Critics point at timber industry for ‘misguided’ legislation
The Dunwoody Crier reports that Dunwoody and Sandy Springs find themselves fighting the state Capitol over a bill that challenges city building standards. They are specifically against House Bill 876, which would eliminate their local ordinances on the topic. The cities' codes require that buildings of more than three stories be constructed of steel and masonry instead of wood. Dunwoody's Terry Nall calls the legislation "misguided" and says its backers are in the deep pockets of the timber industry and low-quality developers.
Waste disposal fee could jump under bill
The industry-focused Waste Dive suggests that Georgia lawmakers may be planning to raise waste disposal fees that privately owned waste disposal facilities pay to local governments too much. Senate Bill 385, which has passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the House, would raise the disposal fee from $1 per ton, as it was set in 1992, to $3 a ton. The report says the proposed fee exceeds inflation by $1.20, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator. The National Waste and Recycling Association opposes the bill in the form that passed the state Senate but is actively working with the bill's sponsors to resolve what the organization sees as "outstanding issues," the article states.
Conservation measure marks lawmaker's first bill
The Gainesville Times reports that state Rep. Matt Dubnik, R-Gainesville, passed his first piece of legislation Wednesday, benefiting waterfowl and wetland conservation in Georgia. House Bill 784 would create a specialty license plate with the Ducks Unlimited logo and raise money for the state Department of Natural Resources' efforts at conserving and restoring wetlands. The paper reports that Dubnik actually passed another bill earlier this month, but it was a minor piece of legislation that the House leadership asked him to carry and didn't affect his district.
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