DARREL EALUM: House bills focus on road safety, farming

We have completed the fourth week of the General Assembly’s 2017 legislative session. After budget committee hearings, we passed a $24.3 billion Amended Fiscal Year 2017 budget. Due to our thriving Georgia economy and additional revenue from our 2015 Transportation Bill (House Bill 170), our amended budget was the strongest budget in the history of Georgia. We are set to pass an even stronger 2018 budget later in session.

In addition, we also received our committee assignments, and House Speaker David Ralston placed additional faith and confidence in me by increasing my assignments from three committees to five, which includes the Military Affairs Working Group and the Banks and Banking and Defense & Veterans Affairs committees. This week our committees and subcommittees began their earnest review and consideration of multiple bills about issues from across our state.

As we are always looking for ways to make our roadways safer, we in the House unanimously passed two bills concerning safety. These legislative measures keep our state in line with federal regulations. House Bill 38 defines the hazardous differences between three-wheeled vehicles controlled by a steering wheel and two-wheeled motorcycles controlled by handlebars. Up until this initiative, there were no state guidelines distinguishing motorcycles from three-wheeled vehicles like a Polaris Slingshot. This bill differentiates between the two types of vehicles and establishes the licensing requirements for drivers of three-wheeled vehicles to obtain a Class C noncommercial driver’s license, rather than the Class M motorcycle license.

This initiative brings the state of Georgia in line with federal safety standards, which have always considered three-wheeled vehicles with steering wheels as automobiles. House Bill 58 would update the reference date in Georgia law to the federal regulations regarding the safe operation of motor carriers and commercial motor vehicles. Current law refers to these federal regulations in place as of January 1, 2016. HB 58 would update the effective date to January 1, 2017.

Agriculture is Georgia’s oldest and largest industry. House Bill 49 will protect farmers from fraudulent practices that can occur during the selling and/or acquisition of livestock, especially through online dealers. Georgia law already requires livestock market operators and dealers to obtain licenses; however, these licenses have no expiration date and no fee association and make it impossible for the Department of Agriculture to track the number of licensed dealers in our state. As a result, a regulatory gap has been created, which oftentimes may allow Georgia farmers to be taken advantage of by dishonest dealers.

To remedy this wrong, HB 49 would require livestock dealers and auction operators to apply or renew their licenses with the Department of Agriculture every three years for a $25 fee. The Department of Agriculture would publish and maintain a list of verified dealers publicly on their website. If approved by the Senate and signed by Gov. Nathan Deal, the requirements of HB 49 will promote greater consistency and transparency within our agricultural industry, which generates over $71 billion annually to Georgia’s economy.

Notably, the House’s unanimous adoption of an adjournment resolution set the legislative calendar through the remainder of our 40-day session, and our final 2017 session day will be March 30.

While the House is considering many important issues at the Capitol in Atlanta, my thoughts and concerns are continually back at home. As many already know, last week, Gov. Deal extended our State of Emergency another 48 hours and allowed time for FEMA to get on the ground and become fully operational in Dougherty County. We now have FEMA support for individuals and for the public so our citizens and our local government will receive assistance.

There has been a wonderful show of leadership and community as we have collectively cleared and cleaned properties all across our city and county. Commissioner Jon Howard and Pastor Sam Sneed really took the initiative on the Eastside as we all got into the trenches and helped those suffering greatly from tremendous loss and devastation. Most impressive this past weekend was the Albany Benefit Relief Concert featuring Pastor John P. Kee, sponsored by Bishop D. G. Taylor and hosted by Dr. Daniel Simmons at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The church was filled, the crowd was exhilarated and everyone enjoyed a wonderful evening.

While significant help is still needed and there is much work to be done, I am indescribably proud of Albany and of us. We have proven we will not be beaten down; we will rise up together; we will become stronger; we will be more resilient than ever.

State Rep. Darrel Ealum, D-Albany, represents District 153. First elected to the House in 2014, he serves on the Banks & Banking, Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, and State Properties committees.