Leesa Hagan

As a small business owner, I understand the importance of making sure Georgia remains the #1 state in which to do business and bring more jobs and economic opportunity to our community.

One of the top reasons I first ran for office was to do everything I could to make sure that young people had the opportunity to stay in their hometown or come back to it after college to live their lives and raise their families. We all want our children and grandchildren to have that choice. However, because of lack of affordable home ownership options, good-paying jobs, and less-than-adequate access to quality healthcare, many of them don’t have the option. By passing good, common sense policy at the state level that supports local efforts to encourage business growth and entrepreneurship and to develop appropriate housing for the workforce, we can improve the situation in rural Georgia.

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Bills supported by Rep. Hagan that encourage local economic growth and entrepreneurship include:

HB 583, which is authored by Rep. Hagan, is currently in committee awaiting a hearing. This bill would open up new delivery streams for licensed cottage food operators enabling them to connect their products with more potential customers while continuing to maintain safety standards.

HB 1443, The Food Truck Bill – effective 1/1/2023 – This new law cuts red tape that was making operating a food truck in multiple counties too expensive for some entrepreneurs. Food truck operators can now declare a home county, be licensed in that county but operate in multiple counties. Since kitchen inspection requirements are the same in every county, it made no sense to require hard-working people pay a fee and deal with inspections in every county. “While we want to continue to ensure that Georgia consumers are safe and that their food is prepared properly, we want to do so in a way that does not discourage entrepreneurship and job growth,” said Rep. Hagan.

HB 1041 – effective 1/1/2023 – This law deals with existing tax credits for contributions to rural hospital organizations, by increasing the annual aggregate cap of this program from $60 million to $75million. With 108 of Georgia’s 159 counties defined as rural in 2020, this bill helps ensure all Georgians are able to access quality healthcare – regardless of where they live.

Law and order is vital for thriving communities and Georgia families. When our citizens are afraid for their lives and property because of criminal activity, they cannot prosper. Our first responders and law enforcement officers are the heroes that show up to ensure our safety. They deserve our support, fair pay, and public policy that enables them to do their jobs efficiently and as safely as possible. 

I believe in being tough on those who intentionally do harm to others and their property. Rioting and looting is a selfish act and is not peaceful protesting. Gang activity cannot be tolerated, particularly when it targets young or disabled people. Georgia law should strongly discourage criminal activity. 

As a former classroom teacher and homeschooler of my own children for a few years, I know how important a quality education is for our children and the future of our state and country. While I am in favor of parents being empowered to make educational choices for their kids, I know we can pass school-choice legislation while also fully funding and supporting our public schools. The two are not mutually exclusive. 

Agriculture is Georgia’s #1 industry. Georgia is the nation’s top producer of forestry products. In House district 156, ag and forestry are of vital importance. Let’s not forget that if we have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a place to live, we should thank our growers!

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Bills supported by Rep. Hagan that support our farmers and foresters include:

HB 1150, the Freedom to Farm bill – effective 7/1/2022 – This law prevents a nuisance lawsuit from being brought against a farming operation that has been active for more than two years. A private nuisance action cannot be brought against an agricultural facility or operation unless the plaintiff possesses the real property affected by the alleged nuisance. (It’s important to note that the start of a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) constitutes a separate and independent established date of operation, regardless of whether the CAFO is started on a pre-existing farming operation.) The bill does not apply if a nuisance is caused by negligence or illegal operations. Currently, 98% of Georgia farms are small, family-owned businesses – this bill protects those small Georgia farmers from frivolous lawsuits and safeguards our thriving agriculture industry.

We must never forget that taxes are the people’s money. I am proud to support lowering income tax rates on hard-working Georgia citizens.

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HB 1437, Tax Reduction and Reform Act of 2022 – effective 4/26/2022 – This law eliminates state income tax brackets and replaces them with a flat tax. By holding all taxpayers to the same flat tax, Georgia is upholding the American ideals of treating all citizens equally. 

Georgia has the tenth highest share of active duty military personnel per 100,000 residents in the nation.  It’s important to ensure we continue to maintain a welcoming environment for those men and women who protect our freedoms and their families.

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Bills supported by Rep. Hagan that support our veterans include: 

HB 1064 – effective 7/1/2022 – Georgia has the fifth largest veteran population in the country, and this bill provides much-needed tax relief to the brave men and women who have served our country. It adds a new income tax exemption of up to $17,500 of military retirement income for veterans under 62 years old and an additional $17,500 exemption for individuals under 62 years old who have at least $17,500 of earned income. 

HB 884 – effective date 4/18/2022 – This law expedites the issuance of professional and business licenses to military spouses and sets a 90 day limit to the amount of time a military spouse whose husband or wife is stationed in Georgia would have to wait to obtain a license if he or she holds an equivalent license in good standing in another state and has submitted all necessary documentation.