FROM: Citizens for Free Enterprise Action
TO: Interested Parties
RE: Georgia 2024 Legislative Session Analysis
The Georgia General Assembly wrapped up its legislative session at the end of March, having considered more than 1,700 different bills. Overall, Georgia’s legislative session brought victories on key issues as state policymakers embraced free enterprise values. Although a handful of bills that would have benefited Georgians did not make it through final passage due to various time and political constraints, the work done this session was extremely positive. Importantly, legislators stood in the way of many harmful bills that would have had significant adverse effects for Georgians.
KEY TAKEWAYS
We applaud Georgia legislators for progress made this session by expanding school choice, combating organized retail theft, and reining in abusive union practices, but two other major issues are worth highlighting in detail.
- A series of bills championed by Governor Kemp and other Republicans will let Georgians keep more of their hard-earned money every year with a lower tax burden overall. The tax reform package accelerated a rate cut for individual tax payers, increased the dependent tax exemption for families, and lowered the tax rate for businesses to match the rate paid by individuals, among other positive tax changes.
- The legislative session brought much-needed regulatory relief for Georgians who work in a field requiring a state license. While license requirements were improved for several industries, the most noteworthy change will be for military spouses who often face significant challenges getting an occupational license recognized in another state when relocating due to a change in orders. Bipartisan legislation passed unanimously by the General Assembly will simplify this process by enabling military spouses to use an existing license in good standing from another state to find a job with a Georgia business. This simplification will provide support for the thousands of military families already in the state and those moving in.
HARMFUL LEGISLATION DEFEATED
Nearly as important as the positive bills that passed the legislature were the numerous harmful bills that legislative leaders successfully stopped. Harmful bills this session would have imposed costly new regulations on small businesses, limited consumer choice, or generally rolled back free enterprise in Georgia.
- The most notable bill was the Georgia Environmental Justice Act, a radical proposal sponsored by House Democrats designed to hinder economic progress through new abusive environmental review processes requiring all projects be viewed through a social justice lens. Rather than unleashing the innovative spirit of Georgia’s entrepreneurs, this bill would recycle old destructive policies with new names.
- Both Democrats and Republicans pursued other bills that would have made life more difficult for Georgia small businesses. One bipartisan bill would have imposed vague new restrictions on businesses promoting discounted prices or with limited a supply of goods. Companion bills in the House and Senate would have prohibited retailers from going cashless, despite the increased security, lower costs and ability to speed up checkouts that would come from such a move. The end result of all of these bills interfering with small businesses would have meant new burdens on our job creators when they can least afford it.
Bottom Line: Positive legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Kemp, including major tax reform, means Georgians can rest easy knowing that free enterprise has been preserved for another legislative session.