The General Assembly has had an active week with four legislative days and a number of bills moving through the committee process. The 56 members of the State Senate have filed 495 bills to date and 488 resolutions. The House, with 180 members, has seen 1315 bills filed so far in addition to 756 resolutions. As we move closer to Crossover Day (March 15th) the pace will continue to pick up in terms of both the number of bills filed and the amount of legislation working through the process.

Notable action this week includes expected passage of the Supplemental Budget for FY22 in the House today. The Supplemental budget includes significant investments in education including a $2000 pay raise for teachers. That bill will now go to the Senate for additional committee work and passage.

The FY23 budget is being worked on in the House Appropriations Committee and is expected to come to the floor in the next few weeks.

Sen. John Albers to Hold Press Conference Supporting Georgia INFORM Act

The sponsor of the Georgia Inform Act (SB 332), Sen. John Albers, is planning a press conference for next Tuesday to continue the public information campaign on organized retail crime (ORC) and how SB 332 helps protect consumers in the state. Georgia Retailers will be involved in the press conference to support the efforts and continue the momentum to pass this important legislation. The bill has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee and Georgia Retailers and its members have been busy educating members of the committee. The response to the bill has been positive and a committee hearing is expected once the committee works through some more House bills.

LEGISLATIVE SCHEDULE
The General Assembly has now completed 15 Legislative Days of the 40 Day Session.
Next week’s schedule is as follows:

• Monday-Legislative Day 16
• Tuesday – Legislative Day 17
• Wednesday – Committee Work Day
• Thursday – Legislative Day 18
• Friday – Out of Session

The General Assembly returned to action this week following budget hearings for the members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to hear directly from agency heads on the Governor’s proposed budget. 

Notable action this week included a number of hearings and some floor votes on legislation creating new cities as well as an extended Adjournment Resolution which provides a calendar for the rest of the Session. The last day of Session, traditionally known as Sine Die, will take place on Monday, April 4th. The resolution laying out which days the General Assembly will be in session can be found here.

Georgia INFORM Act Receives Unanimous Yes Vote in Senate
The Georgia State Senate sent a strong message regarding the importance of deterring organized retail crime by passing SB 332 with a unanimous vote of 51-0 on Tuesday. The GA INFORM Consumers Act, sponsored by Sen. John Albers, will take away the anonymity that high volume sellers of unused items enjoy on some online marketplaces today. This change will help law enforcement keep tabs on groups that are using the online marketplaces to sell stolen goods as well as provide consumers with more information about who they are actually buying their products from when they shop online.

SB 332 now moves to the House of Representatives. Members of the GA Retailershave already begun reaching out to House members to educate them on the legislation and why it is needed.

Computer Data Privacy Bill Under Evaluation Georgia Retailers 

The General Assembly kicked off its first week of the 2022 Session with a very quiet Monday as many of the legislators were headed to Indianapolis for the National Championship game between the University of Georgia and Alabama. A Dawgs victory had almost everyone in very high spirits the rest of this week as the Legislature started its work by inviting Governor Kemp to address a joint session of the House and Senate on Thursday.

Governor Kemp laid out his priorities for the year in his State of the State speech. Education, healthcare and public safety were the primary focus of the Governor’s agenda for 2022. Given the excellent fiscal health of the state, the Governor stated he would include both a tax cut for all Georgians ($250 for single filers and $500 for joint filers) as well as a significant raise for teachers and other state employees and eliminating all austerity cuts to the state K-12 education budget for the first time since the Great Recession in next year’s budget.

Other investments included funding for programs to increase the number of physicians serving in rural areas, expanding the number of nursing slots in public universities and providing the GA Bureau of Investigation with new equipment for the state crime lab.

Speaker David Ralston made his priorities clear during a speech at the annual GA Chamber Eggs and Issues Breakfast Wednesday morning. Chief among them will be a package to address shortcomings in the mental health system in Georgia.

Lt. Governor Duncan also addressed the Chamber breakfast and discussed his desire to hold a national conversation on restoring civility to the political discourse in America.

INFORM CONSUMERS ACT FILED
SB 332 by Sen. John Albers, the Inform Consumers Act, was filed this week. The act will require internet marketplaces to provide more information to consumers about who they are buying from when they make purchases online from high-volume sellers. It is based on the federal legislation that was introduced in Congress late last year. Co-sponsors of the bill include nearly every member of the Senate Majority and Minority leadership.

The bill has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.

LEGISLATIVE SCHEDULE
Today is Day 4 of the 40 Day Session. Next week will have no legislative days as the House and Senate Appropriations’ Committees hold joint hearings on the Governor’s budget. The current schedule calls for Days 5-7 to be held Monday through Wednesday of the following week at which point a new adjournment resolution to set the calendar will need to be adopted.

Earlier today, State Senator Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming) filed SB 394 entitled “The Georgia Computer Data Privacy Act”. It is extremely notable that almost every Republican member of the Senate has signed on as a co-sponsor. We are still reviewing the details of the bill, but early indications are that it largely mirrors some of the more imposing proposals that have been seen in other states and includes a private right of action.

Much more to come as we analyze the bill and determine the potential impact on Georgia’s retail industry.

SB 332, the Georgia INFORM Act, was heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee this afternoon where it received a unanimous Do Pass recommendation. The bill was presented by the sponsor, Senator John Albers (R-Roswell). Sen. Albers explained the need for the bill and then gave the committee a section-by-section description of the legislation. Sen. Albers noted that the bill was “98% the same” as the bipartisan federal INFORM Act currently making its way through Congress.

Georgia Retailers lobbyist Stephen Loftin led off testimony by noting the importance of the Organized Retail Crime bill passed by the General Assembly last year, and how the INFORM Act will work alongside that law to provide investigators and prosecutors more tools to track the fencing of stolen goods through online marketplaces. He also noted the importance of the consumer protections included in the bill such as the requirement that high volume sellers of new products provide a way for the consumer to directly contact the online retailer through an app or other electronic method once the sale is complete.

Representatives from Home Depot, Walgreens, Walmart and the Georgia Food Industry Association also spoke in support of the bill and highlighted the work the industry is doing to deter retail theft in their stores and the risk to consumers, particularly when consumable goods are stolen and sold anonymously to unknowing consumers. Amazon and eBay asked for changes in the legislation to include doubling the amount of time for an online retailer to share its information, but no changes were adopted.

SB 332 now moves to the Senate Rules Committee which will determine when the bill receives a vote by the full State Senate. Following that, the legislation will go the House of Representatives.

Today, Georgia Retailers announced the addition of Stephen Loftin to its lobby team for the 2022 Legislative Session. Loftin has 26 years of experience successfully representing the business community in Georgia having served in government affairs capacities with organizations such as the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Business Coalition, and the Georgia Cable Association before opening Loftin Public Affairs in 2019.

“I am excited for the opportunity to represent an organization that is as respected as Georgia Retailers,” said Loftin “I look forward to working with members and our partners to continue to protect and enhance Georgia’s retail industry.”

Loftin has championed numerous legislative and regulatory initiatives on behalf of clients which have resulted in cost savings and better operating environments for the business community. He will work alongside members and state officials to lead the association’s strategic initiatives and advocate for sound policy on behalf of Georgia’s retail industry.

Stephen Loftin began his career in 1994 as an aide to the Senate Minority Caucus and worked his way through the ranks amassing legislative victories on issues related to natural gas, telecommunications, tax policy, transportation and education.

For Stephen’s Bio click here.

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Georgia Retailers’ Executive Director Kyle Jackson. Kyle passed away unexpectedly on December 9th. While he had only recently joined the GR team, Kyle had hit the ground running and had already been in touch with many of you.

A graduate of Ohio State University, Kyle was a seasoned association manager, lobbyist and political strategist. He was excited about representing Georgia’s retailers and had a lot to offer our organization. Kyle leaves behind two young children-his son and daughter.

Please keep his family in your thoughts during the coming days and weeks as they mourn the loss of a son, father, and dear friend.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 10, 2021
CONTACT: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (614) 795-3177

Atlanta, GA – This week, the Georgia Retailers announced Kyle Jackson as their new executive director, effective immediately. Jackson joins Georgia Retailers from UnitedHealth Group, where he previously served as Vice President of External Affairs for Georgia and Alabama. 

Jackson brings a wealth of experience in government relations and grassroots advocacy with specialized expertise in association management, political fundraising and strategy.

“I am excited to join the Georgia Retailers team and advocate on behalf of the 120,000 retailers in the state," said Kyle Jackson. "We will work together with the Georgia Legislature and our partners to provide a strong voice for the retail industry. I look forward to continuing to grow our association and serve the state of Georgia."

With over a decade of experience in Georgia's business industry, Jackson will work alongside state and federal officials to target key issues in the retail sector and lead the organization’s strategic initiatives. In addition to advocating for the retail sector and good policy, Jackson will also manage the organization's political action committee.

Jackson has been involved with the Georgia retail industry since 2009 when he joined the South region team of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). His prior positions included interim executive director of Georgians for Lawsuit Reform, vice president of state and political affairs for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Georgia state director of NFIB. 

Kyle Jackson has served the state in various positions and appointments over the years. He served on the Legislative Advisory panel for the Georgia Board of Workers' Compensation to help develop legislative reforms to workers' compensation statutes. 

He also served as a member of Attorney General Chris Carr's Opioid Taskforce, worked on Governor Nathan Deal's Health Insurance Exchange Advisory Board and participated in Georgia Environmental Protection Division's Small Business Compliance Assistance Program.

Jackson is a graduate of Ohio State University, where he received two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and in Anthropology. 

ABOUT THE GEORGIA RETAILERS

Since 1961, the Georgia Retailers have been the premier statewide trade association representing retailers -- the businesses that sell directly to consumers. Georgia’s retailers provide over 888,000 jobs at over 120,000 retail establishments in the state, and pay more than $23 billion in wages annually. Georgia’s retailers collect and remit more than $6 billion in sales taxes for Georgia’s government each year.

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