Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee, March 26, 2026

Transcript

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1. 0:14:17

   Nothing should be there now.

2. 0:14:26

   How are you, Bernie?

3. 0:14:28

   How we doing, Mark? Everything okay?

4. 0:19:57

   Afternoon, everybody. Uh, glad y'all made it for this lunchtime meeting. I, I tried to, uh, tried to take care of y'all with, uh, a little bit of food. Um, working this, uh, working this meeting in here, I know everybody's busy. Committee meetings all over, um, the capital. Uh, appreciate y'all being here. Um, we'll get started with, uh, Senator Hickman, do you mind saying, uh, open us up in prayer, please?

5. 0:20:24

   Let us pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, Lord, and thank you that you've given us the, the time, Heavenly Father, to work, work for the great, great people of Georgia. Lord, we just ask you to provide us with wisdom and, and patience, Lord, that we do the right thing for these, for all of Georgia. In your Son's name, we pray. Amen.

6. 0:20:42

   Thank you, Senator Hickman. Uh, we're gonna go ahead and get started, and we'll hear, um, Senate Resolution 890 from, uh, Senator Halpern. Uh, so Study Committee on Protecting Free and Fair Markets, if you wanna come up and present to us, we'd be happy to hear you.

7. 0:21:05

   Well.

8. 0:21:06

   Well, you putting the bad mic.

9. 0:21:10

   Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and committee members.

10. 0:21:17

    So S- SR 890, um, let me start by saying that I'm, I'm fortunate to come from a business background, and that experience has taught me a few lessons that guide my work in public life. And central to that is that a free market, one that is competitive, creates wealth, expands opportunity, and is essential. Um, this resolution is simple. It says, "Let's take a serious fact-based look at how markets are functioning in Georgia today, and whether they're still working the way we expect them to for consumers, small businesses, and Georgia families," because markets work best when there's real competition.

11. 0:21:59

    And what we're starting to see across sectors is increasing concentration of economic power. So when markets become centralized, people experience that as grocery prices shaped by fewer larger distributors, hospital bills and prescriptions with little price competition, rent increases driven up by large scale ownership, and farmers squeezed by a handful of buyers. So less competition often means higher prices, fewer choices, and less control.

12. 0:22:30

    So this is not just a Georgia-only issue. Across the country, we're seeing, um, in b- with, um, under both Democratic and Republican leadership, that there's been a renewed focus on this issue of market competit- c- market, market, um, co- uh, concentration and competition. Leaders like, uh, Senator Josh Hawley and President Trump have raised concerns about corporate consolidation and its impact on consumers and small businesses. And importantly, this is an area where you've seen bipartisan alignment, Senator Hawley working alongside Senator Elizabeth Warren, because it's not a partisan issue, it really is a market issue.

13. 0:23:12

    We see these trends happening here in Georgia today. Homeownership, for example, which is the foundation of middle class wealth, is being reshaped. Institutional investors now own a growing share of single family homes, particularly in Metro Atlanta. In some areas and zip codes, as much as one out of every four homes are investor-controlled, which means there are fewer homes available for families, higher rents, and less neighborhood stability.

14. 0:23:43

    We are also seeing, um, um, on, in the rental space, kind of these aggregators, these bots that are going out, and they're, they're, uh, surveying prices. They're driving up the prices of rents, and then they're sharing it with other landlords in the area. So to some extent, they are f- price fixing at a higher level what the rents are. Um, so th- that's a algorithmic kind of pricing tool that's being used that ends up, you know, potentially negatively impacting Georgians who are looking for, for stable housing, and it does raise a real question about competition.

15. 0:24:18

    In the healthcare space, this is one of the clearest examples of what happens when markets consolidate. So take prescription drugs. There are just three pharmacy benefit managers that control roughly 75 to 80% of the entire market, and they're determining the pricing, the coverage, and reimbursement. And the result can be that patients don't always get the lowest price. We know that independent pharmacies can struggle to survive. And private equity is also playing a growing role bringing capital into the healthcare, but also introducing pressures that can impact pricing and staffing in the delivery of care.

16. 0:25:02

    Ag is another sector. Agriculture is $100 billion industry in Georgia, but who controls that market matters. Many farmers today are operating in systems where there's a small number of companies that dominate the processing and supply chains. Think po- poultry processing, think seed and, um, fertilizer, um, supply chains. And farmers may only have one or two buyers, which limits their ability to negotiate. It reduces their margins, and it threatens the long-term viability of our family farms.

17. 0:25:37

    Um, I mentioned private equity already, and to be clear, private equity is not inherently bad because it can bring capital and some efficiency, but its structure, which is often shorter timelines and higher return expectations, can change how the markets behave. So the question is not so much whether it exists, it's whether its growing role or how is its growing role shaping markets in ways that we can better understand. And that really does bring us to the purpose of the resolution.

18. 0:26:09

    The resolution does not assume that we already know the answer. It just asks the question. So right now, we don't have a statewide comprehensive analysis of where market concentration's happening, how is it affecting prices and access, and whether our current laws are sufficient. Other states are already starting to sharpen their tools in this, in this area, and this committee, study committee would allow us to evaluate our antitrust f- framework, measure concentration across key sectors, understand the impacts on affordability, and learn from what other states are doing.

19. 0:26:49

    Because at the end of the day, it's really about affordability, and how do we ensure that these different sectors, whether it's healthcare, food, and housing, remain accessible. And the best way to do that is to study and see if, um, if our laws have not caught up with where the market and the current environment is so that small businesses can compete, that we can continue to generate new wealth, and a strong middle class can thrive.

20. 0:27:20

    And that is basically it. Our attorney's general's office of consumer protection, that division does already have some authority in this space, but this study committee will help us understand how to ensure that our laws or gaps in our laws can help to support the enforcement that we're working towards as effectively as possible. So this is about getting the facts, the data, and the perspective to get it right so that consumers, small businesses, and, um, Georgians can be best supported.

21. 0:27:55

    Thank you, Senator. I appreciate you. I commend you for bringing this. I- it b- takes me back to a bill we had a few weeks ago, and it was, you know, controversial is a, a stretch, but difference of opinions, of, uh, especially in that housing s- scenario. And, uh, you know, for the record and for some of these young folks sitting in the room right here, and my daughter, uh, finishing up college, that industry doesn't look like it looked even 25 years ago whenever I built a house.

22. 0:28:27

    No.

23. 0:28:27

    Um, and it's changing right before our eyes. And, um, you know, agriculture. You mentioned all, you, you mentioned all the, the, the big industries in the state of Georgia, and it, it, things are changing, and I think looking forward and trying to find these answers is a, a, a positive. Got a couple questions for you right here. Senator Hodges.

24. 0:28:48

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator, uh, Halpern, thank you for bringing this. Um, I would ask that when you start looking at concentration of economic power in Georgia and whether it helps or hurts the people of Georgia, I would ask that you add to the scope of your committee what we do here in the legislature by giving out tax preferences. D- you know, are we helping or hurting? Um, are we picking winners and losers?

25. 0:29:18

    Is that the proper role? I mean, are we, you know, bringing in... Obviously you wanna try to bring in jobs by meting out, uh, tax preferences, but, you know, are we taking it too far? Would we be better off not to have 'em and to lower everybody's tax rate? I think that that should be a part of what this committee looks at, and I hope that you will consider that.

26. 0:29:40

    Yes. Thank you.

27. 0:29:41

    Thank you.

28. 0:29:44

    Senator Burns.

29. 0:29:46

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the author's, uh, interest in this area and the resolution. My, my question's really procedural. I note in, um, on lines 58 and following, allowances, expenses, and funding, there is no discussion about how many days your committee might meet. That is normally specified in a study committee.

30. 0:30:08

    Mm-hmm.

31. 0:30:09

    So there's no paragraph B. I would suggest that we include a, a paragraph to that effect, and I have the language from another-

32. 0:30:19

    Yes

33. 0:30:19

    ... uh, resolution at the appropriate time.

34. 0:30:22

    Okay. We'll get to that in just a second. Senator Watson.

35. 0:30:29

    Thank you, Chairman. Uh, the, the, the chairman, uh, looked back, uh, he, he said this reminded him of a couple weeks ago when we were talking about, you know, how many, uh, housing units could a large corporation own. And I'll tell you this, it takes me back to Olive last night about, uh, 7:00.

36. 0:30:46

    I had a feeling you might say that.

37. 0:30:48

    Yeah, interesting. So we were, Georgia has no antitrust laws. This is a, uh, federal issue, and the FTC is all over it. Um, and here we were giving, um, uh, antitrust or giving trust the ability for two or three rural hospitals to create a monopoly and not be subject to antitrust laws, because they would be subject to, hospital authority would be subject to the state.

38. 0:31:19

    They'd be part of the state. And complicated by US Supreme Court having to do with their transit system and that kind of thing, um, in the recent ruling in the Supreme Court on March 5th. Um, but on the other hand, we were trying to reduce unfair trade practices, um, by, uh, being protective, uh, by doing away with CON. So it was a give of antitrust, uh, behavior to the rural hospitals, and it was removing the ability to restrict trade is what our balance was, which did pass out of committee.

39. 0:31:56

    Uh, so it's interesting that this topic should come up again. Um, that's really more of a comment than a question. Uh, but I also had the question about, uh, meetings and how many meetings and that kind of thing. So that was really the impetus of all that. Thank you.

40. 0:32:11

    Thank you.

41. 0:32:15

    Senator Rahman.

42. 0:32:17

    Thank you for bringing up this study committee. I think it's, it's, it's fascinating. It's great. Uh, but you talk about small business, you know, uh, how you define small business. Just, um, um, give, you know, uh, how many people working, what the dollar amount, because, you know, uh, this is tricky. Nobody talk about mom-and-pop business. You know, you're talking about, you're talking about business, you know, you, you mention about pharmacy, you know. Now, how about, you know, individual pharmacy you can't find in a big corporation, you know? How about the medical practices? You can't find any doctors practicing their own, you know?

43. 0:32:49

    Everybody's gobbling, you know, anywhere you go. I mean, you know, how about a franchise versus independent, you know? The struc- structure has not been any helpful for you, talking about somebody starting a business with just one folks coming out school or whatever it is you want to do your own. What kind of tax bracket are you gonna give the, the senator just mentioned, you know? And what kind of loan you can get. So, and who are the people you're planning to talk to, you know? That's what I want to know.

44. 0:33:16

    Well, so without, um, kind of defining-

45. 0:33:19

    Yeah

46. 0:33:19

    ... small business, I think you just hit on the very questions, right, that we have. How do we make sure that your mom-and-pop, how do we make sure that the individual who has a great idea today and has the capital, or has the capital-

47. 0:33:33

    Yeah

48. 0:33:33

    ... whether they have it now or not, has the capital to go pursue this idea that they have and be able to actually compete? Because we are seeing more and more, you mentioned independent pharmacists. We know that independent pharmacies are hard to find in any given market. Um, that could be good. That could be bad. I, I'm, I'm actually today not presuming to know the answers to the question, but simply saying, um, that there is a lot of consolidation happening.

49. 0:34:04

    It is happening at really fast rates of growth. It is maybe, um, helping some businesses and locking out others, but in certain sectors we know that it is absolutely, um, challenging affordability, which is something that we are trying to focus on every single day down here. So a little bit more of a study and a better understanding about what is happening I think could be really helpful. And maybe there are, as, as Sen- senator, um, um, from the 1st said, you know, we don't have antitrust laws here in our state.

50. 0:34:40

    I'm not even suggesting that that should be the end result of this study committee, but is there something, is there something missing in our, in our current laws and code that should be there that could help to make sure that we're not, you know, letting it run away from us so that your individuals who are looking to buy homes just won't be able to anymore? Is, are there things that we can be doing today? And again, other states are also looking at, at this. The federal level, uh, government level is, but also other states are starting to really think about merger reviews.

51. 0:35:16

    They're, they're trying to figure out how do they create some guardrails just so that that competition and free market can still actually exist.

52. 0:35:26

    Thank you. Can I just ask one more question quickly? I just want you to think about, you know, not on necessarily the buzzword small business, but big business. You need to start looking about mom-and-pop business. You really want to help Georgian, the individual, they want to do a business, one or two people, a family business, the flower shop, whatever you mention it, those are the things we need to look at it and we should start thinking. And because when you, when do a study committee, they're gonna be always special interest. Somebody gonna come hang in, wanna see what they can do there or, you know-

53. 0:35:56

    No, no

54. 0:35:56

    ... uh, for the, for the-

55. 0:35:57

    And I think I use-

56. 0:35:58

    ... still for combination. So that's what you need to look at

57. 0:35:59

    ... I think I use-

58. 0:36:01

    Yeah

59. 0:36:01

    ... me, Sonya, I use small business-

60. 0:36:03

    Yeah

61. 0:36:04

    ... as, as a way to sh-

62. 0:36:05

    Yeah

63. 0:36:05

    ... as a shortcut way of saying I am thinking about the mom-and-pops.

64. 0:36:09

    Yeah.

65. 0:36:09

    I am thinking about Main Street.

66. 0:36:11

    But the th- excuse me. But the thing is, we even maybe in the code somewhere it write down mom- you know, what you define in Georgia, what you want to define small business in Georgia. Who are the people you want to help? Just one or two people, you know, if you have certain employees, certain amount of, you know, uh, business you do, certain million, whatever the number is. I don't know. But those are the things you need to find it out in order to really help-

67. 0:36:34

    Yes

68. 0:36:35

    ... uh, Georgian-

69. 0:36:36

    Thank you

70. 0:36:36

    ... to thrive. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

71. 0:36:39

    Senator James.

72. 0:36:42

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and hello, hello. Uh, I love, I love, uh, what the intent of this is. Uh, but I, the only thing I have a question about is how in the world are you gonna do all those things and, and, I mean, which it's more than four major committees, right? The, I mean, sub-committees you're gonna have to have for health, for, uh, housing, for, you know. And we do need all of that and, and the only way we're gonna make things better, of course.

73. 0:37:15

    Oh, I know some, some, um, cities and counties have to do, uh, long range goals as well as what they're gonna do within the next five years, 10 years. So, uh, maybe, uh, we'll have to create the wheel too much by just, um, adding something. We have five, five, uh, members that will be appointed, right?

74. 0:37:39

    Yeah.

75. 0:37:40

    And then fr- that means from probably, if they do it in July, from July when they have work in the primary and gotta be working. But anyway, we won't consider that part, but I just, uh, my question is how can we possibly do all this? Are you gonna put experts, you know-

76. 0:38:01

    Yes

77. 0:38:01

    ... in, in front of, uh, sub-committees or something?

78. 0:38:04

    So I would hope that this would pass and get funded so that it could be-

79. 0:38:10

    Okay

80. 0:38:10

    ... an actual study committee that happens over this interim. And to the point about limited number of meetings-

81. 0:38:17

    Mm-hmm

82. 0:38:18

    ... I think- You cannot have more than five meetings, so I think is standard now in our study committees. So I would look, if I were to be the chair or whoever does this, I mean, I think you're right. There is a limited period of time. I'm not even beginning to suggest that everything that needs to be done is going to get done in the five meetings, but I do think that there are categories, some of which I named in my presentation, that could be designated for each of the days-

83. 0:38:50

    Mm-hmm

84. 0:38:50

    ... as a focus area. And like any study committee, hopefully we can come out of it. Sometimes there are specific pieces of legislation that come out of it for the next year. Other times, it very explicitly says we need to continue to study this more and continue to dig. And so from my standpoint, I'm open to where it leads, but I, I would love to see us just start to have a dedicated focus on this issue.

85. 0:39:19

    Thank you.

86. 0:39:20

    Thank you.

87. 0:39:22

    Senator Summers.

88. 0:39:23

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, thank you, Mayor. Oh, excuse me. Uh,

89. 0:39:28

    Senator, uh, I like it. I think it's real good. I think we should be doing this more often. I wish there was some way we could include, and I'll just put this out here to you, so maybe you'll be able to incorporate it in, the difference between the three Georgias that we have. You know, we have three Georgias: North Georgia, Atlanta, and, and rural Georgia, south Georgia. And it would be wonderful if we could see some economic benefits to what we could do to help rural Georgia, as, as many of us come from, in that regards to, uh, be able to, to make rural Georgia better.

90. 0:40:00

    Yeah.

91. 0:40:00

    And you know, these economic impacts that you're speaking of, that type of thing. So I just kinda wanna put that on the table. And with that, Mr. Chairman, for over time, I make a motion, do pass.

92. 0:40:09

    Thank you.

93. 0:40:09

    Got a motion. Got a second. Well, Senator Burns?

94. 0:40:17

    Just a, a friendly amendment to clarify number of meetings. A standard language, I emailed it to the chairman. Um, it reads-

95. 0:40:29

    What line are you on, sir?

96. 0:40:30

    I'm on... I would insert this after line-

97. 0:40:34

    60

98. 0:40:34

    ...

99. 0:40:38

    uh, insert section B after line 60.

100. 0:40:41

     Yep.

101. 0:40:43

     And it would read...

102. 0:40:47

     If I can get Drew's automatic reply done. Excuse me, John.

103. 0:40:57

     It would read, uh, section B, "The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member of the committee for more than five days unless additional authorization, uh, unless additional, uh, days are authorized. Funds necessary to carry out, out provision of this resolution shall come from the funds as appropriated by the Senate." So standard language in a, um, in a s- in a request for a study committee.

104. 0:41:28

     You've got that? Yeah, so it's just adding section B after line 60, um, that w- that, that phrase.

105. 0:41:38

     Got a motion and a second on the amendment. Um, so now, uh, all in favor of SR-

106. 0:41:52

     You gotta vote on the amendment.

107. 0:41:53

     I- I'm sorry. I'm sorry. All right, any objections to the amendment? All in favor of the amendment say aye. Any opposed? Um, now we're gonna vote on, uh, Senate Resolution 890 as amended. All in favor of this resolution say aye. Any opposed? Thank you.

108. 0:42:14

     Thank you.

109. 0:42:14

     Thank you, Senator Halpern. We appreciate it very much.

110. 0:42:17

     Thank you.

111. 0:42:17

     You got a lot of work ahead of you on this one.

112. 0:42:20

     True.

113. 0:42:21

     May take more than five days.

114. 0:42:23

     Yeah.

115. 0:42:25

     All right, we've got, uh, Representative Bonner, uh, gonna come up and present to us, uh, the, uh, Georgia Ireland Trade Commission. I understand he's got, uh, some out-of-towners that may be, uh, testifying as well. Uh, Representative, is that, that correct?

116. 0:42:41

     And, and yes, Mr. Chairman, um, and if, if it's okay with the chair, if I'll, uh, kinda make remarks, uh, describing the bill, and then, uh, leave it up to, to your pleasure as to when you'd like our friends to provide any additional testimony.

117. 0:42:56

     Yes, sir.

118. 0:42:57

     All right. Well, good afternoon, uh, Mr. Chair, members of the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to present House Bill 980. There is a special relationship that exists between the state of Georgia and the country of Ireland. Uh, it's rooted in deep cultural ties, shared history, and a growing economic partnership that continues to strengthen both communities. Culturally, the Irish influence in Georgia is most visible in Savannah, which is home to one of the largest and oldest St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the US. Each year, as you know, hundreds of thousands gather to celebrate the Irish heritage, reflecting the lasting impact Irish immigrants had on the region beginning in the 18th and 19th centuries.

119. 0:43:36

     Irish traditions in music, faith, public service, and community life helped shape the cultural fabric of coastal Georgia and beyond. Today, Irish heritage remains an important part of Georgia's identity, celebrated through festivals, cultural exchanges, and educational programs. And as the committee is well aware, the campus of Georgia Southern, located in Wexford, Ireland, has been an integral part of the educational experience available to our students. Economically, the relationship between Georgia and Ireland has grown significantly in recent decades.

120. 0:44:09

     Ireland has become a major European gateway for American companies, while Georgia serves as a key hub for Irish company- companies entering the American market. Irish companies, particularly in technology, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and manufacturing, have established a strong presence in Georgia, especially in G- metro Atlanta area. Likewise, Georgia-based companies benefit from Ireland's business-friendly environment and access to the European Union marketplace. Trade missions and investment partnerships between the two governments have further strengthened these ties, leading to job creation and increased investments on both sides of the Atlantic.

121. 0:44:48

     In many ways, the Georgia-Ireland relationship is built on shared values, a respect for tradition, a spirit of entrepreneurship, and a strong sense of community. What begun as a cultural connection through immigration and heritage has grown into a modern partnership focused on economic opportunity, education, and international cooperation. This enduring relationship continues to benefit both Georgia and Ireland, and stands as, as an example of how cultural heritage can evolve into meaningful economic and diplomatic partnerships.

122. 0:45:21

     House Bill 980 continues to strengthen that special relationship by creating the Georgia Ireland Trade Commission. The goal of the commission is to advance bilateral trade, promote business and academic exchanges, encourage mutual economic support and mutual investment in the infrastructure of both Georgia and Ireland. The commission itself is composed of 15 members: four selected by lieutenant governor, four by the speaker of the house, and seven by the governor. Of those seven members could selected by the governor, they would be the Commissioner of Economic Development or their designee, the Commissioner of Agriculture and their de- or their designee, two representatives of state institutions of higher education, two members representing American, uh, Irish Americans or Irish American communities in Georgia, and then one representative of a Georgia business organization or a trade organization.

123. 0:46:14

     These members shall serve four-year terms without compensation. Each year, the commission will report its findings, results, and recommendations to the governor and general assembly. To the members of the committee, that's what the bill does. Uh, just real quickly, let me tell you what the bill does not do. The commission does not cost the State of Georgia or the taxpayers any money. All funds associated with the business of the commission will come from privately raised funds. The commission does not grow government. It simply draws from existing structures to create a collaborative environment.

124. 0:46:47

     And then lastly, it does not duplicate efforts or impede any current or future work on the part of any existing economic development organization in this state. The commission will be a complement to the collective effort of our economic development and academic institutions across the state. If this bill goes into law, we will join at least 27 other states that have done the same, to include some of our, uh, near partners of Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Mississippi. That, Mr.

125. 0:47:18

     Chairman, is the bill, and I'll be happy to stand for any questions or if you want to allow our friends to testify.

126. 0:47:26

     Got a couple questions for you right quick, and then we'll, um, move to that testimony and, and may have a couple questions for, um, the gentleman as well. Senator Rahman.

127. 0:47:38

     Thank you for this, uh, the bill. I, I really love it, but the thing is, I just ne- want to know, uh, I know the economy development already have this office in Europe, different locations, and, uh, how many-- Is there any other commission like that bilateral, you know, be- with Georg- just like what you're trying to do, like, you know, Georgia, Japan, or Georgia, you know. Do we have anything like that in the commission?

128. 0:48:01

     Sure. Thanks for the question.

129. 0:48:02

     Yeah.

130. 0:48:02

     So this would be the first.

131. 0:48:03

     Oh, okay.

132. 0:48:04

     Um, no one else has, has come forward, uh, uh, to make that request. Um, the country of Ireland, um, a- as you are probably aware, um, with, um, uh, the United Kingdom, um, leaving the European Union, uh, that created a, a particular, uh, opportunity for the country of Ireland, um, that is the currently the largest English-speaking nation still in the European Union. And so that creates, I think, a unique opportunity for Georgia to get that access into that European marketplace.

133. 0:48:36

     So we don't have any others like that. No one else has come forward for that. Um, and, and your other, um, comment regarding, um, all the, the efforts of our economic development, um, they, they're doing a wonderful job. Um, I would submit that this simply complements what they do. Uh, they've, they've got, as you can see, they've got a, a, a, a seat at the table that is enduring and will always be a part. And what this does, I think it en- the enhancement to what they're doing now, it brings all of these other players to the table, right?

134. 0:49:06

     It b- it brings academia to the table. It brings the, the businesses that, that do business in Ireland, they do, uh, Irish companies that do business in Georgia, and it brings, and brings in the legislature into that, um, that process more fully to help, um, to help, um, and complement what they do as a development. Yeah.

135. 0:49:25

     Thank you. Appreciate it.

136. 0:49:31

     Senator Burns.

137. 0:49:32

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Have you been to Ireland, Matty?

138. 0:49:36

     Uh, y- yes, sir, I've had the opportunity to, to go there three times so far, and each time, uh, we've been able to take some of our colleagues with us. Uh, the largest contingent was a couple years ago when Georgia Tech played in Ireland and, and beat Florida So- Florida State. Um, we had 24, uh, s- state legislators go, um, as lo- as well as, uh, so many folks from Georgia Tech and economic development, uh, across the board, and, uh, got a real good insight at that time, this special relationship between us and Ireland.

139. 0:50:08

     A- and, um, follow-up, Mr. Chairman. I- i- i- is it not true that, that Ireland itself is a part of the European Union, but Northern Ireland, being a part of Great Britain, is not? Is that not true?

140. 0:50:20

     That, that is correct. Uh, this commission does, uh, provide that opportunity. It's a, it's an all-island commission. And so, um, it, it allows that access to Northern Ireland as well, uh, and, and all the economic development opportunities that are there.

141. 0:50:35

     So it would provide, if I follow, uh, it would provide access not only to European Union, but to the, um, uh, to Great Britain as, as a consolidated country.

142. 0:50:44

     That's correct.

143. 0:50:45

     Okay. And again, follow up on Senator Rahman's question, if I may. This would be the first bilateral trade commission that Georgia has established. Is that true?

144. 0:50:56

     That's correct. I, I was not able to find any other country that we had this, this same relationship with.

145. 0:51:02

     Thank you. Thank you.

146. 0:51:04

     Thank you. Uh, thank you, Representative. Um, we're gonna move on to the... Oh, okay. All right. I'm sorry. S- uh, Senator Anderson.

147. 0:51:11

     Quick, quick, quick kinda. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What is, will be the begin- beginning date for this commission? I know once it signs into law, but is there an established date already, an idea?

148. 0:51:23

     So there, there's not an established date, so once it does get signed in, and then-

149. 0:51:27

     Immediately

150. 0:51:27

     ... Correct. It would have that opportunity for, um, the, the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker to make those appointments once the commission was formed.

151. 0:51:37

     Okay. Thank you.

152. 0:51:42

     We're gon- Okay, go ahead, s- uh, Senator James.

153. 0:51:47

     You can go on, Representative. I like this too, but, uh, is this gonna be like the, uh, Japanese, uh, American thing that we have a lot of the members in?

154. 0:52:01

     So, um, so this is not, this is not a caucus-

155. 0:52:05

     Okay

156. 0:52:05

     ... which is purely a legislative, uh, entity, um, and, and really just operates within the confines of the legislature. This is a, an actual commission that brings in, um, not only the legislature, but economic development, our, our, um, Department of Agriculture as well as industry.

157. 0:52:24

     Okay.

158. 0:52:24

     Yeah.

159. 0:52:25

     Ag then.

160. 0:52:26

     That's, that's correct. Yes, ma'am.

161. 0:52:30

     Okay.

162. 0:52:30

     Thank you, Representative. I think you, you brought us some, uh, special guests, I guess, from a- across the pond, if you wanna introduce them right quick and to the committee.

163. 0:52:39

     Yes. We actually have two, um, uh... First, I'll introduce, uh, Senator Mark Daly. I, I figured as a, as a House member it would be more appropriate to, uh, provide this committee with a senator to, to give some testimony, to add some, uh, gravitas to that. But Senator Mark Daly is the chair of Ireland's Senate. Uh, he's been a good partner, uh, for Georgia. He's visited us many times. And, um, Senator Daly, I'll let you make your remarks and then introduce, uh, our former prime minister.

164. 0:53:16

     They're mute, mute all.

165. 0:53:18

     Thank you, uh, Representative Bonner, and thank you for your work on this bill. And to the senators, thank you for allowing me to testify here. I'm the chair of the Senate. It's the literal tran- translation from Cathaoirleach Seanad Éireann. Uh, but it's, uh, the equivalent of the, the president of the Senate. And I suppose politics, like diplomacy, like economics, is a contact sport. Uh, a bit like when Georgia Tech were over here and beat Florida State in, in Ireland, and we were delighted to host not only legislators from Florida and Georgia, but from, uh, 20 other US states.

166. 0:53:52

     And last year in the college football game, we had, uh, the governor of South Dakota, uh, here. And this is about creating relationships, um, through this, uh, commission. And I suppose in, in very simple order, as Representative Bonner has pointed out, Ireland is the fifth-largest investor in the United States of America, but also access to the European Union through Ireland for nearly 1,000 global companies. And as has been pointed out also with this as an all-island commission, uh, includes access to Northern Ireland.

167. 0:54:25

     So this would be unique. It'd be like creating a relationship in one fell sweep, uh, with 27, uh, 28 other countries, if you include the United Kingdom. What we have done in our Senate as part of this initiative is we've created a committee in our Senate, and its role includes identifying legislation and policy that will be coming out of the European Union that would affect states like Georgia. So an early warning system and how we could work together with you in order to make sure that those policies ne- never come into effect if they're really bad, as I've heard many times from legislators in the US.

168. 0:55:00

     It's, it's, uh, it's as important to kill a bad bill as to pass a good one. Um, so we would like to work with you on that as part of this initiative. Also, our joint House and Senate committees, as a result of these commissions in 26 other states, have been invited over, uh, to work with their counterparts on issues of mutual concern, and that never happened before. We've had chairs of committees going to South Dakota, and South Dakota pointed out to us when we were discussing the bill at committee stage, they said, "Well, we only do 1% of our trade with the European Union," and I mean, not just Ireland, the entire European Union.

169. 0:55:35

     I said, "Well, if you're doing only 1% of your trade with a, with 450 million people and 27 countries, that smells like opportunity," and that's why they established the commission. What this is also part of, uh, and there are people alive in Ireland today because US got involved, but more importantly, stayed involved in our peace process. It is part of the peace building, and I'll introduce, and maybe Josh will introduce the former prime minister who actually signed that peace process. But just to give you, uh, uh, some flavor of those appointed, of the 301 commissioners appointed so far, I know you might not all be Pittsburgh Steelers fans, but the vice president of the s- Pittsburgh Steelers, Dan Rooney, is one of the Ireland trade commissioners in Pennsylvania.

170. 0:56:15

     Secretary of Commerce in South Carolina had the opportunity to appoint someone. He appointed himself. The Secretary of Commerce in Alabama also appointed herself, Ellie Mc- Na- uh, McNear. Former congressman and current chairman of Mobile Chamber of Commerce, uh, Bradley Byrne, uh, he, uh, he appointed himself to the, the commission as well. Um, senate president in Wisconsin and others. A whole range of people. And what it is is about putting people in rooms, and we invite people over every year from, from the US In around the college football, as I said last year, I think we had 25 states, uh, coming over.

171. 0:56:53

     Trade commissioner, state legislators, sharing ideas and sharing outcomes. And I'll give you a very quick one before I finish, 'cause I know we're supposed to stick to three minutes. One of the ideas that came out of that is Ireland has a company that does free online training, uh, workforce training, and graduates 8,500 people per day for free around the world. And we all know how important workforce training is, getting people sk- skilled. And that would be one of the things that the Georgia-Ireland Trade Commission, and as well as the other commissioners, would work to see how that would benefit Georgia.

172. 0:57:23

     'Cause of course workforce training is a key, uh, element in economic development. Um, so that is part of it, but I think one of the key parts of this is about the support for the Good Friday Peace Agreement. We still have challenges in Ireland. There are still paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, nearly 15,000. The Irish and British government have appointed an interlocutor. But by building communities through trade, education, and, and of course, politics, uh, you're able to build better outcomes, uh, for this island and for the European Union, for Georgia, and for the United States of America.

173. 0:57:55

     So Chairman and senators, uh, thank you for allowing me to, uh, give a presentation to you today. And, uh, I'm delighted that the former Prime Minister who signed that Good Friday Agreement, uh, is able to join as well.

174. 0:58:10

     Thank you, Senator. Um, there's a lot of good information there. Uh, we, um, have the, uh, the Prime Minister next, I think. Is-

175. 0:58:19

     Yeah, uh, yeah

176. 0:58:19

     ... former Prime Minister.

177. 0:58:20

     Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who served as Prime Minister of Ireland from 1997 to 2008 and was the, uh, one of the key figures in negotiating, uh, the Good Friday Agreement, uh, which was a significant part of, uh, both, uh, of Ireland's history. So we're, we're honored to have you here, Mr. Prime Minister. If you could provide your testimony.

178. 0:58:46

     Uh, do you take it? Bertie, I think you're on mute.

179. 0:58:53

     Yeah. Thank you very much, Chairman. I appreciate the, the opportunity, uh, to join and support Representative Bonner and, uh, the leader of our Senate, Mark Daly. Um, j- j- just a few very brief points. I don't want to repeat what they've said, but I do want to thank you, Chairman, uh, and Georgia for the help and assistance they've given us, uh, over 30, 40 years in the Irish peace process. Uh, we have received tremendous support, uh, in the bad years, um, when we had, uh, all of the difficulties to, to deal with.

180. 0:59:28

     And, uh, that was only made possible by the huge support we got from both the US state and federal legislators, successive, uh, presidents and their administrations. And, um, I think a lot of the conflict and a lot of the problems that we had for, for 30 years that killed thousands of peoples would not have been, uh, overcome. Uh, while the difficulties today, they're small compared to, to what we had. So I want to put on record my thanks to you, your colleagues, and your people for that.

181. 0:59:58

     Um, I think the trade commission idea, thankfully nowadays Ireland is, is booming. We've, uh, a thousand global companies, um, in recent times have chosen to have their operations in, in Ireland. We're part of a market of 450 million people. We still have a special relationship with our colleague in the United Kingdom. As has been said, uh, this commission, uh, can cover both, uh, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Uh, we work together on most things, tourism, education, health, and many other areas in cooperation.

182. 1:00:33

     So, um, the, the, the trade commission idea, it's a simple enough idea, but, uh, it, it is, uh, giving us the opportunity to, to have a strategic gateway into Europe, um, into 450 million people. And that is allowing business to thrive, employment to thrive. Um, and I think that two-way, um, relationship between Georgia and Ireland, uh, will help in building on what's happened in, another state. So, um, we, we've looked at this.

183. 1:01:04

     I think Representative Bonner, I, I just agree with everything he said. Um, I, I think we can make this a good success and, and, and build it up. And it's not just in it helps communities in Ireland, but, uh, hopefully will also, uh, i- i- for Georgia. Uh, and it's not just economic. It, it's governmental. It's people-to-people links. It's education. So, uh, hopefully we can make a success of this, and appreciate yours- your interest, hopefully your support. Uh, and thank you very much for the time that you've afforded to us.

184. 1:01:37

     Thank you.

185. 1:01:39

     Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. Um, a lot of good information. Think we may need to get, um, Senator Burns to use his v- voice, uh, that he used a while ago, um, when we started this discussion. Um, got a few, got a few, uh, lights coming on here for some questions for you guys. Um, just if y'all bear with us for a minute while we, uh, while we get to these. Senator Burns.

186. 1:02:09

     Have you been to the Guinness Brewery? Have you?

187. 1:02:13

     I, I have not been to the Guinness Brewery.

188. 1:02:14

     Oh. It's a wonderful experience. All right, question. You indicated that there were other states that have these bilateral, um, agreements, trade commissions with Ireland. Is that correct?

189. 1:02:25

     That's correct.

190. 1:02:25

     And again, I, uh, think you said 26. Is that right?

191. 1:02:28

     20, 26, and, um, we've, uh-

192. 1:02:31

     And you identified several southeastern-

193. 1:02:33

     That's correct

194. 1:02:34

     ... states. Is that right?

195. 1:02:35

     That's correct.

196. 1:02:37

     Um, can you, can you share any concerns that have been expressed related to this request?

197. 1:02:46

     So, uh, there's been, um, there was some concern that this would in some way, uh, duplicate efforts. Um, we, I think we've addressed that. Um, it cer- uh, in our, our view it compliments those efforts. Um, that really has been the biggest, uh, there was, uh, you know, I think we addressed the concern of, of the, the cost of it. There, there is no cost to, to the government or the taxpayer. Um, and so I think we've addressed the concerns.

198. 1:03:16

     I think it just required a little bit of education, uh, on our part to ensure folks that this in no way is meant to replace or, um, on- step on anybody's toes, but simply to help the collective effort.

199. 1:03:31

     Thank you, Mr. Chair. Got any other questions? Thought I saw... Yes, ma'am, uh, Senator Anderson.

200. 1:03:41

     Thank you, Mr, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, line 67 into line 68 is establishing a trust fund, but it said, um, a- from appropriations by annual appropriations by the General Assembly. What, what

201. 1:03:58

     R- right

202. 1:03:59

     ... line

203. 1:04:00

     So, so the, it, it's, it'll be privately funded, but that, that money would have to go into the, through a state account. So it doesn't anticipate or request any appropriations. It just, the state would provide a vehicle for, uh, those funds to go into for this purpose.

204. 1:04:17

     So follow up, Mr. Chairman. So would, is there a financial report that is presented by this commission?

205. 1:04:23

     So every year in the, in the bill, it requires a report to be provided to the, the governor and to the legislature.

206. 1:04:30

     Okay. Thank you.

207. 1:04:33

     Senator Burns.

208. 1:04:34

     Just clarification, Mr. Chairman, uh, uh, following up on, uh, Senator Anderson's request. It doesn't prohibit an annual appropriation, but it does not anticipate one. Is that correct?

209. 1:04:46

     That, that's correct. Um, the, uh, w- the language had to be such that it fit into, into code and compliant, but there is no, um, request or anticipated or expected request for it.

210. 1:04:59

     Thank you. And so the, the funds would come from private donations-

211. 1:05:02

     That's correct

212. 1:05:03

     ... and, and be no cost to the Georgia taxpayer?

213. 1:05:05

     That's correct.

214. 1:05:06

     Thank you.

215. 1:05:09

     Any other questions? I wanna thank you, gentlemen, for, uh, showing up today. We, I'd indicated to, uh, Representative Bonner that we were gonna hear this. Uh, that does not, uh, this is not, uh, dead. Uh, we can revisit this. We've got a short window to work in, but we can revisit this and get some clarification. I appreciate y'all's time. Uh, Dr. Ben Wat- Senator Watson sitting to my right here, he showed me that it was 4:40 in the afternoon over there where you guys are. So y'all about to call, y'all are about to call it a day.

216. 1:05:41

     Well, we're actually going for a pint of Guinness, and I'd like to- ... apologize, Mr. Chairman, to, uh, Josh Bonner. He's been here three times. He's never got to the Guinness Brewery. The n- on the fourth visit, when the whole committee comes over, we'll make sure you get to the Guinness Brewery, uh, as well. 'Cause that, that was an, an, an unexplainable oversight on my behalf.

217. 1:06:00

     Thank you, gentlemen. We appreciate you, uh, coming into our meeting. Thank you, Representative, uh, for presenting this. Um, we can get together offline and, and talk, uh, about some of this, and I appreciate y'all's time here. Appreciate your afternoon, and I know everybody's looking forward to, uh, next Thursday. There's a lot at the end of the tunnels. Thank y'all. Stand adjourned.

218. 1:06:22

     Mr. Chairman, thank you.

219. 1:06:24

     Thank you.