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Dear Summer,
Welcome to the Georgia Conservation Voters
Legislative Newsletter. This letter will be
circulated frequently during the 2006 legislative
session in efforts to keep you abreast on issues of
particular interest to you
on environmental legislation.
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Billboard Votes Highlights Bi-Partisan Tree-Hugging
HB 1097 Passed with Garden Club's Amendments
The Garden Club, along with rallying environmental
lobbyists, enjoyed a great victory on the House
Floor yesterday in spite of Speaker Glenn
Richardson. Richardson lost three key votes in his
support for an untouched HB 1097,which included the
contentious Section five that would allow billboard
owners to cut a limitless number of trees around
their signs, including trees on state-owned
property. Section five would also remove current
fees for tree removal whose funds contribute to
beautification of Georgia's highways.
After much deliberation, removal of sponsorship,
vote reconsideration, and even some name-calling, HB
1097 passed with two key amendments supported by the
Garden Club and environmental community.
One amendment struck aforementioned Section five
entirely and the other fixed a 5000-foot limit
between the multi-message signs.
The Garden Club and their fellow green lobbyists
celebrated a tremendous victory having swayed the
votes of several key Republican Representatives from
suburban areas. As reported in an article on
capitolimpact.com, "In a session where GOP House
members have mostly voted in lockstep with [Speaker]
Richardson, it was a rare rebuke to the powerful
speaker."
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Georgia Conservation Voters (GCV) is a non-partisan
citizens' organization dedicated to protecting
Georgia's environment and the health of all
Georgians by advocating in the legislature and in
the media for strong environmental protections;
helping to elect conservation-minded leaders to
Georgia's General Assembly and selected local races;
and by holding our elected officials accountable for
how well they worked to protect and restore
Georgia's environment.
Sincerely,
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On Thursday, February 23rd, the House Committee on
Ways and Means unanimously passed House Bill 1018
which is a sales tax exemption on the sale or use of
biomass material used in the production of
electrical power or coproduction of electrical and
steam power that is subsequently sold. This bill is
among four others (House Bills 1378, 1393, and 1412
and Senate Bill 453) pushing the agenda of clean and
renewable energy in the General Assembly this
session.
