Georgia Farm Bureau News Alert - August 29, 2018

GFB News Alert page 4 of 16 AG SUMMIT COVERS WATER, RURAL ECONOMY, AG ED & GATE CARDS The Florida water lawsuit, efforts to boost rural Georgia communities, the 28 elementary schools picked for the ag education pilot program, and GATE card changes were discussed at the Ag Issues Summit held Aug. 23 by Georgia House & Senate Agriculture Committee Chairmen Rep. Tom McCall & Sen. John Wilkinson. Georgia Farm Bureau partnered with other ag organizations to sponsor a Chick-fil-A box lunch.

Water lawsuit verdict could be several years away It could be two to three years before a final verdict is issued for the lawsuit Florida filed against Georgia in 2013, attorney Jud Turner told summit attendees.

Turner, who served as director of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division from Jan. 2012 to June 1, 2016, and now specializes in environmental issues with the Gilbert & Harrell Law Firm, said the time frame for a verdict will depend on whether Paul Kelly Jr., the new Rep. Tom McCall, left, special master the U.S. Supreme Court appointed Aug. 9 to review the and Sen. John suit, reopens the case to hear more evidence or decides only to review Wilkinson the existing evidence.

“Kelly, a retired judge with the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals is well-suited to pick up the case,” Turner said. “I think you’re looking at two to three years before we’re back where we were in June. Two years if Judge Kelly doesn’t open the case back up and just reviews the existing documents. Three if new evidence is submitted and more trial days are held.”

Kelly, who was nominated to the 10th Circuit Court by President George H. Bush in 1991 served as an active judge from his confirmation in April 1992 until December 2007 when he took senior judge status, which is a classification for federal judges who are semi-retired.

Turner said there are signs the Supreme Court wrestled with its June decision to remand Florida’s lawsuit back to a special master.

“The case was argued in January and decided last, which indicates the justices were wrestling with their decision,” Turner said. “The majority decision was saying Florida gets another bite of the apple due to a procedural technicality.”

Efforts underway to boost Georgia’s rural economies Deputy Commissioner for Rural Georgia Amy Carter with the Georgia Department of Economic Development discussed work the GDED is doing to strengthen the economies of rural communities.

“We are going county to county talking to stakeholders about their communities’ strengths and challenges. Agribusiness and agritourism have repeatedly been listed as strengths,” said Carter, who was appointed to her position by Gov. Deal in March. “It’s our purpose to connect these communities with federal grants and programs that can help them.”

As evidence of how agriculture drives local economies, Carter pointed out that Georgia ag exports exceeded $4.2 billion last year, and agriculture products accounted for 11percent of Georgia’s total exports in 2017. Georgia’s ag exports have grown 60 percent in the past decade.

Dr. David Bridges, president of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC), -continued on next page