Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart was mortally wounded on May 11, 1864 at the Battle of Yellow Tavern, near Richmond.
On May 11, 2011, Newt Gingrich announced via Twitter that he would run for President. Two days later, I caught up with Newt at Fincher’s Barbecue in Macon for a brief interview the day he was scheduled to speak to the Georgia Republican Party State Convention.
Happy Birthday to Minnesota, which became a state on May 11, 1858. Y’all talk funny.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
You may want to gas up your car. The shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline that supplies much of the east coast, has created local shortages. From the Valdosta Daily Times:
Gasoline prices in Valdosta climbed during the last week, while AAA warns supplies may be tight in Georgia following a cyberattack on oil infrastructure.
AAA forecasts gas prices to climb this week in reaction to the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, which delivers approximately 45% of all fuel to the East Coast. During the weekend, the Colonial Pipeline announced it was the victim of a cybersecurity attack and, as a precaution, shut down the pipeline, which runs from Texas to New York Harbor.
“This shutdown will have implications on both gasoline supply and prices, but the impact will vary regionally. Areas including Mississippi, Tennessee and the East Coast from Georgia into Delaware are most likely to experience limited fuel availability and price increases, as early as this week,” said Jeanette McGee, AAA spokesperson. “These states may see prices increase three to seven cents this week.”
“While average gas prices jumped last week as the nation continues to see COVID-19 recovery, all eyes are now on the Colonial Pipeline and the fact a cyberattack has completely shut all lines, leading to what could become a major challenge for fuel delivery,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “The situation is growing more intense each day that passes without the pipeline restarting, and motorists are advised to show extreme restraint or (they will) exacerbate and prolong the challenges.”
He said if the pipeline returns to service in the next day or two, the challenges will be minimal, but if a full restart doesn’t happen by then, “we’re likely to see a slight rise in gas prices, but more importantly, challenges for motorists needing fuel in Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Virginia, Northern Florida and surrounding areas.
“I’m hopeful the situation will quickly improve as multiple levels of government are involved. This may become a nightmare should it continue just ahead of the start of the summer driving season.”
The Memorial Day weekend, May 29-31, usually signals the start of the summer travel season. It is the beginning of the summer break for thousands of students in the Golden Isles.
From the Savannah Morning News:
According to a statement from the company that operates the conduit, Colonial Pipeline, the May 7 shutdown was caused by a cybersecurity attack called ransomware, where the perpetrator holds data hostage until a ransom is paid, often through means like cryptocurrency.
As a result, the major operator that delivers 45% of the East Coast’s gas, diesel and fuel, said they “proactively took certain systems offline to contain the threat. These actions temporarily halted all pipeline operations and affected some of our IT systems, which we are actively in the process of restoring.”
There’s no timeline for when operations will fully come online again.
Local operators are adjusting accordingly. Keith Harvin, vice president of Parker’s Energy, says gas station operators will “need to adjust their sourcing for fuel from the pipeline terminals to waterborne terminals,” which will lead to some complications in delivery and rising prices along the way.
“For those stations that can get their deliveries from the port terminal, it will come at a higher price because port supply is higher than pipeline and the extra freight charges will cause prices to be higher at the pump,” said Harvin in an email.
“Once that pipeline is running, the residual delivery impact may linger … it may take 15 to 18 days once they get back online just for the pipeline to pump the fuel from Texas up the East Coast,” said [AAA spokesperson Montrae] Waiters.
While we aren’t in a fuel shortage right now, restarting the Colonial Pipeline is critical.
According to energy analysts, if a partial restart of the pipeline begins by Wednesday, there will be no significant or lasting impacts.
If the shutdown lasts past Wednesday, spot shortages will start to take place in parts of the Southeast, and if the shutdown lasts into next week, we could see significant fuel shortages in the interior southeast of the United States.
I think the energy analysts cited in that last story failed to account for toilet paper shortage syndrome. There are currently localized shortages due in part to people filling their tanks.
Governor Kemp has temporarily suspended the state sales tax on auto fuel, according to 13WMAZ.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is suspending the state fuel tax in Georgia until Saturday, he announced Tuesday morning during a press conference for the 2022 budget signing.
In an effort to reduce the impact for drivers in the state, Gov. Kemp announced that he is temporarily eliminating the weight limit for trucks transporting fuel – providing more supply for stations as they receive deliveries.
He also signed an executive order that suspends the collection of state taxes on diesel and motor fuel through Saturday night.
“We are hopeful this issue is short-lived and I’m happy to provide some relief for Georgians who are gonna see higher prices this week,” Kemp said.
The order also prohibits price [gouging]. He said, “anyone taking advantage of this disruption and making a quick buck off the backs of Georgians will not be tolerated.”
“There is no need to fill up every tank that you have or hoard gasoline,” Kemp said. “Don’t do things you don’t need to do. Do what you need to and just use good common sense.”
The Republican said Tuesday that his order will “probably help level the price for a little while” though he urged Georgians to avoid a rush to the fuel pumps. State officials say it will amount to about 20 cents per gallon.
“We feel like this is very temporary,” he said before a statewide tour to tout his legislative agenda. “You don’t need to go out and fill out every five gallon tank you’ve got. Get what you need, let everybody else get what they need, get to work and do the things you need to do.”
Governor Kemp yesterday signed House Bill 479, which repeals the citizen’s arrest statute. From the press release:
Governor Kemp signed H.B. 479 to overhaul Georgia’s antiquated citizen’s arrest statute. The Governor was joined by a bipartisan group of legislators, advocacy organizations, and members of Ahmaud Arbery’s family.
“Today, I was proud to sign H.B. 479 to overhaul Georgia’s citizen’s arrest statute, while also protecting every Georgian’s sacred right to defend their person and property,” said Governor Kemp. “After the tragic killing of Ahmaud Arbery, we knew that action was needed to ensure an antiquated, Civil-War era statute could not be used to justify rogue vigilantism in the Peach State.”
“I want to thank former Rep. Bert Reeves – one of my administration’s floor leaders – and Senator Bill Cowsert for carrying the legislation and for their tireless efforts, and Speaker Ralston, Lt. Governor Duncan, and members of both chambers for their support. I also greatly appreciate the willingness of many Democrats to work with us to gain unanimous support in the Georgia House and overwhelming approval in the Georgia Senate.”
“There is no doubt we still have challenges to face together and we will not always agree on how best to get there. But I believe that Georgia will always meet the moment and do what is right.”
Wanda Cooper-Jones, the mother of Ahmaud Arbery, spoke Monday after Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 479, which says bystanders can no longer make an arrest in Georgia if a crime is committed in their presence.
“I think the signing of this bill will make people think before they take action into their own hands,” Cooper-Jones said. “Unfortunately we had to lose my son in this manner. Had this bill been in place, I think it will protect young men as they are jogging down the street.”
“This bill makes Georgia the first state in the country to repeal its citizen’s arrest statue,” Kemp, a Republican, said before signing the measure. “Today we are replacing this Civil War-era law, ripe for abuse, with language that balances the sacred right of self-defense of person and property with our shared responsibility to root out injustice and set our state on a better path forward.”
Under the repeal bill, people who are mere bystanders or witnesses generally no longer have the right to detain people. Deadly force can’t be used to detain someone unless it’s in self-protection, protecting a home, or preventing a forcible felony. The changes retain Georgia’s “stand your ground” law, which says a person who is being threatened isn’t required to retreat.
It still allows business employees to detain people they believe stole something, and lets restaurant employees detain people who try to leave without paying for a meal. It also lets licensed security guards and private detectives detain people.
Someone who is detained must be released along with their personal belongings if a police officer or sheriff’s deputy doesn’t arrive within a reasonable time.
From the Dalton Daily Citizen News:
A prosecutor initially assigned to the Arbery case cited the 1863 citizen’s arrest law as justification for not seeking criminal charges against William Bryan, Gregory McMichael and his son Travis McMichael, three white men who chased Arbery after they believed he had committed a crime. Last month, a federal grand jury indicted Bryan and the McMichaels for federal hate crimes and kidnapping charges separate from the state murder charges they face.
“One year ago, a viral video shocked the world and sickened the hearts of so many in our state,” Kemp said. “Georgians and Americans in communities across the country watched in horror as the killing of Ahmaud Arbery was brought to light on our phones, screens and in TV broadcasts.”
Kemp signed the bill two days after what would have been Arbery’s 27th birthday while Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, stood by his side.
“I’m thankful, very thankful,” Cooper-Jones said of the new law. “I think the state of Georgia is moving in the right direction with passing this particular bill. Unfortunately, I had to lose my son to get significant change. But again, I’m still thankful.”
“I often think back to last year, on Ahmaud’s birthday we had just gotten the arrest of the McMichaels 24 hours prior,” Cooper-Jones said. “I looked at that as a birthday present to Ahmaud. I look at the signing of this bill today as also a birthday present to Ahmaud.”
From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News:
“Today, I am overwhelmingly thankful that Georgia has moved forward in repealing its citizen’s arrest statute,” said [State Rep. and co-sponsor Carl] Gilliard, [D-Savannah] who had authored previous bills seeking to repeal the citizen’s arrest statute. “I am reminded of more than 158 years of an outdated, antiquated law that was responsible for a racist past of 1863. This law that played a role in the unfair detainment and lynching of African Americans has shined a bright light for a new Georgia.”
Rep. Gilliard is working with lawmakers in other states, such as New York and South Carolina, to repeal similar citizen’s arrest statutes.
“Now, Georgia moves forward to become the state that is too busy to hate,” Gilliard said.
State Representative Carl Gilliard (D-Garden City) issued the following statement in response to the signing of the bill.
“Today, I am overwhelmingly thankful that Georgia has moved forward in repealing its citizen’s arrest statute. As the original sponsor of House Bills 1203 and 45, legislation which mirrors HB 479, I am reminded of more than 158 years of an outdated, antiquated law that was responsible for a racist past of 1863. This law that played a role in the unfair detainment and lynching of African Americans has shined a bright light for a new Georgia,” stated Rep. Gilliard. “Repealing Georgia’s citizen’s arrest statute is just the beginning. I am currently working with State Senator Michael Gianaris to repeal a similar law in New York and State Representative Wendell Gilliard to do the same in South Carolina. Now, Georgia moves forward to become the state that is too busy to hate.”
“I’m just elated that Georgia now has really become, for the moment, the symbol of the state that is too busy to hate,” Rep. Gilliard said.
Rep. Gilliard says one of the problems with the old law was that it gave people up to 48 hours to detain someone and hold them and that it was responsible for “a racist past.”
“48 hours was an excuse to be able to lynch African Americans. That’s what they were doing. They would hold you for that period and Lord knows what would happen,” Rep. Gilliard said.
“It will hopefully — hopefully — prevent citizens from trying to be the police,” Dublin Police Chief Tim Chatman said.
Chief Chatman says he welcomes the news of Governor Kemp signing House Bill 479. Chatman says officers are better trained to deescalate a situation and hopes this law will help keep people safe.
“This new law takes away anybody — a citizen — from arresting anybody, especially use of deadly force, that is off the table. It does not mean a citizen cannot use deadly for to protect themselves,” Chatman said.
No word on whether the CEOs of the soft drink manufacturer or the airline headquartered in Georgia supported or opposed that bill.
Governor Kemp also signed Senate Bill 201, which among other provisions, bars some County Tax Commissioners from collecting a supplement from cities for which they collect taxes. From the Gwinnett Daily Post:
The governor signed Senate Bill 201, which included an amendment added by state Rep. Chuck Efstration and state Sen. Nicki Merritt late in the 2021 legislative session to block tax commissioners for counties with more than 14 cities from using fees charged to cities that use her office for property tax billing to supplement their salaries.
Due to the language of the amendment, it only applies to Gwinnett and Fulton counties.
Earlier this year, Gwinnett County Commissioner Kirkland Carden raised concerns about a contract [Tax Commissioner Tiffany Porter]’s office had proposed to cities that use her office to do their tax billing. The cities had an agreement with Porter’s predecessor, Richard Steele, but that agreement expired when Steele left office at the end of 2020.
The proposed new contract would have had the Tax Commissioner’s Office charging the cities $1.80 per tax parcel, which would go to the county, as well as $2 per parcel, which would go to Porter. Critics had claimed that $2 per parcel fee would have created a supplement of of about $110,000 for Porter’s salary.
Governor Kemp signed the $27.2 billion dollar state budget for Fiscal Year 2022, according to the AJC.
Kemp will hold press conferences in Atlanta, Columbus, Valdosta and Augusta Tuesday to discuss the spending plan for fiscal 2022, which begins July 1.
“Like so many Georgians at their own kitchen tables during the COVID-19 crisis, we all worked together,” Kemp said. “We planned for the unknown and made tough decisions in tough times.
“As a result of that work, the budget I signed … puts Georgia on the path to a safer, brighter, and more prosperous future.”
The General Assembly in June 2020 cut the budget by 10% because it feared tax collections would plummet. That didn’t happen: Tax collections have improved with Georgia’s economy, so much so that the state will likely see a hefty surplus when its fiscal year ends June 30.
The state is also receiving $4.7 billion or so from the latest federal COVID-19 relief plan.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, noted in March that Georgia schools are getting about $6 billion from the federal COVID-19 relief bills, more than enough to make up for past state funding cuts. Including the federal relief money, Tillery said, schools will have far more money to spend next year than they did before the COVID-19 spending cuts.
From the Associated Press via AccessWDUN:
the Republican governor is telling agencies not to increase salaries for some state troopers and game wardens by creating new ranks, saying it would create inequity with other law enforcement personnel.
The plan spends $27.3 billion in state money and $22.5 billion in federal and other money in the year starting July 1, for total spending of nearly $50 billion.
Lawmakers set aside $977,000 for the Department of Public Safety and $120,000 for the Department of Natural Resources to create new ranks for long-serving state troopers and game wardens, allowing officers who have reached the top of their pay scales to get a raise. The money is intended to keep officers from jumping to other agencies that pay better. Kemp, though, instructed agencies not to follow language he considered nonbinding.
“Retention for all public safety employees is a priority of the legislature and my administration,” the governor wrote. “However, the creation of new job classes may cause unintended disparities between agencies.”
Kemp instead told the agencies to spend the money to increase employee retention within the existing pay structure. It wasn’t immediately clear what that would mean.
The budget includes some key Kemp initiatives, including plans to spend $40 million on a rural innovation fund and $10 million to extend high-speed internet in rural areas.
The plan puts back $58.9 million in cuts that were made last year in the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Georgia’s main mental health agency, restoring funding for addiction treatment and creating a new behavioral crisis unit for those with developmental disabilities. It also increases payments for some mental health providers.
But Kemp told the department to disregard lawmakers’ instructions to spend $300,000 on facility upkeep, instead telling the agency to maintain, repair and dispose of facilities that are now vacant because the department’s patient census has fallen.
The state will increase payment rates to nursing homes by $90 million, saying nursing providers have been hit hard by the pandemic and need financial relief.
Legislation allowing the sale of mixed drinks to go has some requirement along with it, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
A new law allows people to order mixed drinks to go when ordering an entrée at a local restaurant. The law limits when the drinks can be consumed, however, and how they must be transported.
The bill, S.B. 236, passed both the Georgia Senate and House with bipartisan support and was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on May 5 in Athens.
Senate Bill 236 allows food service establishments with an alcohol license to sell two mixed drinks per entrée ordered for off-premises consumption. Meaning you can buy an entrée at your local restaurant and order two mixed drinks to go, but they must be sold in sealed containers and you can’t drink them while driving.
The law requires each container to have no openings or straw holes and be sealed in a way that it is “visibly apparent” if the container has been opened or tampered with. Each business will also have to make sure each container has a label or marking that identifies where the mixed drink was prepared.
The mixed drink can’t have more than 3 ounces of distilled spirits and must be accompanied by a food order.
If transported using a vehicle, the mixed drinks must be in their original sealed container and must be placed either in the glove compartment, a locked trunk or the area behind the last upright seat in a vehicle that does not have a trunk.
Robert Sherman, Augusta Planning and Development director, said local governments have to wait for guidance, rules and regulations from the state’s Department of Revenue before they can notify local restaurants about how the law works.
“Even though it has been signed, it hasn’t been passed down to local governments yet for implementation because we don’t know how to because they haven’t told us what the rules are,” Sherman said.
Gov. Kemp vetoed Senate Bill 156, which would have created a new Chief Labor Officer for the state, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Gwinnett Daily Post.
In his veto message, Kemp wrote that the powers the bill would have given the new position would have put it in conflict with the constitutional authority of Georgia’s elected commissioner of labor.
Senate Bill 156, a bipartisan measure, arose from a backlog of unemployment claims that built up in the labor department during the coronavirus pandemic. For months, lawmakers were deluged with complaints from constituents reporting delays in receiving benefit checks and the lack of response from the agency when they call to ask about their cases.
The bill cleared the General Assembly on the last day of this year’s session, 142-22 in the Georgia House of Representatives and 29-20 in the state Senate.
Under the legislation, the chief labor officer was to report to the General Assembly and be given the same authority as the commissioner of labor.
Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler (R-Carrollton) said he’s considering ending the federal unemployment supplement, according to WTOC.
Georgia’s labor commissioner says he’s considering cutting federal benefits to workers in an effort to push them back to work.
Butler and Gov. Brian Kemp met Monday and discussed possibilities such as cutting the $300-a-week federal supplement to unemployed workers or cutting off federal benefits to people not usually eligible for state unemployment.
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce and a number of other business groups have called for suspending the benefits, citing a labor shortage.
The weekly subsidy is discouraging unemployed people from looking for work at a time when some businesses are desperate for employees, according to the organizations, which include the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Farm Bureau and the Georgia Association of Manufacturers. The groups want Gov. Brian Kemp and Labor Commissioner Mark Butler to redirect the federal funding to a program that would offer bonuses to Georgians who accept jobs or to other back-to-work initiatives.
In an op-ed circulated Monday, the business groups said that many companies have raised wages and offered incentives, flexibility and benefits, but still are struggling to find workers. Because of that, some are “starting to turn down orders, raise prices and some are even considering closing permanently,” they wrote.
The organizations want the state to use existing federal funds to bolster child care options for workers and to support technical colleges that administer career retraining and certification programs. They’re also urging the state to resume its pre-COVID requirement that, in order to receive unemployment benefits, people must prove they are actively seeking work. Butler recently said he plans to do so in “the next few months.”
Monday, Kemp indicated he was open to the possibility of slashing jobless benefits. A spokeswoman said the governor and Butler met and “agreed changes are needed.”
In Georgia, jobless claims are down 27% from a month ago. The state Department of Labor’s jobs site had more than 251,600 listings late Monday.
I note that the Georgia Chamber of Commerce will not be on the ballot in 2022. Consider whether following Alabama’s example is a good way to proceed.
State Sen. Bruce Thompson, a Republican challenging Butler, said there’s “clearly reason to be frustrated” with the glut of jobless benefits waiting to be processed, but that he supported Kemp’s veto of the measure.
“Changing the leadership is the appropriate action to fix this broken agency,” he said.
State Sen. Lester Jackson, one of several Democrats running for the seat, said the mere fact that the legislation reached Kemp’s desk showed a “lack of confidence” in Butler’s leadership.
From another story in the AJC:
State Sen. Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, also called on Kemp to end the benefits through an executive order and, if necessary, a special legislative session later this summer.
“This is a pivotal moment in our state and immediate, bold action is required,” wrote Gooch, one of the top Republicans in the state Senate.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr (R) announced he will run for reelection in 2022, according to the Associated Press via AccessWDUN.
The 49-year-old Republican pledged to work with police to reduce crime and to fight against initiatives by President Joe Biden’s administration that he sees as infringements on personal freedoms and Georgia’s rights.
“I am proud of our results in going after criminals who prey on our most vulnerable with human trafficking, gang activity, scams, and elder abuse,” Carr said in a statement. “I took an oath to uphold our laws and that is exactly what I have done.”
Carr had been rumored to be considering a bid for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in 2022.
Two Democrats have already declared their campaigns to unseat Carr — 2018 Democratic nominee Charlie Bailey and state Sen. Jen Jordan of Sandy Springs.
Carr touts the creation of a human trafficking prosecution unit in his office, saying it has resulted in 17 arrests. He said he’s worked to fight gangs and reduce opioid abuse. He’s also joined lawsuits to overturn the Biden administration’s moratorium on oil and gas drilling permits on federal lands and to attack efforts to attach a higher value to carbon pollution.
Gwinnett County will receive nearly $181.9 million dollars in COVID-relief funding from the feds, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Gwinnett County will get about $181.85 million in coronavirus recovery funds from the federal government, the U.S. Treasure Department announced Monday.
The funding is part of $350 billion in emergency funding for local, state, territorial and tribal governments that was included in the American Rescue Act of 2021. The Treasury Department released the funding this week to help various levels f government address pandemic response needs, including helping communities and population groups hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In all, $4.85 billion in funds was allocated to Georgia under the American Recovery Act. The funds are intended to help governments support households, small businesses, industries, essential workers and other parts of the community hard hit by the pandemic.
Columbus Council is expected to vote today on an anti-discrimination resolution, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
The resolution highlights existing protections within city government, and states the council will protect the city’s residents regardless of a person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, familial status and veteran status.
If the resolution passes during the 9 a.m. Tuesday meeting, councilors would then vote on a nondiscrimination ordinance outlining dispute resolution and enforcement before August 31, said District 8 Councilor Walker Garrett, who proposed both measures.
All of these classes are protected by the federal government, but the local ordinance would provide another layer and would make it easier for those alleging discrimination to get a solution, Garrett said.
“It’s an ordinance that protects everyone,” he said. “This is a way for us to make a statement locally that we are an open and inclusive city.”
Under the drafted ordinance, a five-member committee would review and investigate complaints filed by residents to the Clerk of Council. Three of the committee’s members would be nominated by the Columbus Council, and two would be nominated by the mayor. The council would confirm all selections.
Religious associations that employ workers to conduct religious activities and employers “who (observe) the conditions of a bona fide affirmative action plan or a bona fide merit system” would be exempt from the ordinance. Nothing in the ordinance requires a business to hire someone unqualified for a position.
If Tuesday’s resolution passes, Garrett said the council will continue to study and adjust the enforcement process based on community feedback before the vote later this year.
Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz proposed an FY2022 budget with more spending, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
The budget is not final, but does offer a look at how Athens Clarke-County plans to allocate funds in the next fiscal year.
With the 2022 budget year set to begin July 1 commissioners will adopt the final budget June 1, which could include changes to the mayor’s recommendations. There will be three opportunities for public comment.
The budget proposed by Girtz shows an increase in revenue, due in part to the American Rescue Plan, a federal aid package to help weather the COVID-19 pandemic. Even without the aid, Athens-Clarke expects increased revenue from taxes, fines and other sources.
Overall, revenue has increased by $7.5 million from the last budget year, which mirrors the proposed increases in spending.
All but one local government area will see an increase in funding under Girtz’s budget plan. Cultural and recreation funding would decrease by 0.4%, or $35,347.
Augusta released information on the search for a new fire chief after failing to abide by the Georgia Open Records Act, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
The city’s refusal to release information about anyone besides top pick Antonio Burden forced the newspaper and three other media outlets to file suit under Georgia’s Open Records Act to obtain the documents. Superior Court Judge Jesse Stone readily agreed the public had the right to know.
Retired educator Julian Hall is one of six candidates for Dougherty County Board of Education in the June 15 Special Election to fill a vacancy, according to the Albany Herald.
Hall, who retired from the school system in 2016 after working seven years as a professional and later as the supervisor of an after-school program, is one of six candidates seeking election to the School Board to fill the unexpired term in District 2 of long-time board member Milton “June Bug” Griffin.
Griffin died in February, and his term would have extended until Dec. 31, 2022. The special election will be held on June 15.
Hall County placed a moratorium on new applications for commercial dog kennels and agri-entertainment businesses, according to AccessWDUN.
In a special called meeting Monday afternoon the Hall County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to impose a moratorium on applications for commercial dog kennels and agri-entertainment businesses.
Over the next ninety days the Hall County Department of Planning and Development will conduct a study of appropriate regulations concerning those enterprises and report back to the Board of Commissioners on August 9, 2021, with its findings and recommendations.
Hall County Attorney Van Stephens presented the resolution to commissioners, saying, “It’s been well over a decade since we looked at commercial kennels and what would be appropriate for those. The resolution would authorize that study.”
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