Lawmakers face questions at legislative luncheon
May 23—VALDOSTA — Local officials and business leaders gathered at a legislative luncheon Wednesday to hear about the most recent Georgia legislative session and put questions to the Valdosta area's legislative delegation.
The meeting, held at the Holiday Inn Conference Center, was sponsored by the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Greater Valdosta, Georgia Power and the Valdosta Rotary Club.
The state lawmakers on hand were Sen. Russ Goodman (R-Dist. 8), Rep. James Burchett (R-Dist. 176), Rep. John Corbett (R-Dist 174), Rep. John LaHood (R-Dist. 175) and Rep. Dexter Sharper (D-Dist. 177).
Questions for the lawmakers ranged from legislation to aid military spouses with professional licenses to election integrity bills.
Goodman was asked about a bill that was signed into law preventing "agents" of China from owning land near sensitive sites such as military bases. He said he was privy to an FBI briefing about such matters. "It's scary," he said.
Chinas is at the heart of $600 billion a year in intellectual property theft, Goodman said.
He also spoke about Austin's Law, a bill that was passed creating specific criminal charges for people who use fentanyl in drugs they sell.
Austin Walters, a 30-year-old Valdosta man, died Sept. 9, 2021, after swallowing a Xanax pill he purchased on the street, his father said. He didn't know it had been spiked with fentanyl, which is not a Xanax ingredient, his father, Gus Walters, said.
No arrest was ever made, even though evidence was gathered pointing to a suspect.
"The final bill is a better deal than what originally passed the (state) Senate," Goodman said. "Hopefully this takes some of the stigma away."
Corbett was questioned about a bill making it possible for military spouses with out-of-state professional licenses to get right to work in Georgia without having to be re-licensed.
"I've heard horror stores about it taking six months to get a new license," he said.
The law would have an effect on Moody Air Force Base, which has a $500 million impact on the economy and provides 3,000 civilian jobs, Corbett said.
Terry Richards is the senior reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times.
