ATLANTA – State Representative James Burchett (R-Waycross), Chairman of the House Judiciary Non-civil Committee, applauds the State Forestry Commission and local law enforcement officials’ actions to combat the theft of palmetto berries on private forestland in southeast Georgia since the enactment of House Bill 966. During the 2020 legislative session, Rep. Burchett sponsored HB 966 to regulate the harvest and sale of palmetto berries, as well as increase penalties and establish chain-of-custody protocols for those harvesting the berries.
Rep. Carl Gilliard to Serve as Keynote Speaker at Garden City Housing Team’s Housing Fair & Expo
ATLANTA – State Representative Carl Gilliard (D- Savannah) will serve as the keynote speaker at the Garden City Housing Team’s Housing Fair and Expo on Saturday, September 10, 2022, at 9 a.m. at the Garden City Recreation Center in Savannah.
At this event, Garden City residents can learn about and pre-qualify for the Community Home Investment Program (CHIP) Grant Program. This program seeks to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing to Georgians by offering assistance with home repairs and renovations. The event will also feature vendors, food and prizes.
The Garden City Housing Team is a nonprofit organization comprised of residents, employees, business owners, neighborhood groups and church affiliates with the goal of designing and implementing a housing program to improve both the quality of life of citizens and the community’s economic conditions.
This event is open to the public, and tickets are free, but registration is required. Online registration for this event can be found here.
WHO: Rep. Carl Gilliard (D- Savannah)
WHAT: Housing Fair & Expo
WHEN: Saturday, September 10, 2022
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
WHERE: Garden City Recreation Center
160 Priscilla D Thomas Way
Savannah, GA 31408
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Rep. Lynn Smith Leads Southern States Energy Board Annual Business Session
ATLANTA – State Representative Lynn Smith (R-Newnan), chair of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee, recently attended the Southern States Energy Board’s (SSEB) 62nd Annual Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina, where she presided over the board’s annual business session. Rep. Smith serves as vice chair of the SSEB’s Executive Board.
“It was an honor to participate in the SSEB’s annual meeting this year,” said Rep. Smith. “In 2022, SSEB’s member states passed more than 500 bills related to energy and environmental measures, and this meeting provided the opportunity for me to engage with colleagues from across the South to discuss these important and emerging issues that impact our region. Energy and environmental policies are now at the forefront of many legislative discussions across the South and the nation as a whole. I am grateful for the work that the SSEB does to provide a forum for us to come together to learn and discuss best practices.”
At the SSEB’s business session, Rep. Smith introduced the Energy & Environment Legislative Digest, which is a compilation of energy and environmental legislation enacted by the board’s 18 member states and territories during their 2022 legislative sessions. In the publication, she discussed emerging energy/environment legislative trends, such as hydrogen, nuclear and renewable power measures, flood mitigation, environmental remediation and emergency planning/response, electric vehicle infrastructure deployment and taxation, regulation of solid waste and deadly pollutants and solar and wind energy development. Rep. Smith also unveiled SSEB’s new online tool, which includes an index of passed legislation, an interactive map and categorized bill summaries from member states.
During the three-day event, Rep. Smith served as a panelist for the plenary session on Legislating Energy and Environmental Policy in the States, as well as introduced keynote speakers Hayes Framme, Head of New Markets & Supply Chain, Ørsted, and Walter Kaufmann, CEO, P3 USA, Inc. Additionally, she provided opening remarks for the Southeast Energy Exchange Market session and introduced speaker Noel Black, Vice President, Federal Regulatory Affairs, Southern Company.
The theme of the SSEB’s 62nd Annual Meeting was Clean Energy: Fueling Growth & Prosperity in the South. Discussions were centered on clean energy transition, electric mobility and innovation, nuclear energy trends, hydrogen market development, decarbonization efforts in the region, workforce readiness and training for the energy industry, infrastructure resiliency and cybersecurity.
The Southern States Energy Board is a nonprofit interstate compact organization created in 1960 and is composed of governors and state legislators from sixteen southern states, two territories and a presidential appointee. The Board’s mission is to enhance economic development and the quality of life in the South through innovations in energy and environmental policies, programs and technologies.
For more information on the SSEB, please click here.
*Editor’s note: photos of Rep. Smith presiding over the SSEB annual business session and participating in a panel discussion are attached.
Representative Lynn Smith represents the citizens of District 70, which includes portions of Carroll and Coweta counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 and currently serves as Chairman of the Natural Resources & Environment Committee. She also serves on the Special Committee on Election Integrity, Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government, Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, Creative Arts & Entertainment and Rules committees.
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Rep. Viola Davis Applauds Mayor and Pine Lake City Council for Adoption of Abortion Anti-Criminalization Resolution
ATLANTA – State Representative Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain) today commends the City of Pine Lake Mayor Melanie Hammet and the Pine Lake City Council for their recent unanimous passage of an Abortion Anti-Criminalization Resolution, Resolution R-09-2022, which seeks to protect its citizens from investigation and criminalization for seeking or supporting abortion access. Rep. Davis worked with Amplify Georgia Collaborative to draft the resolution, which she shared with the elected officials in the City of Pine Lake to consider its passage.
“I commend Mayor Melanie Hammet and the City of Pine Lake Council for the unanimous passage of the Abortion Anti-Criminalization Resolution,” said Rep. Davis. “The leadership in our city is led by a female mayor, an all-female council, a female police chief, as is the municipal judge and the court solicitor. To have female leadership protect the reproductive rights of women demonstrates a united front of justice.”
With the passage of Resolution R-09-2022, the City of Pine Lake joins the cities of Atlanta, Savannah and South Fulton in passing measures to prevent local public resources from being used to investigate, arrest or prosecute people for abortions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Amplify Georgia, a collaborative of organizations advocating for local governments to use their powers to protect reproductive health, applauded the news. Amplify Georgia Executive Director, Allison Coffman, said, “In many Georgia cities and counties, our elected officials have not yet used their full toolbox of policymaking powers to protect and expand access to abortion care. Now, the need is urgent for these local governments to take action. The passage of this resolution shows that Pine Lake understands the urgency and stands with people who need abortions.”
*Editor’s Note: a PDF copy of Resolution R-09-2022 is attached for your convenience, as well as a photo of Rep. Davis with the City of Pine Lake Mayor and City Council.
Representative Viola Davis represents the citizens of District 87, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Natural Resources & Environment, Insurance, Interstate Cooperation and Science and Technology committees.
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Joint Study Committee on the Electrification of Transportation to Hold Next Meeting Tomorrow
ATLANTA – The Joint Study Committee on the Electrification of Transportation, co-chaired by State Representative Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper) and State Senator Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega), will hold its next meeting TOMORROW, Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at 9 a.m. at Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris.
Established by Senate Resolution 463, the Joint Study Committee on Electrification of Transportation will help establish a comprehensive, strategic plan that sets policy objectives for infrastructure, economic preparedness, transportation funding, innovation and the development of a successful electric vehicle (EV) market in the state. This joint study committee will also examine how to accelerate economic growth and directly engage stakeholders as it conducts research and makes its legislative recommendations. Specifically, this study committee will address the growing need for a state-wide public charging infrastructure. The study committee will conclude its work by December 1, 2022, ahead of the 2023 legislative session.
WHO: Members of the Joint Study Committee on the Electrification of Transportation
WHAT: Study Committee Meeting
WHEN: Wednesday, September 7, 2022
9 a.m.
WHERE: Brasstown Valley Resort
6321 US-76
Young Harris, GA 30582
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