[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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],{"_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",6304157,"mediaKeyId","2468841-3693873e83db6bd6e1db929dbc9d9fcc","parentId",2468841,"title","Rules committee debates HB92 homestead and sales‑tax changes, including opt‑out/rescission provisions; no final vote","audioSeconds",741,"startMs",1739000,"endMs",2480000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2468841-3693873e83db6bd6e1db929dbc9d9fcc&start=1739&end=2480","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2468841-3693873e83db6bd6e1db929dbc9d9fcc/thumbnail_1739000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6304157/Georgia/Rules-committee-debates-HB92-homestead-and-salestax-changes-including-optoutrescission-provisions-no-final-vote","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304157-d498b1210ef9dd4ffb01e68f38fba1da/orig.mp4?Expires=1773639559&Signature=RcsX0Os1G64tmb~pjuxMPKXBtQ41jZt2yXmIthy-U3dN2w46fcGLR-ZzmqfNsXH7i~qhDFikUpR1PpTreJmoECv6~8fOXHtZV9Y5uv3-ajbUqV~iR7xl4ARzjN1MvzuvCFNOTmib~FKAtm67F-KkYP7xmDSc1vFMXzA7awZHG1VC5ArlJjJ7gw~DlLyDJwcGLAhY4ieWSnjJU9AS0GU6O2wTXQrcAw6GXYxd356vqwUhy~FrGKkgi0SszXQdpu6~UB3fQTuZg-Y8ThsgFNKiXUJN9mu6uW4amFiPSqfrE6MC4skptSRxcrLzYUcYjHqHEw4~HhCvcaf4HutAC~i6mQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Georgia State Legislature","date","2025-02-28T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Blackman presented House Bill 92 to the Senate Rules standing committee Feb. 28 and described it as a package of cleanup measures tied to prior legislation. He said the substitute includes edits tied to a five‑acre maximum for certain homestead provisions, spousal survivorship language, changes to homestead appeal application procedures, and sales‑tax language intended to allow participation in a local sales tax (FLOST) where smaller cities opt out but the majority of county cities remain in.

Representative Blackman said the substitute includes a change extending the opt‑out rescission period to March 31 for this year’s cycle and contains other clarifications for local governments and school systems. He and senators repeatedly discussed whether language adding an annual opt‑out requirement for jurisdictions that opt out this year remained in the new substitute; several senators said they could not find the annual‑opt‑out language and asked for it to be restored or clarified.

Senator Huffstetler and other members raised concerns that a provision in the sub could exempt school construction from local sales taxes in a way that had not been vetted by the Finance Committee; the senator requested that the House and Senate finance chairs work together to reconcile the change in the sub.

Senators and Representative Blackman agreed to continue work offline and to bring clarified language back to Rules next week. Chairman Blackman asked the Senate Finance chair to work with the bill author and House stakeholders to produce agreed language and set a follow‑up committee meeting; no formal committee vote or motion to advance HB92 was recorded in the Rules committee during this session.

Because the transcript shows committee members requested additional drafting and cross‑committee vetting on several points — including the annual opt‑out requirement for jurisdictions that opt out this year and the treatment of school construction sales tax — the committee did not take final action and left open follow‑up steps.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","02/28/2025 Senate Committee on Rules","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Blackman told the Senate Rules committee Feb. 28 that House Bill 92 (committee substitute LC501188S) contains homestead‑exemption cleanup, sales‑tax language for school construction, and changes to opt‑out and rescission procedures.","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},6304159,"Committee advances amendment to require two‑thirds legislative vote for new special‑interest tax credits",682,1036000,1718000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2468841-3693873e83db6bd6e1db929dbc9d9fcc&start=1036&end=1718","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2468841-3693873e83db6bd6e1db929dbc9d9fcc/thumbnail_1036000.jpg","/articles/6304159/Georgia/Committee-advances-amendment-to-require-twothirds-legislative-vote-for-new-specialinterest-tax-credits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304159-b653601c1f456167832f3cf0fc119770/orig.mp4?Expires=1773639559&Signature=mEgM4MeQuXIbsu5gS9Vb-yKajq0bFkjohGFpH2262nTaSKY4A59e97molK-ax6qUKf6~5SJ9OA3qaMAsldjEcsao7DukIC1Fp0DTjysDAcli97MnMQY9dIAHn51jcBFHsyOkeNjDVsDMvkySV5pSIo1DWbUVpklizpW8R3XzssD1JxV1LQP2dEqreV5y0FSuCaRvxWoZcFEZ8uofAsj4pMTQyBB8NGOqsT3qAnzBWwaOojlYEOX~QGW8AIBV1IVxAVqJw~tJHAwH25z8qnqGovPZjGc-GivyYTpSTAzx6k8p6P8vVrGZai1uE8fo7zwynanq9Z~6WyK7oFFEIsS0Zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Blake Tillery introduced a proposed constitutional amendment in the Rules committee Feb. 28 that would require a two‑thirds vote of the General Assembly for any new special‑interest sales or income tax credit or exemption to become law. Tillery framed the proposal as a response to annual lobbying for targeted tax breaks and said the change would slow the pace of new credits so the state could reduce the overall tax burden for all Georgians.

Tillery told the committee, “We get lobbied every year for a tax credit or a tax exemption for one special industry or the other. No one's ever here lobbying for the general public.” During the discussion members pressed for details about scope, effective dates and the ballot language voters would see. Committee substitute language makes clear that renewals of credits existing on Jan. 1, 2027, would not be subject to the two‑thirds requirement so long as the renewal does not increase the credit.

Committee members discussed the scale of tax credits in Georgia: one exchange referenced roughly $13 billion when including sales-tax credits and that income-tax revenue is in the low‑to‑mid‑teens of billions (participants cited figures in the $13–18 billion range). Members also asked whether other states have used similar provisions; the sponsor said he did not have a definitive list but noted other states have pursued near‑zero income-tax models.

The substitution includes proposed ballot question language: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to require a two thirds vote of the General Assembly for any special interest sales or income tax credit or special interest sales or income tax exemption to become law?” Senators debated whether the ballot summary would adequately convey the constitutional language and asked whether the text they were placing in the constitution was sufficient to preserve renewals and exemptions.

A motion to pass the committee substitute LC339811S was made by Senator Albers and seconded by Senator Ginn; the committee recorded the motion as carrying and moved the amendment to the Rules calendar.

Sponsor statements and committee questions clarified that (1) the amendment would take effect Jan. 1, 2027 if ratified by voters, (2) it would not abolish current credits or require sunsetting of existing credits, and (3) renewals in existence on Jan. 1, 2027, would not be subject to the two‑thirds requirement so long as renewals do not increase the credit.","Senator Blake Tillery introduced a proposed constitutional amendment Feb. 28 that would require a two‑thirds vote of the General Assembly to enact new special‑interest sales or income tax credits or exemptions.",{"_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},6304161,"Senate committee advances ban on state, local purchases of drones and tech from Chinese‑owned firms",205,272000,477000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2468841-3693873e83db6bd6e1db929dbc9d9fcc&start=272&end=477","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2468841-3693873e83db6bd6e1db929dbc9d9fcc/thumbnail_272000.jpg","/articles/6304161/Georgia/Senate-committee-advances-ban-on-state-local-purchases-of-drones-and-tech-from-Chineseowned-firms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304161-c7f966e1dc084c4d030343ac0962decd/orig.mp4?Expires=1773639559&Signature=UGDS1KpgYoJKUhGCMn0kI7YlO1oBMadtBuuudnAeiXH2opcjFftcf1g5wQvbeID2ue6hKxJf2Cby3F2UnOqeryvtzD0eIEfjZvvQyd5E3oFtpYCJ2ijQl34GvPNMiIq7cVh8XMGLUNI6utR~WqTdCfwIQ5Vx22oSNTGQ-WbzQ~Nsa0n1qM0VJy~KnmWyc64Xx0HmzxzmwbWKiD2gtvPR8n1lsGt6VGlRgdFpmJbUVXieECpVGGB1Sx06akKzZ4C3aWSzwfya~M0pjhg7G2TWv10zkYmNs-S5YzVB1NXvTQDzN9LIXmfDjH3OzuYibbZy4Pn6d-gOjgRtTaM-49kiKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Dixon, sponsor of Senate Bill 64, told the Senate Rules standing committee Feb. 28 that the bill would “prohibit state and local government from purchasing drones, primarily that were companies that were owned by the government of China.” The committee voted to advance the committee substitute (LC550577S) to the full Rules calendar.

The substitute moves the compliance deadline for replacing affected equipment from 2026 to 2029. Senator Dixon said the change came after conversations with the sheriff’s association and local officials about the time needed to transition from Chinese-made drones to U.S. alternatives. He said some U.S. drone manufacturers offer rebates of “up to $15,000” for trading in older devices.

Committee members questioned how large a share of the market the covered drones represent; one lawmaker asked whether the Chinese-made models made up “about what percent of the market?” and a committee answer referenced an estimate of roughly 95 percent. Committee members also acknowledged public-safety concerns and technological differences between some Chinese-made and U.S.-made models; Dixon said several U.S. manufacturers that are five years old or younger are narrowing that gap and could be competitive within the four-year transition period.

A motion to do pass the committee substitute LC550577S was made by Senator Albers and seconded by Senator Anabotarte; the chairman recorded the motion as carrying unanimously and sent the bill to the Rules calendar for consideration on Monday.

The bill as presented would apply to purchases by state and local governmental entities; the substitute and committee discussion included no changes to private purchases or to any enforcement mechanism beyond procurement prohibitions.

The committee did not identify any statutory cross-references during the discussion. The measure will next appear on the Rules calendar.","The Georgia Senate Rules Committee voted Feb. 28 to advance Senate Bill 64, which would bar state and local governments from purchasing drones and certain technology equipment from companies owned by the government of China; a substitute moved the compliance deadline from 2026 to 2029.",{"_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},6304154,"Votes at a glance: Actions taken Feb. 28 by the Georgia Senate Rules Committee",1869,1679000,3548000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2468841-3693873e83db6bd6e1db929dbc9d9fcc&start=1679&end=3548","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2468841-3693873e83db6bd6e1db929dbc9d9fcc/thumbnail_1679000.jpg","/articles/6304154/Georgia/Votes-at-a-glance-Actions-taken-Feb-28-by-the-Georgia-Senate-Rules-Committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304154-5dbd150e34fd94a1ae4fbd636e9d9e51/orig.mp4?Expires=1773639559&Signature=SztOKYo7qlD~6~~ADTm1PQV9H3wheuevnP000NsIcWL9Ck1wpzBFsgVygvP8SvQQS2-t7jblEAUXpHdyl03q8V3i-alWqxIm9KdmNuCSMBTlvypXAQh888FsAJr~MVbOkHS~6dOMKi6iAHK8R4~gh-GCwLwPYIVoniWsFCgODAf6VEKK6IziCieU-LARXnCLt4UXXJaQCPmW1oD5YeJACpvVMXhakGKhKFweoJM4hBApTI1UBofQZ3vXserbyQeNHnJxZa2bfhrunRUxYGmtikHmd2H~Pz0I4arluMSoAAV6AmpETXduvjQ5kKJRm-rroXLGqUmlcLU9pdm298obYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Rules standing committee took a number of procedural votes Feb. 28 to advance bills and resolutions to the Rules calendar or to record committee action. The transcript records the motions and movers but does not always supply numeric roll-call tallies; when a numerical count was not stated the committee reported outcomes by voice and the chairman announced results.

Summary of formal actions recorded in committee:

- Senate Bill 64 (committee substitute LC550577S): Motion to do pass by Senator Albers; second Senator Anabotarte. Committee recorded the motion as carrying unanimously and sent the substitute to the Rules calendar. (See committee discussion on procurement and a change in compliance date from 2026 to 2029.)

- Senate Bill 162 (committee substitute LC52013S): Motion to do pass by Vice Chairman Senator Watson; seconded by Senator Anderson. Committee recorded the motion as carrying unanimously and sent the substitute to Rules.

- Senate Bill 242 (LC501142): Motion to pass by the vice chairman; second by Senator Albers. Committee recorded one “no” vote during the voice vote and moved the bill to Rules.

- Senate Bill 255 (LC473461): Motion to do pass by Senator Beach; seconded by the vice chairman. Committee recorded the motion as carrying unanimously and sent it to Rules.

- Senate Resolution 148 (SR148): Motion to pass from sponsor; second by Senator Walker. Committee recorded the motion as carrying unanimously and advanced the resolution.

- Senate Resolution 246 (SR246): Motion to pass from sponsor. The committee recorded the motion as carried with three recorded no votes (the transcript records “3 noes”); the resolution was advanced to Rules.

- Senate Resolution 309 (SR309 / LC339811S): Motion to do pass committee substitute by Senator Albers; seconded by Senator Ginn. Committee advanced the substitute to Rules (numerical tally not specified in transcript).

- Consideration calendar selections: The committee selected a group of bills for the consideration calendar (the transcript lists 16 bills, including SB20, SB29, SB30, SB31, SB46, SB51, SB55, SB56, SB74, SB85, SB111, SB139, SB151, SB175, SB185, SB195). A motion to pass that slate to the calendar was made and recorded as passing unanimously.

Where the transcript did not provide a roll‑call or numeric tally, the chairman used voice vote responses and announced the outcome (unanimous or recorded no votes). The committee did not provide detailed roll‑call records for every motion in the transcript provided here.","The Rules committee recorded several committee actions Feb. 28, advancing a set of bills and resolutions to the Rules calendar and approving committee substitutes for multiple items. This roundup lists motions, movers, and the committee outcome as recorded in the transcript.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Rules committee debates HB92 homestead and sales‑tax changes, including opt‑out/rescission provisions; no final vote

Committee advances amendment to require two‑thirds legislative vote for new special‑interest tax credits

Senate committee advances ban on state, local purchases of drones and tech from Chinese‑owned firms

Votes at a glance: Actions taken Feb. 28 by the Georgia Senate Rules Committee