2016 Georgia Agribusiness Council weekly legislative report 
Volume 25, No. 1       Published by the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc.       January 16, 2016
Ready, Set….GO!  Georgia lawmakers are back in Atlanta and so is your GAC team. This week also signals the 50th anniversary of the Council as a great group of agribusiness visionaries started GAC on January 17, 1966. This is a very special milestone for your organization. Please check out information below on the upcoming GAC Annual Meeting and the State Legislative Breakfast events in February. We are very grateful for our member support that allows us to serve and lead this organization during this period. Thank you!

With the 2016 session underway,  we look forward to bringing GAC members these weekly Inside Agriculture reports each Friday. This legislative reporting is in its 25th year  and we ask that you use it as a resource to engage with legislators on issues impacting your agribusiness - this is a team effort. The Wild Hog Supper started the ball rolling Sunday evening, and we are proud to be a sponsor of this agriculture-focused event that raises funds for the network of Georgia food banks across the state.

There have been a handful of noteworthy changes at the Capitol since the last session. The resignation of our friend Senator Ross Tolleson ushered in a new senator with a very familiar name. Senator Larry Walker of Perry is now under the gold dome and serving on the Senate Agriculture Committee. In addition, Senator Frank Ginn , a GAC friend and the son of a GAC founder Olin Ginn, is now serving as the chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee. Senator JaNice Van Ness of DeKalb County is another newbie to the Senate. As for the House, there are some new faces that surfaced and new roles. GAC member Rep. Jon Burns is now the Majority Leader, putting him near the top of House leadership team. New faces include Sheri Gilligan , Taylor Bennett , Clay Pirkle , Shaw Blackmon , Marie Metze , Betty Price , Brad Raffensperger and Trey Rhodes . Rep. Clay Pirkle is also the newest member of the House Agriculture Committee.
  As another legislative session begins, the Capitol looks familiar as legislators and lobbyist fill the halls. Relationships are important in any business, and we are grateful for the many friends serving agriculture around the Capitol.  Rep. Tom McCall and Sen. John Wilkinson not only lead their respective agriculture committees, they are also exceptional friends for our industry.  We also enjoy our teamwork with other groups including the  Georgia Poultry Federation, Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Forestry Association, Georgia Urban Agriculture Council, Georgia Cattlemen Association, Georgia Chamber  and others during session to help protect and advance agriculture interests.   
L awmakers will have completed five of the allotted 40 legislative days before heading home later today. They will return Tuesday for the House & Senate Appropriations Committees to begin dissecting the budget.  Here's a link to the session schedule through February 1.

Since this is the second year of the session, we have carryover legislation still in play from 2015, along with new bills being introduced each day. Livestock, truck weights, budget interests, water rights, drones, immigration, GATE and more are all potential targets this year. We’ll be engaged in these topics more in the weeks ahead. 

Here are some of the bills already on the radar:
  BUDGET: 
Governor Deal gave the annual State of the State address on Wednesday.  The budget was  released Thursday and is available online for your review: Amended FY2016 Budget and FY2017 Budget. State revenues have continued to be strong.  Year-to-date, net tax revenue collections are up $834.2 million, or 8.7 percent, compared to this time last year. A nice position for our state and for budget writers. Stay tuned as this complex negotiating process unfolds in the weeks ahead.
TRUCK WEIGHT LIMIT INCREASE:
Rep. Sam Watson led this important issue for forestry and ag last year that resulted in study committee meetings being held on HB 411 over the summer. The House Transportation Committee has a Jan. 28 date set to get the wheels turning once again on this issue. We appreciate the work of GAC members Rep. Sam Watson and Rep. Chad Nimmer on this important legislation.
LIVESTOCK LIABILITY PROTECTION:
You’ll recall that equine owners and facilities already have access to liability protections. We are seeking to add livestock (goats, sheep, cattle, pigs) protections as well. These added protections would help 4-H, FFA, and others participating in livestock activities. The Senate passed  SB 183  last year, so we have a nice head start, but getting it through the House Judiciary Committee is far from easy. We thank  Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Wilkinson  for his work to guide this bill to victory in the Senate and we are proud to partner with the  Georgia Cattlemen’s Association  and  Georgia Farm Bureau  to keep working to advance this bill. 

SO LAR PANELS ON AG LAND:
HB 496  by  Rep. Matt Hatchett  passed the House in 2015, but didn’t make it to the Senate floor for a vote. This bill would allow the property where solar energy is generated to be removed from the existing covenant (such as CUVA or FLPA) without penalty. From that point forward, it would be subject to property taxation at fair market value. We must always be cautions when we start amending the uses of CUVA and FLPA. Stay tuned…
Special thanks to our Star Sponsors listed below. We welcome having GAC member companies be a part of this initiative. Please call our office at 706-336-6830 or click here for details. Thank you!
Boston Gin Co.
Brown Implement & Milling, Inc.
CSA Farms, Inc.
Center for Agribusiness & Economic Dev.
Coley Gin & Fertilizer Co. Inc.
Curry Farm Supply Inc.
Doerun Gin Co. Inc.
IsoAge Technologies L.L.C.
Israel Farm Supply Inc.
J & B Irrigation Inc.
KAKEGA LLC
Lauri Jo's Southern Style Canning
Leger & Son, Inc.
LHR Farms, Inc.
Majors Electric & Mechanical Co., Inc.
Marion Reeves Equipment Sales
Mercier Orchards
Mobley Gin
Newcastle Trucking, LLC
Northeast Georgia Livestock. LLC
Patrick Farms
Pike Creek Turf, Inc.
Pineland Plantation
Plantation Seed Conditioners, Inc.
Quality Gin, Inc.
Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association
Southern Crop Production Assn.
Southern Equipment Dealers Association
Sylvania Peanut Co. Inc.
Swainsboro Stockyard
The J.L. Morgan Co, Inc.
CONGRATULATIONS, ZIPPY!

The Georgia Agribusiness Council joins a long list of agriculture industry friends in congratulating Zippy Duvall as the first Georgian to serve as President of the American Farm Bureau Federation! We joined several other organizations and state leaders in endorsing Zippy several months ago because we knew his leadership style would be good for this national organization. We are very proud of Zippy, Bonnie and the entire Georgia Farm Bureau team!

GAC 50TH ANNIVERSARY ANNUAL MEETING & STATE  LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST: FEB 2 & 3, 2016
The  GAC Membership Supper & Annual Meeting will be held the evening of Tuesday, February 2, 2016, at the Georgia Aquarium . The reception will begin at 5:00 p.m. with the annual meeting taking place at 6:00 p.m. Supper will be served at 7:00 p.m. and our keynote address at 7:45.p.m. We are pleased to have Georgia's Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black provide the keynote address at this special 50th Anniversary event. 
A room block at the Hilton Garden Inn is available.  Reserve your room by January 19, 2016 by calling the hotel direct at 404-223-2300 and ask for the GAC block rate ($159.00 single or $169.00 double). You may also book your hotel rooms online. Individual tickets to this event are $125.00 and includes free parking at the aquarium.

The  GAC State Legislative Breakfast is set for Wednesday, February 3rd at the Georgia Freight Depot in Atlanta . Food lines will open at 7:15 and we will conclude by 8:30.  Governor Nathan Deal, Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, House Speaker David Ralston  and a host of other elected state leaders have been invited to speak at this event. This is a great event to attend with your elected House and Senate members - please reach out to them and request that they attend. Table sponsorships are available for $400.00 (reserved table of eight) or individual tickets are available for $50.00 each. 

GRAPEVINE
  * The Georgia Plant Food Educational Society held their Winter Meeting this week in Tifton.  Thanks to Jimmy Champion and the GPFES board for having us provide a legislative preview on Tuesday. Dr. Glen Harris did an excellent job this year as Chairman and we look forward to what next year has to bring. GAC is pleased to be a part of this program and work with this very engaged organization. (PHOTO: GAC's Jonathan Harding with GAC board members Donna Stewart and Darvin Eason)
  * Please make plans to attend t he University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences 2016 Ag Forecast: Thursday, January 21: Carroll County Ag Center, Carrollton; Friday, January 22: Unicoi State Park, Cleveland; Monday, January 25: Cloud Livestock Facility, Bainbridge; Tuesday, January 26: Tifton Campus Conference Center, Tifton; Wednesday, January 27: Blueberry Warehouse, Alma; Friday, January 29: Georgia Farm Bureau Building, Macon. The 2016 keynote topic will be a discussion of sales tax distribution patterns and how Georgia counties have been affected in light of recent legislative tax changes such as the Georgia Agriculture Tax Exemption (GATE) and the Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT).  Click here to register online.
* On Wednesday, GAC served as the sponsor of the  Rural Caucus luncheon . At over 70 members, this group has grown to become the second largest caucus at the State Capitol.  Rep. Jason Shaw  (also a GAC member with Georgia Olive Farms in Lakeland, GA) is the chairman of the Rural Caucus. We had a large crowd of nearly 70 legislators as we discussed the 50 year history, membership growth and goals of the Council. Special thanks to  Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black  and  Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens  for also attending.
* The 2016 Georgia Dairy Conference  will be held  January 18-20, 2016  at the Savannah Riverfront Marriott .  Click here for more details.

 * The 40th annual  Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference  will be held at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center  January 21, 2016  .  For more information  click here.

* The  2016 Soybean/Small Grain Expo will be held February 4, 2016 in Perry . Contact Billy Skaggs at [email protected] for details.

* The  2016 Georgia Agritourism Association’s Annual Conference will be held February 23 - 24  at Berry College in Rome, Georgia creates an opportunity for people to tour Georgia Agritourism operations, network, and learn about the latest in effective marketing strategies, on-farm activities that work, and hear first-hand testimonials from agritourism operators about their success. Contact  Jessica Carter  at 706-845-9085  or  [email protected]  for more info.  Register online today !

* Registration for the 2016  Flavor of Georgia  is open!  Flavor of Georgia showcases delicious, innovative, market-ready prototypes or commercially available food products.  The Contest has succeeded in helping increase exposure, publicity, business contacts and sales for finalists. More than 1,000 products have entered since the Contest began in 2007.  The contest will be held  March 14-15, 2016 in Atlanta, GA at the Freight Depot.   For registration information  click here.

* Congratulations to longtime GAC friend Billy Pirkle of Crop Production Services (CPS)  on receiving the Distinguished Service Award by the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA). Pirkle is the Senior Director of Environmental, Health and Safety for CPA and was recognized for his efforts in successfully launching ResponsibleAg.

Our affiliation with The Asmark Institute provides great access to compliance resources. We are proud to offer the 2016 Applicator Manual. These manuals have become the industry standard in helping comply with EPA’s requirements to have label information available for pesticide applicators while handling or applying these products.  This handy 5-1/2” x 8-1/2” size contains the most popular custom-applied products and has been revised just in time for the 2016 season. Click here for more information.  

This information is intended for members of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc. No part of this document shall be copied, edited, or redistributed in any form without express written consent from the Georgia Agribusiness Council, Inc.

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