Senate rules panel advances enterprise-zone bill after governor's office opposes five-year sunset

A Georgia Senate Rules subcommittee moved House Bill 11 29 forward after testimony from the governor's policy office arguing that a five-year sunset would undercut economic development.

Calvin Sorby, deputy director of policy for the governor's office, told the committee the bill previously carried an amendment in Senate Finance that would impose a sunset. "These enterprise zones take longer than five years to get established and identified," Sorby said, arguing a short sunset "would prohibit any economic development from taking place." The rule sub's version removed that amendment, Sorby said.

Committee members raised questions about guardrails and whether a limited-term sunset could protect against unintended consequences while still allowing projects time to form. A Senate member noted that some bonds associated with enterprise zones can run for 30 years and argued for a longer minimum period if a sunset is required.

The committee approved the bill by substitute on a voice/hand vote after a motion from the president pro tem and a second; the chair recorded counts of 9 in favor and 5 opposed before declaring the motion carried. The chair announced the vote as "motion carries."

Next steps: The bill will proceed according to the committee's procedures; the committee did not set a further deadline on the record during the meeting.

(Reporting from the meeting: Calvin Sorby addressed the committee; vote tallies were recorded by hand count and announced by the chair.)