The following remarks were delivered by Representative Jeff Jones this Veteran's Day, November 11, 2019 on St. Simons Island.

Pictured from Left Commander Bennie Williams, Chairman of the Veterans Council of the Golden Isles ; Colonel Mike A. Adams, Chief of Staff, 3rd Infantry Division, US Army, Fort Stewart, GA, guest speaker at the Glynn County Veterans Day Celebration.

"Good morning everyone.

Each and every one of us here today is here for a singular purpose, to recognize and thank our veterans for their noble and selfless service to our country. To every veteran I offer my sincerest thanks for a job well done.

At last year’s Veterans Day ceremony, I quoted veteran Dan Crenshaw who is Texas’ 2nd Congressional District’s Republican Representative. Crenshaw a former Navy SEAL said “Certainly say, ‘Thanks for your service,’ but I would actually encourage you to say something else: Tell a veteran ‘never forget.’”
“When you say ‘never forget’ to a veteran, you are implying that as an American, you are in it with them, not separated by some imaginary barrier between civilians and veterans, but connected together as grateful fellow Americans.”

In that vein, I want to mention a way that we, as a community, can act on the “Never forget” promise in support of our vets.

Related: Veterans Honored at Ceremony - The Brunswick News

Photo Courtesy: NASA - NASA images show the polution impact Florence had on coast.

2019-2020 Legislative Agenda; February 22, 2019

NOTE:  This page will be updated as 2019-20 bill numbers are assigned. BOLD items are links to bills.

1. Coal Ash Pond Dewatering; require public notice prior to dewatering; 2019’s bill – HB93 and HB94. In 2018, voted out of House 169-3; passed out of Senate NR&E committee; Senate never brought bill for vote.
2. Coal Ash Solid Waste Landfill storage - minimum siting standards and prior public notice for new MSW coal ash storage; 2019’s bill –
3. By law, for non-citizens, change the design of GA Drivers Licenses these individuals are currently receiving from the Georgia Department of Driver Services. 2019’s bill – HB270 and HB400. There a two bills required to achieve this. GA DDS records, approx. 24,000 such licenses have been issued in GA; following Federal REAL ID ACT guidelines, propose issuing these individual a uniquely designed, vertically oriented driver’s license that will not be valid for Federal ID purposes.
4. Out of State Cash Wire Transfer Fees - collect a refundable fee for out-of-state cash wire transfers targeting drug dealers, gamblers, human traffickers and others who hide cash; $100 million annual projected net revenue, with no cost to Georgia taxpayers; 2018’s bill – HB66.
5. Georgia’s Open Meeting Act - define that “final” meeting agenda must be publicly posted one full week prior to the meeting; establishes provisions for adding additional last-minute agenda items; 2018’s bill – HB1040.
6. Teacher Out-of-Pocket School Supplies Tax Credit– change current tax deduction of $250 to a tax credit of $250; estimated impact of $25 million to Georgia budget; 2017’s bill – HB13
7. GA Oyster Mariculture - 2019’s bill – HB450 to promote growth of the commercial oyster mariculture industry (production, harvesting and distribution) emphasizing the safe delivery of oysters to consumers; currently, commercially sold oysters must be wild grown & harvested; change code/regulations/rules to allow farm grown oyster mariculture and to allow out-of-state importation of oyster seed; DNR Commissioner Mark Williams & Department of Ag Commissioner Gary Black, the UGA Marine Extension Service (MAREX) plus mariculture producers, seafood distributors and restaurants, and the environmental community, all fully support the initiative; legislation is currently being drafted.
8. State Owned Property in McIntosh & Long Counties; the large amount of acreage off tax roles adversely affects County and School District funding and results in significant loss of tax revenue; working to increase DNR budget to replace county’s lost revenue to replace lost local property tax revenue; working to redefine the “Equalization” formula which is used to rank GA counties by wealth and is used in state/federal school funding calculations.
9. Hwy 84 Road Naming for Ludowici Police Chief Frank McClelland