Here is how the bills we were working on did ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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That's it!

The Georgia State legislative session is over! Sine Die*!

Thanks to your help, we were able to pass important legislation to protect our watershed.

We know we've been sending lots of emails about legislation, but we wanted to send one more to tell you what happened with the bills we worked on. 

Thank you for helping us with these accomplishments.

* Sine die is Latin for "without day" and means an adjournment without a specific date to reconvene.

 

Coal Ash

SB 123, a bill that raises the fee to dump toxic coal ash in lined landfills in our state, passed both the Senate and the House. It is on the governor's desk for signature.

HB 93, a bill that requires coal ash managers to notify local governments before they begin work, passed in the House but was not voted on by the Senate. It is now dead.

SB 384, a bill that prevents construction of a landfill within 3 miles of the Satilla River, passed in the Senate and was favorably reviewed by its House committee but it did not reach the floor for a vote. It is now dead.

Right to Farm

HB 545 reduced property rights protections for all Georgians and removed Right to Farm protections for Georgia’s Farmers.  Promoted by lobbyists for multinational meat corporations and insurance companies, the bill went through several variations, but ultimately failed to pass. Georgia’s long-standing Right to Farm laws and property rights remain protected.

Heritage preserves

HB 906, a bill that would allow the state of Georgia to sell up to 15 percent of land currently protected as a heritage preserve, passed the House but was met with considerable pushback in the Senate.

Lawmakers agreed to not vote on the bill and revisit the issue next year. 

Trust funds

HR 164 allows Georgians to vote to amend our state constitution to allow for the dedication of government collected fees. Since fees to fund tire dumps and hazardous waste cleanups were created in the 1990s, only about 40 percent of the collections (over $200 million to date) have been used to fund other parts of the state budget.

If you're interested in helping to ensure that Georgia votes a resounding YES to dedicating trust funds, please contact Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman.

Also, a Screven Co. Landfill victory!

The Screven County Board of Commissioners did not vote on a proposed regional landfill because Atlantic Waste management pulled its application request. ORK partnered with local individuals and grassroots organizations, including Screven County Citizens Against Regional Landfill, Inc., and the law firms of Stack and Associates and Noble Boykin. The collective effort, continued pressure and engagement in the legal process pressured Atlantic Waste to give up the fight.

 

Help ORK continue protecting our natural resources

 
 

Ogeechee Riverkeeper, Inc.
PO Box 16206  | Savannah, Georgia 31416-2906
(866) 942-6222 | info@ogeecheeriverkeeper.org

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