Georgia House special committee adopts rules to begin study of statewide resource management

The Georgia House Special Committee on Resource Management adopted its rules by voice vote during a brief meeting, enabling the panel to begin work on statewide resource management policy.

The committee is a temporary, study-focused body charged with “looking to see what the future has to hold and setting a policy for that,” members said. The group’s stated aim is to examine resource management across the state and develop policy guidance for the coming years.

Chairman Chaz Cannon, House District 172, opened the meeting and members introduced themselves. State Representative Teddy Rees (House District 140) described his district as centered on Columbus’s downtown and the Chattahoochee River. Representative Carla Drenner (House District 85) said she represents central DeKalb, including Avondale Estates, Clarkston and Tucker. Ron Stevens identified himself as representing Savannah and parts of Chatham and Bryan counties. Victor Anderson said he represents District 10, covering most of Habersham County and all of Rabun County. Representative David Huddleston (House District 72) was recognized to give the opening prayer. Don Parsons identified his district as part of north-central Cobb County and parts of south Cherokee County.

In his prayer, Representative David Huddleston said, “Let us pray. Heavenly father, just thank this day. Just thank for the great things you do, lord, and just allow us to be your example each and every day.”

Members described the panel as a temporary “study committee plus.” One member said the committee intends to “spend some time actually digging in to where we are here, as a state and, then figure out what we need to do to get to where where the future is gonna guide us,” and later described that horizon as the next “teen years.”

A motion to adopt the committee’s rules was made, seconded and approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript. The chair announced, “Motion passes,” and the committee adjourned to allow members to attend a 9:30 session in the chamber.

The meeting produced no formal votes on policy, budgets, contracts or legislation beyond the procedural adoption of rules. The committee’s future meeting schedule and specific study plan were not specified in the transcript.