|
January
25, 2008
IN THIS ISSUE:
RETAIL DAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2008
SALES TAX HOLIDAY BILL FILED
YOUR POSITION NEEDED ON LEGISLATION
NEW HOUSE BILLS
NEW SENATE BILLS
"If you have been voting for politicians who promise to give
you goodies at someone else's expense, then you have no right to
complain when they take your money and give it to someone else,
including themselves." Thomas Sowell
Retail Day at the Capitol
Please plan to attend Retail Day at the Capitol which will be held
on Wednesday, February 17th from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Come visit
and eat lunch with your legislators; meet other retailers; and learn
of the issues that may affect your bottom line!
It is time for the retail community to stand and be counted!
Thank you.
Sales Tax Holiday Bill Filed
HB 948, Sales Tax Holidays, sponsored
by representatives Lynn Smith (R), 70th District, Jan Jones (R)
46th District, Penny Houston, (R), 170th District, Thunder Tumblin
(R), 38th District and Gloria Ramsey, (D) 72nd District, and Brooks
Coleman (R), 97th District, is the 2008 sales tax holidays bills.
The back-to-school sales tax holiday would be July 31st to August
3, 2008 and the Energy STAR sales tax holiday would be October 2,
2008 to October 5, 2008.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb948.htm
GRA has not yet taken a position on any legislation.
Please provide us with your input on the following bills.
New House Bills
HB 897, Tax Credit for Energy Efficient
Appliances, sponsored by Karla Drenner (D), 86th District, Tom
McCall, (R), 30th District, John Lunsford (R), 110th District, Stephanie
Stuckey Benfield (D), 85th District, and Michele Henson (D), 97th
District, would provide an individual tax credit for the purchase
price of certain energy efficient appliances:
Those
appliances are:
• Clothes washers determined by the United States Department
of Energy Appendix JI
with a tub volume greater than 2.0 cubic feet shall have a minimum
Modified Energy Factor (MEF) of 1.40 and a maximum Water Factor
(WF) of 9.50 gallons/cubic foot/cycle;
• Clothes washers with a tub of 2.0 cubic feet or less shall
have a minimum Modified Energy Factor (MEF) of 1.40 and a maximum
Water Factor (WF) of 10.25 gallons/cubic foot/cycle;
• Refrigerator/freezers having at least 15 percent lower energy
consumption than that allowed by the July 1, 2001, United States
Department of Energy standard for refrigerator/freezers;
• Freezers having at least 15 percent lower energy consumption
than that allowed by the July 1, 2001, United States Department
of Energy standard for freezers;
• Dishwashers having an Energy Factor of 0.58 cycles/kWh or
better; and
• Water heaters meeting the efficiency requirements as determined
by the Energy Factor established by the United States Department
of Energy
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb897.htm
HB 901, Parent Protection Act, sponsored by representatives Roger
Bruce (D), 64th District, Margaret Kaiser (D), 59th District, John
Lunsford (R), 110th District, Bill Hembree, (R), 67th District,
and Howard Mosby (D), 90th District, would require employers to
allow parents to use annual leave, personal leave, sick leave, compensatory
leave, or other similar leave to attend school conferences, medical
appointments of the employee or the employee´s family members,
or similar activities. This bill would require a 48 hour written
notice from the employee to the employer to utilize such leave.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb901.htm
HB 912, Limiting the Sale of Alcohol,
sponsored by representatives Mary Margaret Oliver (D), 83rd District,
Kevin Levitas (D), 82nd District, Ed Lindsey (R), 54th District,
Fran Millar (R), 79th District, and Don Wix (D), 33rd District,
would regulate the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on
the premises in any county or municipality to make it unlawful to
sell alcohol for consumption of the premises from 2:30 A.M. until
9:00 AM each day of the week and weekend.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb912.htm
HB 923, Providing for Two Insurance Choices,
sponsored by representatives Carl Rogers (R) 26th District, Ben
Harbin (R) 118th District, Mark Burkhalter (R) 50th District, and
Jay Shaw (D), 176th District would require insurers offering insurance
to small businesses (defined by the bill as from 1 to 99 employees)
to offer at least two choices of approved accident and sickness
insurance products to health insurance consumers. It would allow
insurers to impose up to 18 months´ preexisting condition
limitations upon any sole proprietor small group if such sole proprietor
cannot furnish evidence of prior creditable coverage from prior
group or individual health insurance coverage or prior employer
group self-funded coverage.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb923.htm
HB 940, Prohibiting Microchip Implantation,
sponsored by representatives Ed Setzler (R), 35th District, Barry
Loudermilk (R), 14th District and Tyrone Brooks (D), 63rd District
would make it a civil crime with a penalty of up to a $10,00 fine
to require a person to have a microchip implanted, other than on
a voluntary basis.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb940.htm
HB 946, Require High Efficient Plumbing
Fixtures, sponsored by Karla Drenner (D), 86th District, Tom
McCall, (R), 30th District, John Lunsford (R), 110th District, Stephanie
Stuckey Benfield (D), 85th District, and Michele Henson (D), 97th
District, would preclude the construction or sale of private and/or
commercial properties unless high efficient faucets, toilets, urinals
and shower heads were installed and would require replacing old
fixtures with high efficiency models.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb946.htm
HB 947, Income Tax Credit for Replacing
Plumbing Fixtures, sponsored by Karla Drenner (D), 86th District,
Tom McCall, (R), 30th District, John Lunsford (R), 110th District,
Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (D), 85th District, and Michele Henson
(D), 97th District, would make it a misdemeanor to install non-complying
fixtures and would require each manufacturer selling products in
Georgia to offer high-efficiency water closets and urinals in the
following amount:
Fifty percent in 2010
Sixty-seven percent in 2011
Seventy-five percent on 2012
Eighty-five percent in 2013
One hundred percent in 2014
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb947.htm
HB 948, Sales Tax Holidays, sponsored
by representatives Lynn Smith (R), 70th District, Jan Jones (R)
46th District, Penny Houston, (R), 170th District, Thunder Tumblin
(R), 38th District and Gloria Ramsey, (D) 72nd District, and Brooks
Coleman (R), 97th District, is the 2008 sales tax holidays bills.
The back-to-school sales tax holiday would be July 31st to August
3, 2008 and the Energy STAR sales tax holiday would be October 2,
2008 to October 5, 2008.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb948.htm
HB 952, Storage of Scrap Tires, sponsored
by Representative Virgil Fludd (D), 66th District, would institute
tighter controls of the storage of scrap automobile tires.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb952.htm
HB 956, Appeal of Zoning Judgments and
Rulings, sponsored by representatives Doug Holt (R), 112th District,
Wendell Willard (R), 49th District, Jay Roberts (R), 154th District,
and Terry England, (R), 108th District, would provide for direct
appeal of zoning decisions.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb956.htm
HB 973, Georgia Trauma Hospital Support
Act of 2008, sponsored by representatives Harry Geisinger (R),
48th District, Sharon Cooper (R) 41st District, Wendell Willard
(R), 49th District, Austin Scott (R), 153rd District and DuBose
Porter (D), 143 District, would add $1.00 per month for wireless
subscriber to fund trauma care.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb973.htm
HB 976, Premium Tax Exemption for High
Deductible Health Plan Premiums, sponsored by Tom Knox (R),
24th District, would allow a premium tax exemption for certain high
deductible health plans sold or maintained in connection with a
health savings account.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/sum/hb976.htm
HB 977, Tax Exemption for High Deductible
Health Plan Premiums, sponsored by Tom Knox (R), 24th District,
would allow an income tax exemption for certain high deductible
health plans sold or maintained in connection with a health savings
account.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/sum/hb977.htm
New Senate Bills
SB 338, Prohibiting Prior Authorization
for Prescriptions, sponsored by senators Jack Murphy, 27th District,
Lee Hawkins (R), 49th District, Don Thomas, (R) 54th District, Bill
Heath (R), 31st District, and Tommy Williams (R), 19th District,
would preclude the practice of prior authorization of prescriptions
by insurance carriers. Generally, this is done to require brand
name drugs rather than generic equivalents.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/sb338.htm
SB 351, State Water Plan, sponsored
by senators Bill Cowsert (R), 46th District, Ross Tolleson, (R),
20th District, John Bulloch (R), 11th District, Tommy Williams,
(R), 19th District, and Vance Smith (R), 52nd District, would provide
for a joint State-wide Water Planning Oversight Committee.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/sum/sb351.htm
SB 357, Direct Shipment of Wine,
sponsored by senators Rene Unterman (R), 45th District, Cecil Staton
(R), 18th District, Bill Cowsert, (R), 46th District, Seth Harp
(R), 29th District, and David Shafer (R), 50th District, would the
direct shipment of wine to Georgia residents as well as the collection
and submission of retail sales tax on such purchases.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/sb357.htm
SB 361, Credit File Freeze, sponsored
by senators Chip Rogers (R), 21st District, William Hamrick (R),
30th District, David Shafer (R), 48th District, Johnny Grant (R),
25th District, Greg Goggans (R), 7th District, Mitch Seabaugh (R)
28th District and Cecil Staton (R), 18th District is similar to
HB 130 passed by the House Banks and Banking Committee with the
exception that it does not address the amount of fees to be collected
by the credit bureaus.
The Senate bill provides for "Not more than $2,500 for a violation
or series of violations concerning a specific consumer; and not
more than $100,000 in aggregate for related violations concerning
more than one consumer," while the House version has a $100
penalty.
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/fulltext/sb361.htm
Thank you.
John C. Heavener, MSM, CAE
President
johnh@georgiaretail.org
Telephone – 770-484-3449, ext. 21
Fax – 770-484-5727
Georgia Retail Association
About GRA: The Georgia Retail Association, with
membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution
including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent
stores, and grocery stores has been serving the state’s business
community since 1961. The Georgia Retail Association represents
an industry with more than 71,300 retail establishments, and more
than 715,000 employees - about one in five of Georgia’s workers
- and 2004 sales of $115.2 billion.
Printer
Friendly CRR January 25, 2008
|
