NEWS

Last week the Georgia General Assembly was in session and there were several bills dropped which deal with some of the issues contained in the Chamber’s 2020 Legislative Agenda:

• HB 1011: Provides for income tax credits for up to 25% of the cost to restore a historic structure.
• HR 1247: Designates the Savannah Logistics Technology Corridor as an official technology innovation corridor in Georgia.
• HB 1037: Would require film productions to undergo mandatory audits of expenditures to make sure they are eligible for tax credits.
• HB 1004: To provide income tax credits for higher education for the Ft. Gordon Cyber Security and Information Technology innovation corridor and the Savannah Logistics Technology Corridor.

As for other items on the Chamber’s Legislative Agenda, we continue to monitor several bills that are making their way through the committee process. We are currently working with the appropriate members and committees to identify and support the proper legislation to address the issues.

Below are two additional bills of interest that the Chamber is tracking:

• HB 730: Creates sales and use tax exemptions and tangible personal property exemptions for a local host committee for major sporting events and to extend an exemption for sales of admissions to certain nonrecurring major sporting event. This bill is moving through the House Ways and Means committee.
• HB 740: Creates the Sports Marketing Fund to provide a funding mechanism to attract sporting events to the State of Georgia, which would provide an economic benefit to the state. This bill is moving through the House Economic Development and Tourism Committee.

The House Appropriations Committee continued their work on the FY 2021 budget and we are committed to working with our friends in the General Assembly to ensure that Governor Kemp’s $70 million budget request for the beginning phase of the Savannah Convention Center expansion remains fully funded in the final budget bill. We are also working with the members of the General Assembly to make sure the state budget provides the proper appropriations needed to fund the construction requests from Georgia Southern University, Savannah State University and Savannah Technical College.

If you have any specific questions or concerns during the legislative session, please do not hesitate to contact Jared Downs, director of governmental affairs, at JDowns@SavannahChamber.com.