heath care and abortion:
Casey Villarreal, 38, Conservative, mother of three children, lives in Cartersville.
In what ways has the cost of health care affected you and your family recently?
My husband is an owner in his law firm, where he’s a partner, in small town Georgia. Health care is astronomical for us. We stopped using what would be known as normal health care insurance almost a year ago and switched to a Christian-based type of insurance called Medishare, just because the deductible for our family was outrageous, let alone the monthly payment, to have regular insurance. We’re a pretty healthy family of five, and that just did not make sense at all. Now we’re in a big network where the costs are split among members.
Georgia is one of 12 states that opted not to expand Medicaid, which could have extended coverage to an estimated 600,000 to 700,000 more Georgians. What is your stance on this issue?
This is a hard one for me because of course I want anyone who is in need of health care to get the help they need. But the same thing is true with my family, and we can no longer afford insurance, so we had to go find something else. I don’t think it’s okay for insurance to just be given out. We’re having to set aside money to pay for this and prioritize other things to make sure we’re making the best choices we can. So I don’t think we should expand Medicaid, no.
Congress has introduced legislation that would make abortion illegal by federal law, reinforcing the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. The state of Georgia’s “Heartbeat Bill” makes abortion illegal after a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually by about six weeks. How do you feel about these federal and state actions to make abortion illegal? What other thoughts do you have about reproductive choice?
First, I don’t believe it should be handled at the federal level. It’s a state issue. Every state should be able to make their own decision. That’s why we all vote within the state. My personal belief is that I don’t agree with abortion. The Heartbeat Bill is something that I have voted for and agree with. The six weeks, or whenever a fetal heartbeat can be detected – that’s life within the womb and I feel strongly about that. Now I know there is lots of controversy around the fact that there’s no way to understand every reproductive situation, and I’m not trying to do that. I’m not talking about fertility treatments and IVF. I’m just looking at the straight six weeks, going in for an abortion, if there’s a heartbeat detected, and I say no. I feel like it’s more of a heart issue for each person. I just hate having to have any sort of laws on it. I just want to show love and grace where I can, and I hate anything that causes any sort of hurt or division.
Ellis Davis, 19, political science major at Valdosta State College, Republican, hometown St. Mary’s in coastal Georgia.
In what ways has the cost of health care affected you and your family recently?
Well, I’m still on my parents’ healthcare plan. I talked to my family about it. Our deductible and out of pocket has gotten higher. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m in college and I’m older now. That brings us back to inflation, and the rising cost of health care for everyone. It’ll hurt a family that is struggling more.
Georgia is one of 12 states that opted not to expand Medicaid, which could have extended coverage to an estimated 600,000 to 700,000 more Georgians. What is your stance on this issue?
I’m not an expert on this, but I was talking to a friend who sells insurance. Some of the people who do have Medicaid insurance, it’s almost impossible for him to compete with the government on that. Some Georgians look at this from a free market aspect. Now, 700,000 people is certainly a lot of people, a large demographic that doesn’t have coverage. I know the system can be abused and that can be costly. I think [Medicaid] should be for major health problems. There is definitely a need for more access for severe health issues. But I’ve only had one medical issue in my 19 years, and I was covered. There should be coverage for COVID, sore throat, colds, that is something to be looked at. We don’t need free health care for everybody. It’s not the best thing for the people who work in the insurance industry, or sell medical devices, or run medical-related businesses. They can’t compete with the government on prices. I’m sorry I don’t know more about the Medicaid issue.
Congress has introduced legislation that would make abortion illegal by federal law, reinforcing the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. The state of Georgia’s “Heartbeat Bill” makes abortion illegal after a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually by about six weeks. How do you feel about these federal and state actions to make abortion illegal? What other thoughts do you have about reproductive choice?
I was very supportive of the Heartbeat Bill. A heartbeat is something we look at to determine if someone’s dead. We check their pulse and use that to say if they can be legally deceased. A fetus, a baby with a unique stable heartbeat, should live; I thought the bill made common sense. There were provisions for rape, incest, the life of the mother. I do think that is good. At the federal level, I know Lindsay Graham has a bill, but I think abortion should be a state’s rights issue. It seems kind of like D.C. vs the states on this. I think abortion should be handled at the state level. Georgia is a pro-life state. The majority of coastal Georgia is pro-life, we have a lot of evangelicals in this region. I know a lot of Democrats who are pro-life. It’s a bipartisan issue among religious people.
Marion Butler, 76, retired since 2008 from a 34-year career as a developmental disabilities caretaker; lives in Cuthbert; single, widowed, lifelong Democrat.
In what ways has the cost of health care affected you and your family recently?
As a retired state employee, I have state-provided insurance, so it hasn’t changed that much recently. My co-pays and out-of-pocket expenses, I can handle them. It’s pretty reasonable. I’m fortunate to have this coverage.
Georgia is one of 12 states that opted not to expand Medicaid, which could have extended coverage to an estimated 600,000 to 700,000 more Georgians. What is your stance on this issue?
Honestly I don’t understand how Medicaid coverage works. I would say I wish Governor Kemp had expanded it because people need that coverage and can’t afford it. It would help a lot of people out.
Congress has introduced legislation that would make abortion illegal by federal law, reinforcing the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. The state of Georgia’s “Heartbeat Bill” makes abortion illegal after a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually by about six weeks. How do you feel about these federal and state actions to make abortion illegal? What other thoughts do you have about reproductive choice?
I go back to scripture on this issue. I have a choice. All women should have a choice with their bodies. My religious belief is it’s wrong to have an abortion, but there are circumstances that are needed to be taken care of. But I have always said as a person, I need to make that choice myself.
James Flanagan, 39, Conservative, veteran and veterans’ advocate, married with two children, lives in Atlanta.
In what ways has the cost of health care affected you and your family recently?
It’s really a personal matter for me. My number one issue is the health care bureaucracy. My wife is a doctor, so I know the numbers. In the past 40 years, we’ve had more bureaucrats coming in than doctors into the field. A way it has really hit me is dealing with my uncles who have been sick recently. Both are veterans who served in the military and needed immediate help for different ailments. And my family spent a lot of time dealing with the VA [Veterans Administration] and dealing with a lot of red tape to make sure they got the help that they needed. And it was a challenge. The system wasn’t very responsive to questions. Seems like you have to be an expert or go to a lawyer or to people who know the system to get the right care, and to make sure you get reimbursed for that care. And that extends to other folks, too. I have friends who are on fixed incomes, single parents, I can’t even imagine how they figure out how to get treatment, the right way to pay a bill. My wife is a doctor, I have a legal background, and it’s hard for us to decipher what’s covered, what insurance will pay for, how to do it. It’s very confusing, very frustrating, and I think we can do better.
Georgia is one of 12 states that opted not to expand Medicaid, which could have extended coverage to an estimated 600,000 to 700,000 more Georgians. What is your stance on this issue?
I think we have to dig a little deeper on this issue to really see what Medicaid expansion does. I’m against Medicaid expansion in Georgia because I think it hurts the weakest and most vulnerable in our state — those children, expectant mothers, the elderly. Those are the folks the Medicaid program was supposed to be geared towards. Medicaid expansion hurts them when you have a situation with limited resources, limited doctors, limited hospitals, and now you have greater competition for those doctors and hospitals. You have a number of able-bodied people who are perhaps employed that will have access to resources that really were intended for the most vulnerable in society. I think we need to do a better job of designing Medicaid so it helps those people who are in desperate need, because we don’t do a very good job right now for them. Expansion hurts the traditional population.
The bigger issue is what are we doing for folks outside the big cities, the people in rural areas? We have a number of needs for doctors and hospitals in rural Georgia. Medicaid expansion doesn’t address any of that. So I don’t think it’s the right thing for us, or for the people in most need.
Congress has introduced legislation that would make abortion illegal by federal law, reinforcing the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. The state of Georgia’s “Heartbeat Bill” makes abortion illegal after a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually by about six weeks. How do you feel about these federal and state actions to make abortion illegal? What other thoughts do you have about reproductive choice?
My wife and I follow the science first, and science says that life begins at conception. And we’re pro-life because of that. One of government’s limited roles is to prevent physical violence between citizens, and that’s why I think there is a government interest where it comes to abortion laws. I would not have a federal law regarding it. Up until Roe, abortions were handled at the state level, and the state level is where abortion decisions should be handled. Policy can be influenced a lot more easily at the state level than at the federal level. So I think I would be against any federal law.
Then I think our state needs to do a better job overall of building a culture of life. And that means supporting the mother after the child is born. So you need to help the mothers with employment, formula, diapers, all those things should be our responsibility. And the last thing is, I think it’s the responsibility of people who have the ability to adopt children in need. That’s something that my wife and I plan to do in the near future. We all have a responsibility to be not only pro-birth, but to support that mother, that family, that child past birth into adulthood.
Art Gallegos, 48, Republican, community organizer with Latinos Conservative Organization; married, five children, lives in Gainesville, second generation Mexican-American.
In what ways has the cost of health care affected you and your family recently?
The cost of health care has affected my family and every American family. There has been a significant increase in health insurance all across the board and in America. Just recently my employer had to go through new insurance for health care and our prices have doubled just this year. It actually went into effect this month for me and my family.
Georgia is one of 12 states that opted not to expand Medicaid, which could have extended coverage to an estimated 600,000 to 700,000 more Georgians. What is your stance on this issue?
In regards to Medicaid, I don’t really have a stance on it at this time.
Congress has introduced legislation that would make abortion illegal by federal law, reinforcing the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. The state of Georgia’s “Heartbeat Bill” makes abortion illegal after a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually by about six weeks. How do you feel about these federal and state actions to make abortion illegal? What other thoughts do you have about reproductive choice?
This topic is very close to my heart and also important in my mind.
I feel that it was a good decision for Congress to stop illegal abortion. The [Heartbeat] bill makes abortion illegal when the heartbeat is detected in a child.
I believe that there’s a misconception regarding how Congress passed this bill. People think that it is automatically a law regarding this bill but people that want to do an abortion will somehow flee to other states to get an illegal abortion.
As a Christian faith believer and a conservative, I feel strongly that God created life and that life should not be taken by any other human being. I believe that God has given us the right to be born and it is a conservative principle to be pro-life.
Want to participate in the conversation? Find us on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, LINKEDIN and INSTAGRAM. Also, sign up for our free newsletter at STATEAFFAIRS.COM. Follow Jill Jordan Sieder on Twitter at @JOURNALISTAJILL or send her an email at [email protected].
Catch-up on our E-Team Coverage:
STATE AFFAIRS SELECTS 10 GEORGIANS FOR ELECTION TEAM FOCUS GROUP
GEORGIA VOTES: INFLATION REMAINS TOP OF MIND FOR GEORGIANS
GEORGIA VOTES: INFLATION REMAINS TOP OF MIND FOR GEORGIANS (PT. 2)
ELECTION FOCUS GROUP: ON HEALTH CARE COSTS, MEDICAID EXPANSION AND ABORTION RIGHTS (PT.1)
ELECTION FOCUS GROUP (PT. 1): DEMOCRACY FACES CHALLENGES, BUT OPTIMISM REMAINS STRONG
ELECTION FOCUS GROUP (PT. 2): DEMOCRACY FACES CHALLENGES, BUT OPTIMISM REMAINS STRONG
CONCERNS OVER CRIME CRITICAL IN MIDTERMS FOR ELECTION FOCUS GROUP (PT. 1)
CONCERNS OVER CRIME CRITICAL IN MIDTERMS (PT 2): ELECTION FOCUS GROUP
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House speaker Jon Burns hires new communications director
House speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, announced today that he has hired a new communications director. Kayla Roberson, who has served as press secretary at the Georgia Chamber for the past year or so, will now oversee all external communications, media relations and strategic messaging for Burns.
“I’m excited to welcome Kayla to our team,” Burns said in a statement. “Kayla has an excellent background, deep skill set and strong work ethic, and we’re excited to have her on board to continue getting our message out and sharing the House’s priorities ahead of and into the next session.”
A double major in political science and journalism at the University of Georgia, where she graduated in 2022, Roberson interned for U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Republican in north Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, and worked as a consultant for GOP political candidates before joining the Georgia Chamber.
“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to work under the leadership of speaker Burns,” Roberson told State Affairs. “Whether it’s improving education opportunities, putting money back in the pockets of hardworking Georgians, creating jobs or supporting our rural communities, speaker Burns always prioritizes doing what is best, and what is right, for Georgia.”
Political strategist Stephen Lawson, who has held the top communications role for the speaker since last December, announced he’s joining Dentons, where starting today he’ll lead the global law firm’s public affairs efforts.
Have questions or comments? Contact Jill Jordan Sieder on X @journalistajill or at [email protected].
Global bird flu disrupts Georgia exports, costing chicken producers millions
ATLANTA — A global bird flu that has rapidly spread from birds to dairy cows, milk supplies and humans has cost untold millions of dollars in lost export business in Georgia, the nation’s leading poultry producer, officials with the state Department of Agriculture and poultry industry said.
Georgia has had only three reported cases of H5N1 avian influenza since it reemerged in 2022. The last of those cases was resolved in November 2023 but ramifications of those outbreaks continue to have a big effect on the state’s ability to export chicken and chicken parts, such as chicken feet, to different countries, including China, one of Georgia’s biggest export markets for chicken feet.
In 2022, frozen chicken feet, for example, accounted for more than 85% of all U.S. poultry exported to China, according to Farm Progress, publisher of 22 farming and ranching magazines.
The $30 billion poultry industry is Georgia’s largest segment in its No. 1 industry — agriculture.
China has also placed a ban on the import of chicken products from 41 other American states. The ban on Georgia products went into effect Nov. 21, 2023. Efforts to reach the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. were unsuccessful.
Georgia Poultry Federation President Mike Giles estimates the state’s loss at “well into the millions of dollars.”
“It’s a significant amount in a significant export market for us,” he said. “Poultry paws [feet] immediately lose value because of the loss of demand.”
The ban has forced Georgia poultry producers to find alternative markets for their products that would normally be headed to China.
“Some are sold domestically, some are frozen and stored, hopefully to find markets later on, and some go to other countries,” Giles said.
This isn’t the first time China has banned U.S.-produced poultry products due to a bird flu outbreak. The country instituted a ban in January 2015 which lasted until November 2019 — even though U.S. poultry products were deemed free of the disease by August 2017.
After that ban was lifted, China’s appetite for American-produced chicken products became voracious.
In 2022, U.S. producers shipped nearly $6 billion in poultry meat and related products (excluding eggs) to over 130 countries. China has emerged as the second largest destination for U.S. poultry exports, increasing from $10 million in 2019 to a record $1.1 billion in 2022, according to Southern Ag Today.
Chicken paws, for instance, are eaten in many Asian countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Korea.They can also be found on Chinese dim sum menus throughout the U.S. and are also popular in Jamaica, Trinidad, Russia and Ukraine in everything from soups and curries to fried snacks.
Three Georgia counties have reported H5N1 outbreaks since 2022. The most recent case was late last year. Henry, Sumter and Toombs counties each reported one case of H5N1 bird flu. Those outbreaks are resolved, poultry and state agriculture officials say.
“When HPAI cases are found in any state, that state is given a designation that could lead to foreign countries halting trade on poultry products from that state,” Georgia Department of Agriculture spokesman Matthew Agvent told State Affairs.
Not since 2016 has the United States experienced such a fast-moving case of the H5N1 avian influenza. In the last two months, the virus has spread in parts of the United States from birds to dairy cows, some milk supplies and humans. Two people — a Texas dairy worker and a prison inmate in Colorado who was killing infected birds at a poultry farm — are reported to have caught the virus, according to news reports. The outbreak is the largest in recent history, impacting both domestic poultry and livestock as well as wild birds and some mammal species.
State officials are continuing to monitor the national outbreak and its impact on Georgia.
Georgia’s poultry & egg industry: At A Glance
Annual economic impact: $30.2 billion
Percentage of the Agriculture industry: 58% *
Jobs: 87,900
Counties involved in poultry & egg production: 3 out of 4
National ranking in chicken broiler production: No. 1
Daily production of table eggs: 7.8 million
Daily production of hatching eggs: 6.5 million
Pounds of chicken produced daily: 30.2 million
Pounds of chicken produced annually: 8 billion
Number of chicken broilers processed each day: 5 million
Counties involved in poultry & egg production: 3 out of 4
Source: Georgia Poultry Federation; The Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development, University of Georgia, Ag Snapshots 2024; Georgia Poultry Federation.
Have questions? Contact Tammy Joyner on X @lvjoyner or at [email protected].
Is it safe to eat chicken and eggs and drink milk? Answers to your most pressing questions about the latest bird flu outbreak
A two-year-old strain of bird flu has heightened concerns in Georgia and the rest of the country after the virus recently spread to dairy cows. Here’s what you need to know about the virus and its impact on Georgia and the rest of the country. What are the symptoms of this flu in humans? Eye …
Kemp signs bills on education, health care, taxes
Gov. Brian Kemp signed a slew of bills over the past week or so, including the private school voucher bill long sought by Republicans and a bill that will ease regulations over the construction and expansion of medical facilities in rural areas.
His bill-signing events were clustered into themes: education, health care, military members, human trafficking and Georgia’s coastal communities.
Education
Among the education-related bills Kemp signed was Senate Bill 233, also known as the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, which provides the families of Georgia students enrolled in underperforming school districts with $6,500 scholarships that can be used toward private school or homeschooling expenses, including tuition, fees, textbooks and tutoring.
“Georgia is affording greater choice to families as to how and where they receive their education, while also continuing our efforts to strengthen public schools, support teachers, and secure our classrooms,” Kemp said, and thanked leadership in the House and Senate for prioritizing passage of the bill, which had failed in a close vote in 2023.
Democrats and many public education advocates who opposed the bill argued it will drain resources from public schools and primarily benefit students from wealthy families.
Kemp also signed Senate Bill 351, sponsored by nine Republican senators, which will require social media companies, as of July 1, 2025, to verify their users are at least 16 years old unless they receive approval from a parent.
House Bill 409, sponsored by Rep. Lauren Daniel, R-Locust Grove, directs school systems to consider not having bus stops where a student would have to cross a roadway with a speed limit of 40 mph or greater. The bill also increases the penalty for passing a stopped school bus to $1,000 from $250.
Kemp noted that Ashley Pierce, the mother of Addy Pierce, an 8-year-old who was fatally struck by a motorist as she boarded her school bus, “passionately advocated for and was instrumental in the passage of this legislation.”
Senate Bill 395, sponsored by Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Gwinnett, states that no school visitor or personnel can be prohibited from possessing an opioid reversal drug such as Narcan and directs schools to maintain a supply. It also allows opioid antagonists to be sold in vending machines and directs certain government buildings to maintain a supply of at least three doses.
Senate Bill 464, also sponsored by Dixon, creates the School Supplies for Teachers Program to financially and technically support teachers purchasing school supplies online. It also creates an executive committee of five voting members within the Georgia Council on Literacy and limits the number of approved literacy screeners to five, one of whom must be available to schools for free.
Health care
The governor chose his hometown of Athens as the venue to sign several bills aimed at improving health care in rural and underserved communities.
Among them was House Bill 1339, sponsored by Rep. Butch Parrish, R-Swainsboro, which revises the Certificate of Need process by which the state determines if and how new medical facilities can be built or expanded. The bill provides for several new exemptions, including psychiatric or substance abuse inpatient programs, basic perinatal services in rural counties, birthing centers and new general acute hospitals in rural counties. It also raises the total limit on tax credits for donations to rural hospital organizations to $100 million from $75 million.
Senate Bill 480, sponsored by Sen. Mike Hodges, R-Brunswick, establishes student loan repayments for mental health and substance use professionals serving underserved youth in the state or in unserved geographic areas disproportionately impacted by social determinants of health.
House Bill 872, sponsored by Rep. Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville, chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee, expands cancelable loans for certain health care professionals to dental students who agree to practice in rural areas.
Senate Bill 293, sponsored by Sen. Ben Watson, R-Savannah, chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, reorganizes county boards of public health and opens the qualifications for the CEO of each county board of health to include either licensed physicians or people with a master’s degree in public health or a related field.
Military members and veterans
Kemp on Wednesday focused on bills to improve military recruitment and provide more work opportunities for veterans and military family members.
House Bill 880, sponsored by Rep. Bethany Ballard, R-Warner Robins, allows spouses of military service members to work under a license they hold in good standing in another state while under the supervision of an existing Georgia medical facility or provider.
Senate Bill 449, sponsored by Sen. Larry Walker, allows military medical personnel to practice for 12 months while a license application is pending, including working as a certified nursing aide, certified emergency medical technician, paramedic or licensed practical nurse. The bill also creates a new advanced practice registered nurse license and makes it a misdemeanor to practice advanced nursing without a license.
Human trafficking
The governor on Wednesday was accompanied by first lady Marty Kemp and other members of the GRACE Commission for the signing of an anti-human trafficking package. It includes Senate Bill 370, which adds certain businesses to the list of organizations that must post human trafficking notices, including convenience stores, body art studios, businesses that employ licensed massage therapists and manufacturing facilities.
Sponsored by Sen. Mike Hodges, R-Brunswick, the bill also allows the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy to initiate inspections of massage therapy businesses and educational programs without notice and requires massage therapy board members to complete yearly human trafficking awareness training.
House Bill 993, sponsored by Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, creates the felony offense of grooming of a minor and creates new penalties for offenses relating to visual mediums depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
House Bill 1201, sponsored by Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens, allows human trafficking survivors who received first offender or conditional discharge status to vacate that status for certain crimes, as long as the crime was a direct result of being a victim of human trafficking.
Coastal communities
Earlier today in Brunswick, Kemp signed legislation impacting Georgia coastal communities, including House Bill 244, which amends the laws around how wild game can be hunted and how seafood dealers operate, and House Bill 1341, which designates white shrimp as the state’s official crustacean.
Taxes
Earlier this month Kemp signed several bills related to taxation, including House Bill 1015, sponsored by Rep. Lauren McDonald, R-Cumming, which lowers the state income tax for tax year 2024 to 5.39%, accelerating a multiyear drop in state income taxes that started at 5.75% in 2023 and will continue through 2029.
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget estimates the tax cut acceleration will save Georgia taxpayers approximately $1.1 billion in calendar year 2024 and about $3 billion over the next 10 years.
Kemp also signed House Bill 1021, sponsored by Rep. Lauren Daniel, R-Locust Grove, which increases the state’s income tax dependent exemption to $4,000 from $3,000.
House Bill 581, sponsored by Reps. Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire, and Clint Crowe, R-Jackson, enables a constitutional amendment (House Resolution 1022) to let voters decide whether counties can provide a statewide homestead valuation freeze, which limits the increase in property values to the inflation rate.
The governor has until May 7 to sign or veto bills passed during the legislative session that ended on March 28. Those he takes no action on will automatically become law.
Legislation signed by Kemp is posted on the governor’s website.
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