[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6116531,"mediaKeyId","2732752-38e4147b063b1e1b9c44c0234dc347d1","parentId",2732752,"title","Local calendar of homestead-exemption bills goes to recorded vote; clerk says tally did not meet required constitutional threshold","audioSeconds",209,"startMs",3591000,"endMs",3800000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2732752-38e4147b063b1e1b9c44c0234dc347d1&start=3591&end=3800","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2732752-38e4147b063b1e1b9c44c0234dc347d1/thumbnail_3591000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6116531/Georgia/Local-calendar-of-homestead-exemption-bills-goes-to-recorded-vote-clerk-says-tally-did-not-meet-required-constitutional-threshold","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116531-3c8da303f8ced9c1827a246af1c98faa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771088709&Signature=ehmfrIYP2VXUlEXs-A~~qxEYkOXZ81mV~kvHF7~lnjw2qyHWm3U0abDGXY9AaAL2evchRksl1RmYYNLsI0~l1AlmvwyPRk1eeKzQYRS6wEsbUe7ir3VZ5Qw0Q3dvaZhv88wLRxZHwpUggeiS3QTchgcduQ2stUocuGpQU2R7UDTrHJ3I~jZjHP1t1HGfQ3iaWdG7iS75fwzYRXU77~n1xteGMS29c5XRlYt-exwy9hOVMaAiffIJ7w8ilzB3jj9smhDU5KcmoUMBJO8dS96hPJAR-ddEWyM6VpQHXnAQjhz5qQpXM3ZVFVP6L2a46EuZuPg~HKnKQrB1bK3I7hxoPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Georgia State Legislature ","date","2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","article","A set of local bills dealing largely with homestead exemptions and municipal charters was placed on the House local calendar Friday for third reading and passage by recorded roll call.

Bills on the local calendar included (selected): House Bill 730 (Chatham County), HB 742 (Broxton), HB 748 (Carroll County), HB 750 (Forsyth County), HB 754 (Catoosa County), HB 768–770 and others affecting Gwinnett County and municipal charters. The clerk read the list on the floor before a recorded vote.

Floor action and conflicting announcement: The clerk unlocked the machines and members voted. The clerk announced the tally as yeas 158 and nays 0. Immediately afterward the presiding officer stated, “These bills haven't received a requisite constitutional majority or therefore passed,” indicating the announced tally did not, per the presiding officer, meet the required constitutional threshold for passage of those local measures (the transcript does not specify which constitutional threshold or the shortfall amount).

Context and next steps: The transcript does not include further procedural clarification on the floor or a corrected tally; it records both the clerk’s announced total (158–0) and the presiding officer’s statement that the bills lacked the constitutional majority required for passage. No individual bill-level outcomes are recorded in the transcript beyond the clerk’s announcement and the presiding officer’s statement.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Session Day 34: 03.21.25 (House)","oneSentenceSummary","The House read a local calendar of homestead-exemption and related local bills and took a recorded vote; the clerk reported a tally of 158 yeas and 0 nays but the presiding officer said the bills \"haven't received a requisite constitutional majority\" and therefore did not pass on that vote as announced in the transcript.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Georgia , Georgia","taxId",77688,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6116536,"At a glance: Several Senate bills pass House with unanimous or near‑unanimous votes",397,5665000,6062000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2732752-38e4147b063b1e1b9c44c0234dc347d1&start=5665&end=6062","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2732752-38e4147b063b1e1b9c44c0234dc347d1/thumbnail_5665000.jpg","/articles/6116536/Georgia/At-a-glance-Several-Senate-bills-pass-House-with-unanimous-or-nearunanimous-votes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116536-8597e03d9d352fd4d5aa85d60cc54738/orig.mp4?Expires=1771088708&Signature=koq5~Wz--STCrai4hMuLolLGUGn~4QVlBOM-0ixkWFg2yll~Jn2IbuFejkcHzKzH-oiahOgxTGDx2xC5j7J-k6c78fcNXQQ71bQQuOcdHLgMiONpWEfV29oyuNzkVrQWPna3DK2tOULdOIiXlLb3L2f77d02LPhC7odG7nV1w8u2IWrbfojRVMj-TJFvCO7F2nL7Y~eJqMl8JVijuESbSrGYtCMKsVpEW07Z4vn9sY-qRIUtaOwmbwKx4ZJFtPC~tt-N3XkYsnJuAMASkY8Gn5lC7f-Wk6P-9ZL1Wrr4mYFhhzbdR6qQlZ~h9uS0lf9pZE73ko0gJNXomer-rc6ARg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Georgia House approved a set of Senate bills on Friday that drew relatively little floor debate and passed on recorded votes. Highlights from the session:

Senate Bill 96 — Repeal and consolidation of inactive advisory councils: Representative Matthew Gamble presented SB 96, which repeals or revises multiple advisory councils and moves some functions to other agencies (for example, moving the Georgia Council on Lupus Education and Awareness administratively to the Department of Public Health and adding a volunteer seat to the Firefighter Standards and Training Council). The clerk announced the vote as 162 yeas and 0 nays; the bill was declared passed.

Senate Bill 58 — Organ transport vehicles classified as ambulances: Representative Townsend presented SB 58, the Georgia Transporting Lifesaving Organs and Personnel Act, which allows organ‑transport vehicles to be treated as ambulances for licensing and operational purposes, reducing the need for repeated emergency permits. The clerk announced the vote as 161 yeas and 0 nays; the bill was declared passed.

Senate Bill 84 — Specialty license plate honoring the Shepherd Center / organ donation recognition: Representative Townsend presented SB 84, which establishes a specialty license plate related to organ donation (the Shepherd Center plate is a related Senate measure). The clerk announced the vote as 162 yeas and 0 nays; the bill was declared passed.

Senate Bill 98 — County conservator insertion in guardianship code: Chairman Scoggins presented SB 98 to add “county conservator” language back into Title 29 (guardianship/ward code) after a prior overhaul omitted the term. The clerk announced the vote as 162 yeas and 0 nays; the bill was declared passed.

Procedure: Committee substitutes were adopted where applicable and each bill’s favorable committee report was agreed to before final passage. Floor debate on these items was brief; several sponsors described the changes as technical or corrective or as reducing administrative red tape.

","The House passed multiple Senate bills on Friday with wide margins; measures include reorganization of inactive advisory councils, formal recognition plates and technical statutory updates. Vote tallies were announced on the floor for each bill.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6116541,"House agrees to Senate substitute for Hurricane Helene timber relief; suspends severance tax for affected quarters",226,7662000,7888000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2732752-38e4147b063b1e1b9c44c0234dc347d1&start=7662&end=7888","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2732752-38e4147b063b1e1b9c44c0234dc347d1/thumbnail_7662000.jpg","/articles/6116541/Georgia/House-agrees-to-Senate-substitute-for-Hurricane-Helene-timber-relief-suspends-severance-tax-for-affected-quarters","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116541-13521635b4c541accec275a01a9ca712/orig.mp4?Expires=1771088708&Signature=FWfEcSCZX7YePpUbIOof263pP5kPOJuSMjC~NAbGuxUkA0iu5hp1zyWfWxfYKzMTo3VMV3XPpLfKB2b7x81lNxodheCoq78VrwH08wL6vH7OE7crFYm2lgmGj3tT0fW5J6taxBvzKoKbpi795K6pgY0NeMaQucpHE1371kut6DMG7-tSNwp~wN0gZNzHLwY~ZA3CpIiRjmmK8X~kScWxd1agFMEd8ApD~FIxMqvE88N8ljOqx~NuM-~d3Yoybu-T-lMG1fvuzSUcngMAuuk~9TTFXMxZ2HHV48HpMFCV1un16D~YFG3aXbrjhGBJ9v1ZML5qf~ZbEEzLXjOKO~cpEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Georgia House on Friday agreed to the Senate substitute for House Bill 223, a Hurricane Helene relief measure that includes a temporary suspension of the timber severance tax for affected counties.

Explanation from the floor: Representative Whit Burchett explained the Senate addition: counties may suspend the severance tax on timber harvested in the affected period (final quarter of 2024 and calendar year 2025) and the Department of Revenue will reimburse counties for the foregone revenue based on a three‑year average price. Burchett said the suspension helps counties that otherwise would receive lower payments because storm‑damaged timber has a reduced market value.

Key details and limitations: Burchett said participation by a county is permissive — local governments are not required to suspend the tax — and the reimbursement formula uses the previous three‑year average price to calculate county reimbursement. He also said a fiscal note exists but did not provide the total state cost on the floor; he offered to supply that estimate to members.

Questions: Representatives asked whether the suspension is optional (yes), and whether the suspension is time‑limited (the sponsor said it covers the last quarter of 2024 and all of 2025). Representative Jasmine Clark specifically asked about a sunset; Burchett confirmed the limited time frame.

Vote and process: On the motion that the House agree to the Senate substitute, the clerk announced the yays as 153 and nays 0; the House therefore agreed to the Senate substitute to House Bill 223.

Next steps: With the House agreement to the Senate substitute the bill proceeds under the usual legislative process; sponsors said the measure targets timber farmers and counties affected by storm damage and aims to avoid forcing sales at depressed market prices.

","The House agreed to the Senate substitute for House Bill 223 to allow optional local suspension of the severance tax for timber harvested in the final quarter of 2024 and during 2025, with state reimbursement to counties; the House agreed 153–0 to the substitute.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6116545,"House approves GEFA financing for natural-gas and resiliency projects after hours of debate",1173,6559000,7732000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2732752-38e4147b063b1e1b9c44c0234dc347d1&start=6559&end=7732","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2732752-38e4147b063b1e1b9c44c0234dc347d1/thumbnail_6559000.jpg","/articles/6116545/Georgia/House-approves-GEFA-financing-for-natural-gas-and-resiliency-projects-after-hours-of-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116545-daae859ab942b6a738c6dca7f5d327ed/orig.mp4?Expires=1771088708&Signature=KOqeZY3pvtJiwFboDt1IVq-W2zVgSusbMv5BUr7xHi6s5ZKspERp1AbUfpDsTbGg5AdK17SHJSkPu74UgaryNARrBkuDqojiQzzDqx4FR42G~bBuJDLSUqDUjDzHFYuzhoo7gsMMKhRbyp-OYg0XJYwwp5Cw0e2l~l~MCGtCh96Tap4MrmhM64u5o~C2pJk1WUcq3MDWWETwnmJ5TQqTA-WoiwkZkWNFPQSEXtPrRAwgid0m3nkQ-HlkXjQT6ARbVQZk9mK9lOso7J0YGvoI-FTroq1NdmuCmUUJ2YsfJJWeFiz7~H3MO2stjQeKc~KP~FP6e4XZqsdOMbQb~ESFoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Georgia House voted to expand the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority’s financing authority to include natural-gas infrastructure projects and certain resiliency measures under Senate Bill 13. The bill passed Friday on a recorded vote of 109 yeas and 50 nays.

Representative Angie Osteen, who presented the measure for the chamber, said the change responds to recommendations from the Rural Development Council and would let GEFA offer low-interest financing for natural gas lines and for conversion or undergrounding of electric lines for resilience. “Senate Bill 13 would make natural gas infrastructure projects eligible for low interest GIFA [GEFA] financing,” Osteen said, adding the change would help counties such as Coffee and Douglas that lack capacity to attract industry.

Supporters’ case: Chairman Corbett argued the change would modernize energy infrastructure and aid counties without existing natural-gas service. Representative Whit Burchett described it as a tool for municipal gas utilities and noted similar provisions had passed the House previously.

Opponents’ case: Representative Carla Drenner (D) rose in opposition, calling the measure “a misguided expansion” that moves GEFA away from its core mission of financing water and wastewater projects. Drenner warned the state would be taking on financial risk better handled by private providers and said federal resilience funding is uncertain.

Other floor discussion flagged concerns about encouraging further reliance on fossil fuels and urged emphasis on sustainable resilience strategies. Representative Ramon said he remained undecided until the vote, noting the tension between helping communities recover after storms and avoiding policies that favor fossil-fuel expansion.

Process and vote: The House adopted the committee substitute and agreed to the committee’s favorable report before final passage. The clerk announced the final tally as 109 yeas and 50 nays; the bill was declared passed.

What the law changes: As described on the floor, the amendment authorizes GEFA (referred to in the caption) to finance or otherwise assist projects related to natural-gas facilities, and adds language to permit financing of electric-line conversions (undergrounding) for resiliency. Supporters said municipal gas authorities and GEFA worked to address territorial and financing concerns.

Next steps: With House passage the measure proceeds per the legislative calendar; sponsors said the change is intended to expand tools for rural economic development and grid resiliency.

","Senate Bill 13 expands Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) financing to natural gas infrastructure and certain resiliency projects; the House passed the bill 109–50 after extended debate between supporters citing rural economic needs and opponents warning of mission creep.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6116550,"House updates Georgia code to remove references to U.S. Department of Education if federal agency is eliminated",760,4866000,5626000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2732752-38e4147b063b1e1b9c44c0234dc347d1&start=4866&end=5626","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2732752-38e4147b063b1e1b9c44c0234dc347d1/thumbnail_4866000.jpg","/articles/6116550/Georgia/House-updates-Georgia-code-to-remove-references-to-US-Department-of-Education-if-federal-agency-is-eliminated","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116550-523b5bf3b87f048af20c35f08b4e4cbd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771088708&Signature=PS5VG1N1WH553aJjZ-8lfak0Qv5RIlYmzEAZKTONV2nlalYj4tLz7jdRv4sZVYi-zs0jynY2Yr8A-0vK8nk6-qTwZVqxh1hidcSo51dbcRxh-x~4eioeAS30waU0nt3450IS4O9rSU5RnrC~XoPaI8uG7e6nbRTKfmq3cLWWo0s63rGFpysBymS0t9ulUPBhHFng8TEKodTMtHpspfsi9ZQkpMxmKL3qlpBnXXsr4dEVQ2ebJ6GtHk86XXvQp5MPi8yuWGP4xx05uOITBupdZbz~HE6G4c6iSOUhkF2nDn-a9QaA2b5XyToD-4gFotATZDxHsAHUzsOHHycuioXUbQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Georgia House on Friday passed Senate Bill 154, a package of statutory updates that replaces explicit references to the U.S. Department of Education with language such as “or its successor” across multiple code sections.

The measure’s sponsor, Chairman Dubnick, told the chamber SB 154 “is a truly simple bill that amends 25 different code sections in our code by adding ‘or its successor’…just simply updates outdated language to bring FAFSA and to modernize our code.”

Why it matters: supporters said the change is precautionary, intended to avoid disruptions to licensing and other state processes if the federal agency’s authority were to be altered. Representative David Wilkerson, who spoke in favor, said the House amendment that makes the change effective only “if the Department of Education goes away” reduced potential disruption and offered stability for professionals and programs that depend on federal recognition.

Opponents and concerns: Representative Vermont, the lone registered opponent who spoke from the floor, urged caution about broader federal uncertainty and warned against having to respond to federal actions that she described as “illegal,” arguing a president cannot unilaterally abolish an agency. “Not only are we going to be seeing a dismantling of the Department of Education, which is illegal, I want to be very clear. A president cannot unilaterally get rid of an agency,” Vermont said, framing the vote as a response to federal turmoil and underscoring uncertainty for families and borrowers.

Process and votes: The House adopted a committee substitute and then passed SB 154 on a roll-call vote. The clerk announced the tally as 144 yeas and 15 nays; the House declared the bill passed.

What the bill does and limits: The sponsor said the bill updates roughly 25 statutory references (titles 20, 35 and 43 were cited in the caption) to avoid regulatory or licensing disruption should the federal agency be removed or renamed. The bill does not itself abolish any federal agency and, as amended, takes effect only if the U.S. Department of Education were to be eliminated or replaced.

Next steps: With passage in the House, the bill continues through the legislative process per normal procedures.

","The House passed Senate Bill 154 to revise 25 code sections that reference the U.S. Department of Education, adding language to reference \"its successor\" and to take effect only if the federal agency is eliminated; vote was 144–15.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Local calendar of homestead-exemption bills goes to recorded vote; clerk says tally did not meet required constitutional threshold

At a glance: Several Senate bills pass House with unanimous or near‑unanimous votes

House agrees to Senate substitute for Hurricane Helene timber relief; suspends severance tax for affected quarters

House approves GEFA financing for natural-gas and resiliency projects after hours of debate

House updates Georgia code to remove references to U.S. Department of Education if federal agency is eliminated