Food Safety, Job Creation Top Week's Agenda
2/20/2009

This week, the session hit Day 20, which is the halfway point. We have been working hard to solve the problems caused by the global economic crisis, and I'm happy to report that the Senate, House, and Governor are all working together. A good example of this is the Homeowner Tax Relief Grants (HTRG). Early this session, the Governor proposed the elimination of funding for the HRTG because of budget concerns. The money for these grants was approved last year, and local governments had already factored them into their bills. Had the legislature not acted, many of you would have received an additional property tax bill for around $300. However, I am pleased to report that we have successfully saved the grants. The House and Senate, acting quickly, passed legislation that the Governor signed to ensure funding for these grants will occur. As a legislator, I felt we must keep our word and fund these grants in these difficult economic times, and am thrilled we were able to do so.



Sincerely,

John Wiles



Jobs, Opportunity and Business Success Act Introduced


This week, Republican Leadership in the Georgia General Assembly began work on a package to stimulate the economy through the private sector. The bill would provide tax incentives to create real, long term jobs in Georgia.

"I believe that it is the hard-working people of Georgia-not big government-that is the key to our economic prosperity. If consumers and investors have confidence in the economic environment, then spending, investing, and jobs creation will occur," Sen. Wiles said in announcing his support for the bill. "I feel strongly that our idea is better than the discredited "borrow and spend" approach we are getting from Washington."

The bill includes the following

• $500 credit towards the unemployment insurance tax for each eligible employee hired.

• $2,400 Income tax credit for each eligible employee hired. This credit will be available to those who hire an employee that has been unemployed for at least 60 days and remains employed for at least 24 months at a rate above the average weekly rate of unemployment benefits as determined by the DOL.

• Start a "new business" holiday. This component would create a 1year "holiday" on new filings for LLC's, Limited Partnerships and For Profit Companies.

• Elimination of the State Inventory Tax on all Georgia businesses.

• Elimination of the Sales Tax Deposit.

• Gradual elimination of the Corporate Income Tax. This is a gradual elimination of the Corporate Income tax beginning in 2012 and phased over 12 years. Beginning in 2012, the tax rate will be reduced by .5% each year over 12 years. We are avoiding short-term revenue loss to the state while signaling a pro-business, pro-jobs plan for the future.



Senate Votes to Strength Food Safety in Georgia



This Wednesday the Senate passed Senate Bill 80, which imposes stricter guidelines on food testing for processing plants in response to the nationwide salmonella outbreak that was linked to a South Georgia peanut butter plant.

The legislation requires that food processing facilities report suspicions of contaminated food, food testing and retention of testing results to the Department of Agriculture. This bill provides the Department access to any food processor's testing records for the presence of contaminants.

The Commissioner of Agriculture is also directed to establish requirements for regular food testing. Processors are to report positive finds of contaminates within one business day of the discovery directly to the state. The bill also gives the Commissioner the right to test any food if there are reasonable grounds to suspect contamination.