Legislative update

by Bryan Tolar, Tolar Capitol Partners

We are very pleased with the 2021 legislative session and seeing bills where UAC played a role signed into law by Governor Kemp.

We’ll take a look at some of these key issues, but this As we look back at legislation that passed the Georgia is also a good time to focus on how UAC gets things General Assembly and has now been signed into law, done. Much like any business, a solid company has a we can fully count the chickens now that they have great customer base and many relationships that help hatched. move the business forward. UAC proudly serves a growing membership while also fostering and building relationships that help our issues (your voice) be Property tax relief An important bill for farm owners in every sector, 4 effective. including those that support the landscape and As political leaders change, policy approaches change – that’s a given. Just since the 2021 legislative session ended, there has been a flurry of announcements about those running for higher office or not running for re-election. UAC has to adapt for these changes, just as your business would adapt to relationship interruptions. They say that the only constant in life is change…and we appreciate your investment in UAC to help your business meet the challenges ahead. urban ag industry, was HB 498 by Representative Sam Watson and Senator Larry Walker. Their work secured the necessary language to bring much-needed property tax relief to farms that combine resources and properties to build for the future. Georgia’s tax code allows benefits for family farms, but when two different families combined resources such as buildings and equipment to create a new farm entity, some tax auditors started collecting the taxes because the law was not specific for such situations. This unfortunate

Sen. Larry Walker Rep. Trey Kelley Sen. Brian Strickland

gap has been exploited by some county tax offices as businesses continue to crawl out from under the and needed a remedy. Because it would alter the state challenges of the pandemic. We are all seeing changes code section for property taxes, it will now be up to COVID-19 restrictions in the business community, to the Georgia voters in November 2022 to approve but they are a jumbled mess that rarely follow the CDC the change before it can go into effect. This is a good guidelines. At least businesses will have this blanket common-sense approach to preserving agricultural immunity from lawsuits if practical care is applied in operations into the future. Hopefully the common- the workplace for staff and customers. Be safe and be sense of voters won’t be uncommon and we can get this protected. deal finalized at the ballot box next year. CoVID-19 In COVID-19 related legislation, we had two very 4 Budgets The State Budget included several wins for UAC interests in research, education and workforce 4 good wins. Not long after the pandemic started in development. The FY 2022 Big Budget, weighing in 2020, UAC heard from UAC members that could not at $27.2 billion, saw big funding swings for the UGA get local permits issued due to COVID-19 restrictions Agriculture Experiment Station and Cooperative put in place, which reduced the availability of local Extension Service. Plus, bond program funding saw government inspection staff. Governor Kemp took many investments in agricultural education equipment, this issue head on and had his team lead the charge to renovations for ag education facilities, and an influx of provide a remedy. Working with Georgia Homebuilder funds for the design, construction, and equipment for

Association allies, UAC helped advance the the Multidisciplinary Greenhouse Complex at UGA expansion of local building permits and inspection in Athens. Even the FY 2021 Amended Budget saw options. major funding restoration strides as the economy has rebounded quickly during COVID-19, especially ag

Landscapers, property design, and construction facilities at UGA CAES. The importance of Georgia’s teams needed these inspections in a timeframe that economic recovery and stability cannot be overstated…fit schedules and timelines. Local authorities are still the growth is phenomenal. Hopefully the workers will the front line but, now with the option of paying some soon return and businesses will have access to more additional fees, approved outside inspection firms labor so sorely needed.can be used to accomplish the task. Sod producers, landscape contractors and others in the construction industry will benefit from this change. Most of all, it provides options for keeping businesses moving forward. Rural Development Council Finally, we were pleased House Speaker David Ralston pushed to re-establish the House Rural Development Council. This initiative has proven to be very successful 4

In addition, the COVID-19 tort reform protections since initiated four years ago. The Council will for businesses put in place by lawmakers in June 2020 travel the state and study issues regarding economic have now been extended through July 14, 2022. HB 112 development and related policy areas. We are working was championed by Rep. Trey Kelley and Sen. Brian to see that transportation and workforce are included

Strickland to provide this layer of legal protection in these discussions.

Speaker David Ralston Rep. Robert Dickey Dr. Brian Schwartz Gov. Brian Kemp

Other industry highlights

New Ag Committee chairmen We commend the outstanding leadership of newly 4 Now hiring As you are aware, the labor challenges facing UAC 4 selected leaders for the Agriculture Committees. House members, our urban ag industry and others continue

Ag Committee Chairman Robert Dickey and Senate to mount. UAC has been in contact with the Office of

Agriculture Committee Chairman Larry Walker shined Governor Kemp on multiple occasions regarding this brightly in these roles. Their dedication to advancing issue. agriculture runs deep and their commitment is second to none. We congratulate them! While the reasons for these labor issues are multifaceted, many of these the difficulties are believed to Outstanding accomplishment We commend Representative Sam Watson on his HB 4 stem from the issuance of COVID-19 recovery funds directed from the federal government to the states. 498 farm property tax reform bill mentioned earlier. We are pleased Governor Kemp has had numerous

His engagement with agriculture allies and work with discussions with Labor Commissioner Mark Butler

House leaders were critical. We were pleased to help and his staff on options to manage this issue while steer and advocate for this legislation along the way, also staying within the bounds required by federal but Rep. Watson deserves all the credit. regulators. While we all remain frustrated by workforce shortages, we are encouraged by the response Success through science Georgia's battles on water rights are well documented 4 Governor Kemp took to end the $300 weekly jobless payments from the feds starting in late June. and have seen much success thanks to irrigation efficiency measures and water conservation initiatives. UGA's Dr. Brian Schwartz and the CAES Turf Team have taken conservation to a new level with TifTuf, a drought tolerant bermudagrass cultivar gaining popularity among homeowners and sports facilities. Developed at UGA Tifton, it uses 38% less water during drought than the most popular bermudagrass. Work visa reforms We also continue pushing for federal work visa reforms for H2-B and H-2A programs. The failures of these federal programs are also hampering economic growth opportunities. Many thanks to our partners at the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) for being such great allies in these efforts. 4

Dr. Schwartz has been recognized for his work by UAC is grateful for your support and trust in our the Georgia House and Senate and was just awarded advocacy activities on your behalf. As you know, it the 2021 Water Conservation Leadership Award by is the membership that leads our organization, but

Athens-Clarke County. This great innovation through our work benefits all. Please continue to share the research will help take water conservation to a new government affairs services of UAC with other industry level. Congratulations, Dr. Schwartz! allies as we push to build the best, most comprehensive organization possible. Learn more about UAC membership at urbanagcouncil.com.

Tolar Capitol Partners provides background and status information on key issues, prompting action from our members when needed and lobbying on behalf of our industry. tolarcapitolpartners.com

UAC works closely with Tolar Capitol Partners, monitoring and reporting weekly during each legislative session through Capitol Connection updates. These e-newsletters also include short surveys to "take the pulse" of our UAC members on important issues (see the results from the latest surveys on the following page). If you work for a UAC member company and would like to be added to this email list, please contact us at office@georgiauac.com or 706-750-0350.