Our theme in this space the past few weeks has been a long-dormant economy shaking loose of a down 2020. Legislation was passed to help the economy along, AU Health was recognized for good work and we learned about more bank closings, which we discussed in-depth earlier this week.
The Georgia House of Representatives passed four pieces of tax-cutting legislation this week. The Tax Relief Act of 2021, the Georgia Economic Recovery Act of 2021, the Georgia Economic Renewal Act of 2021, and the Reauthorization of the House Rural Development Council all went through, each intended to create jobs and bolster economic development.
“Our House of Representatives is focused on expanding economic opportunity for every Georgian,” said Speaker David Ralston. “Today, we have cut taxes on Georgians and adopted legislation to create jobs from Blue Ridge to Bainbridge. I am proud of our continuing efforts to ensure Georgia remains a great place to live, to work and to raise a family.”
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The Tax Relief Act of 2021 (HB 593) cuts income taxes by $140 million. The bill raises the standard deduction on state income tax returns for a single taxpayer by $800 and raises the standard deduction for a married couple filing a joint return to $1,100.
The Georgia Economic Renewal Act of 2021 (HB 587) is designed to incentivize hiring more employees by providing tax credits for businesses that do so.
“Georgia has been the number one state for business year after year – and we intend to keep it that way,” said Rep. Bruce Williamson, treasurer of the majority caucus. “We want to see high-paying jobs come to Georgia and bolster our economy by making products that will benefit our state and its people. I am proud to champion job creation and thank our colleagues for supporting this important legislation.”
AU Health received two ‘Patient Safety and Quality’ awards from the Partnership for Health and Accountability, an affiliate of the Georgia Health Association. AU’s focus on reducing medical errors and improving patient safety has been a hallmark and they were recognized as such.
Elsewhere, the Children’s Hospital of Georgia at Augusta University Health won second place in the “Hospitals With Greater Than 300 Beds” category for its project titled “Reducing the Occurrence of Postoperative Pneumonia in the Pediatric Patient Population: A Multidisciplinary Team Collaboration.” The project, which began in 2018, successfully reduced the rate of pneumonia in pediatric patients after operations.
Georgia Power announced a commitment to streamlining electric vehicle charging across the state as use of electric cars continues to rise. Working alongside the Georgia Public Service Commission, the company has 49 DC fast chargers in locations statewide and is investing $6 million over three years in fast-charging infrastructure across Georgia.
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“As the sixth-largest market nationally for EV fast charging, Georgia Power is committed to continuing growth of EV infrastructure across the state and providing increased access to customers looking to drive electric,” said Nicole Faulk, senior vice president for customer and corporate services.
Earlier this week, we ran a story regarding local and country-wide bank closings. Since then, we’ve been alerted to even more local closings, such as the Fifth Third bank in Daniel Village and a Farmers State Bank that was located at 658 Main St., Thomson, Ga. This could be due to more bank mergers or banks shedding unprofitable branches. On a positive note, this allows for real estate space in highly-trafficked areas to have new life. We’ll stay watching these.
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com
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