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Columbia County, GA

Bordering the Savannah River near Augusta, Columbia County has seen suburban growth and offers outdoor recreation. Evans is the de facto county seat.

Local News

Bills related to this county

HB 784

Columbia County; ad valorem tax for county purposes; provide homestead exemption

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to provide a homestead exemption from Columbia County ad valorem taxes for county purposes in the amount of $8,000.00 of the assessed value of the homestead for residents of that county; to provide for definitions; to specify the terms and conditions of the exemption and the procedures relating thereto; to provide for applicability; to provide for compliance with constitutional requirements; to provide for a referendum, effective dates, automatic repeal, mandatory execution of election, and judicial remedies regarding failure to comply; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Intragovernmental Coordination Senate Committee: State and Local Governmental Operations

Sponsors

Richardson, Gary (125th); Newton, Mark (127th); Clifton, Rob (131st); Leverett, Rob (123rd)

Status History

04/07/2025: House Sent to Governor; 03/28/2025: Senate Passed/Adopted; 03/28/2025: Senate Committee Favorably Reported; 03/27/2025: Senate Read and Referred; 03/25/2025: House Passed/Adopted; 03/25/2025: House Third Readers; 03/25/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported; 03/21/2025: House Second Readers; 03/20/2025: House First Readers; 03/18/2025: House Hopper

Votes

03/25/2025, House Vote #302, 170, 0, 6, 4; 03/28/2025, Senate Vote #313, 53, 0, 1, 2

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 454

Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund Act; enact

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 3 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to parks, historic areas, memorials, and recreation, so as to create the Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund and Vince Dooley Battlefield Trust Fund Program; to provide for a short title; to provide for definitions; to provide matching grants to organizations seeking to acquire property interests in certain battlefields; to provide for procedures, requirements, and limitations for such fund and program; to provide for application and review criteria; to provide for expenditure of funds; to provide for annual accounting; to require that any acquisition include a perpetual conservation easement placing restrictions on the use or development of the property or interest therein; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Game, Fish & Parks Senate Committee: Rules

Sponsors

Gaines, Houston (120th); Wiedower, Marcus (121st); Rhodes, Trey (124th); Ridley, Jason (6th); Richardson, Gary (125th); Crowe, Clint (118th)

Status History

04/08/2025: House Sent to Governor; 04/02/2025: Senate Passed/Adopted; 04/02/2025: Senate Third Read; 03/31/2025: Senate Committee Favorably Reported; 03/25/2025: Senate Recommitted; 03/21/2025: Senate Read Second Time; 03/20/2025: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 03/04/2025: Senate Read and Referred; 03/03/2025: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute; 03/03/2025: House Third Readers; 02/27/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 02/19/2025: House Second Readers; 02/18/2025: House First Readers; 02/13/2025: House Hopper

Votes

03/03/2025, House Vote #138, 157, 14, 4, 5; 04/02/2025, Senate Vote #388, 47, 0, 9, 0

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 318

Appeal and error; appeal of superior court decisions on zoning decisions of counties and municipal corporations; provide

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 6 of Title 5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to appellate practice, and Chapter 66 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to zoning procedures as pertaining to counties and municipal corporations, so as to provide for the appeal of superior court decisions on zoning decisions of counties and municipal corporations; to repeal provisions authorizing administrative officers to exercise zoning powers; to repeal provisions authorizing quasi-judicial boards and agencies to hear and render decisions on applications for special administrative permits and conditional permits; to revise definitions; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Governmental Affairs Senate Committee: N/A

Sponsors

Reeves, Matt (99th); Roberts, Shea (52nd); Leverett, Rob (123rd); Donatucci, Sandy (105th); Okoye, Gabe (102nd); Richardson, Gary (125th)

Status History

04/04/2025: House Withdrawn, Recommitted; 02/20/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported; 02/11/2025: House Second Readers; 02/10/2025: House First Readers; 02/06/2025: House Hopper

Votes

No votes

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 154

Emergency medical services; designate ambulance services as an essential service

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 11 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to emergency medical services, so as to designate ambulance services as an essential service in this state; to provide for statutory construction; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Health Senate Committee: Health and Human Services

Sponsors

Richardson, Gary (125th); Romman, Ruwa (97th); Clifton, Rob (131st); Mathis, Danny (133rd); Anderson, Victor (10th); Gunter, Stan (8th)

Status History

04/02/2025: Senate Tabled; 03/25/2025: Senate Read Second Time; 03/21/2025: Senate Committee Favorably Reported; 03/06/2025: Senate Read and Referred; 03/04/2025: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute; 03/04/2025: House Third Readers; 02/20/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 01/30/2025: House Second Readers; 01/29/2025: House First Readers; 01/28/2025: House Hopper

Votes

03/04/2025, House Vote #149, 172, 0, 6, 2

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 77

Motor vehicles; encountering funeral procession on two-lane highway; revise responsibilities

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 4 of Chapter 6 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to right of way for operators of motor vehicles, so as to revise responsibilities of motor vehicle operators when encountering a funeral procession on a two-lane highway; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Motor Vehicles Senate Committee: Public Safety

Sponsors

Franklin, Lehman (160th); Yearta, Bill (152nd); Cameron, Mike (1st); Richardson, Gary (125th); Corbett, John (174th)

Status History

04/02/2025: Senate Tabled; 03/25/2025: Senate Read Second Time; 03/21/2025: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 03/06/2025: Senate Read and Referred; 03/04/2025: House Passed/Adopted; 03/04/2025: House Third Readers; 02/04/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported; 01/27/2025: House Second Readers; 01/17/2025: House First Readers; 01/16/2025: House Hopper

Votes

03/04/2025, House Vote #154, 171, 2, 4, 3

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 78

Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia; total percentage of funds invested in alternative investments; raise limit

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Article 7 of Chapter 20 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the “Public Retirement Systems Investment Authority Law,” so as to raise the limit for the total percentage of funds that the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia may invest in alternative investments; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Retirement Senate Committee: Retirement

Sponsors

Franklin, Lehman (160th); Carson, John (46th); Richardson, Gary (125th); Yearta, Bill (152nd); Cameron, Mike (1st)

Status History

05/01/2025: Act 63; 05/01/2025: House Date Signed by Governor; 04/08/2025: House Sent to Governor; 04/02/2025: Senate Passed/Adopted; 04/02/2025: Senate Third Read; 04/02/2025: Senate Taken from Table; 04/02/2025: Senate Tabled; 03/18/2025: Senate Read Second Time; 03/13/2025: Senate Committee Favorably Reported; 02/26/2025: Senate Read and Referred; 02/24/2025: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute; 02/24/2025: House Third Readers; 02/20/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 01/27/2025: House Second Readers; 01/17/2025: House First Readers; 01/16/2025: House Hopper

Votes

02/24/2025, House Vote #72, 161, 9, 2, 8; 04/02/2025, Senate Vote #427, 35, 18, 2, 1

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 58

Aviation; adoption of local ordinances, resolution, regulations, or policies that restrict the flight of unmanned aircraft systems over mass public gatherings; authorize

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 6 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to aviation, so as to authorize the adoption of local ordinances, resolutions, regulations, or policies that restrict the flight of unmanned aircraft systems over mass public gatherings; to provide for definitions; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Technology and Infrastructure Innovation Senate Committee: Transportation

Sponsors

Richardson, Gary (125th); Leverett, Rob (123rd); Thomas, Brad (21st); Clifton, Rob (131st); Crowe, Clint (118th); Newton, Mark (127th)

Status History

04/01/2025: Act 4; 04/01/2025: House Date Signed by Governor; 04/01/2025: House Sent to Governor; 03/31/2025: Senate Agreed House Amend or Sub; 03/27/2025: House Agreed Senate Amend or Sub As Amended; 03/21/2025: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute; 03/21/2025: Senate Third Read; 03/20/2025: Senate Read Second Time; 03/18/2025: Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 02/24/2025: Senate Read and Referred; 02/21/2025: House Passed/Adopted By Substitute; 02/21/2025: House Third Readers; 02/13/2025: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute; 01/16/2025: House Second Readers; 01/15/2025: House First Readers; 01/14/2025: House Hopper

Votes

02/21/2025, House Vote #60, 153, 4, 13, 10; 03/21/2025, Senate Vote #267, 53, 2, 0, 1; 03/27/2025, House Vote #328, 162, 1, 3, 14; 03/31/2025, Senate Vote #361, 12, 41, 2, 1; 03/31/2025, Senate Vote #362, 54, 0, 1, 1

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

HB 18

Dual Enrollment Act; residency requirement for eligible students; provide

Summary

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 20-2-161.3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Dual Enrollment Act, purpose, dual credit courses, eligibility for participation, and eligibility for payment, so as to provide for a residency requirement for eligible students; to provide for an effective date and for applicability; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committees

Committees House Committee: Higher Education Senate Committee: N/A

Sponsors

Sainz, Steven (180th); Petrea, Jesse (166th); Richardson, Gary (125th); Jasperse, Rick (11th); Gullett, Joseph (19th)

Status History

01/15/2025: House Second Readers; 01/14/2025: House First Readers; 01/13/2025: House Hopper

Votes

No votes

BONFIRE.news's Position

Yay or Nay

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