Georgia CommonsSenate Finance Committee, March 26, 2026
2025-2026 Regular Session · 450 CAP · 21 min
This is a machine transcript of the General Assembly's video, made by a speech-recognition model. It is not an official record and can mishear words, names, and numbers. Speakers are not identified. The video is the record: every timestamp links to the moment it plays.
The video is the General Assembly's, played from its Vimeo channel. Select any time below to play that moment. Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Agenda
Summary
Written by an AI model (gpt-6.1-sol) from the transcript. It is not part of the record, and the video is what was said.
The committee unanimously approved HB 248 after the chair said its language had been corrected, without another presentation on its substance. The committee also unanimously approved HB 186, presented as a data-center tax exemption measure without previously added utility provisions. Members discussed the cost of data-center tax benefits and whether to include another exemption provision scheduled to expire in 2028. No amendment was adopted before the vote. The chair then adjourned the meeting.
Bills discussed (2)
Each account covers the stretch of the meeting it names. The bill's number is said in that stretch, unless it was the only bill on a committee's agenda.
HB 248. Income tax; tax credit for certain expenses incurred by taxpayers for certain geothermal machinery installations at residential dwellings; provide
From 0:12:07 · turns 8 to 31
The chair said the language had been corrected and members had copies, so another presentation was unnecessary. No substantive explanation or questions followed. The committee unanimously approved a motion to recommend passage, then discussed which senator would carry the bill.
HB 186. Revenue and taxation; eliminate title ad valorem tax fee requirement for certain inherited vehicles
From 0:13:33 · turns 34 to 79
The chair described a 23-line version containing previously considered data-center language, without utility provisions added earlier. The chair said existing participants would continue through 2032. One committee member urged passage into law, saying state data-center subsidies exceeded $1 billion and local governments had probably contributed a similar amount. The member argued those resources could support healthcare, education and other needs, and said data centers would continue coming to Georgia without the incentives. The chair said the state share of computer-equipment and data-center exemptions exceeded one month of Georgia income-tax collections, with a nearly equal local share. Another member asked whether a separate exemption provision would remain unchanged and expire in 2028. The chair confirmed that and said the original language addressed only the other provision. Members later considered including the separate provision, but disagreed about whether doing so would extend its expiration to 2032. No amendment was adopted. The committee unanimously approved a motion to recommend passage.
Transcript
84 turns. Select a time to play that moment of the video.
- 0:11:19
Today.
- 0:11:19
Put it number one in your heart. How about that?
- 0:11:23
10, okay.
- 0:11:25
Oh, yeah. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, what a great day, what a beautiful day outside. You give us, Heavenly Father, we just ask you to give us the guidance and wisdom, Lord, to make the decisions for the, the right decisions, Heavenly Father, for the people of Georgia. Provide us with wisdom, courage, and moderation as we deliberate on these bills. In your Son's name we pray, amen.
- 0:11:43
Amen.
- 0:11:43
Amen.
- 0:11:45
All right. Um, we've got a bill here that, uh, apparently some language had gotten, uh, incorrect on a rules bill, and so we're trying to fix it in this committee. I'd made, made a place marker for whatever might happen, and I was hoping not to use it today.
- 0:12:03
This will be quick.
- 0:12:04
But this should be a quick meeting. So we've got, um, House Bill 248. Um, I think we've all agreed that the language is correct now and you've got a copy of it and you agree the language is correct. We probably don't need you to te- testify again.
- 0:12:20
We're just, uh, perfecting it.
- 0:12:22
Um, any, uh, any comments anybody has on this bill?
- 0:12:28
Make a motion.
- 0:12:28
Make a motion.
- 0:12:30
No, no.
- 0:12:31
Make a motion.
- 0:12:32
I'm, I'm tired, I'm tired of meeting. I think we're ready for a motion.
- 0:12:35
Do pass.
- 0:12:36
We, we've got a motion from, uh, Senator Albers, a second from Senator Anavitarte. Um, all in favor, raise your hand. All right, motion carried unanimously. Um, and your Senate sponsor?
- 0:12:53
This one.
- 0:12:54
Okay. You still trust him?
- 0:12:57
I do.
- 0:12:58
Okay.
- 0:12:58
He, he can do it. I mean, I got plenty to do.
- 0:13:00
No, no. I'm not, I'm not lobbying, don't get me wrong. Senator Anavitarte, the majority leader, will be the sponsor. We've got one other item.
- 0:13:08
Can I make a suggestion? Have Shawn carry that.
- 0:13:11
Yes, that's agreed, yes.
- 0:13:12
Yes.
- 0:13:13
There'll be a Senator Still.
- 0:13:14
Senator Still will be one. Yes. That's it. Thanks.
- 0:13:17
Okay.
- 0:13:18
Thank you, Andrew.
- 0:13:19
For your help.
- 0:13:20
All right, we've got one other item, um-
- 0:13:23
There you go
- 0:13:23
... that, uh, that we've already done before, only it had some other language tagged onto it. Um, this is, um, now gonna be House Bill 186, has got Senator Brass, our chairman of rules, language in there that he had on the data centers, but nothing about, um, utilities or any of that language that had been on there, that had been added to it. So it's a pretty short bill.
- 0:13:55
23 lines, just says everybody in will continue through 2032, as we had passed out before. Any, any comments you want to-
- 0:14:06
Yeah, we have a couple comments, Mr. Chairman.
- 0:14:07
Okay.
- 0:14:09
Well, first, I know we've already passed this bill, um, related to, uh, tax credits re- you know, related to data centers and, um, you know, overall. I, as I was telling the chairman and I told our colleagues, in the bigger picture, um, you know, it is my hope that, you know, the Senate has already taken up this aspect of this bill. I hope the House will take up this bill. I would like to see this sent to the governor.
- 0:14:40
Um, this is another, um, one of those bills, just like I was telling everybody across the street about, you know, cancer and CON patients. It's common sense, and it's pretty crazy that we're sitting around a table having a debate whether CON should apply to cancer patients no matter where you live. Um, this is another one of those common sense things where, um, when the government and the state government's getting over a billion dollars, well over a billion dollars in subsidies related to these data centers, and at the same time, um, you know, we're seeing local governments over time have probably contributed just as much.
- 0:15:17
That's money that goes back into the economy. That's m- money that can go back into other investments. Um, and as we sit here and we debate the budget, that's money that can go back and settle a lot of these bu- budget, uh, debates that we're having under this building. So it is my hope that the, the leaders and the legislators in this building figure out, figure out a way to come together, get this bill done, send a message to Georgians that we're gonna not just give their money back, but we're going to invest it properly in the things that we need to invest, whether it's healthcare, education, whatever the issue is in metro Atlanta or rural Georgia, um, and that we end something that is not popular with the people of Georgia.
- 0:16:01
Um, and you know, these companies are still gonna come here. We've already had so much debate on this. With all the data, with all the studies, these data centers are gonna come here. And so when we talk about something that has grown to over a billion dollars with a B, um, I think the citizens expect more of us to get this done. And you know, if we can't get it done, then they should hold this building accountable for not getting it done. So Mr. Chairman, as we move this bill one more time through committee and one more time through the Senate, um, I hope the Senate and the House, um, and, uh, the executive branch can find a way to get this done or get something close to this done to help the people of Georgia, um, because that is what they expect, that is what they demand.
- 0:16:50
Um, and I look forward to collaborating with anybody who would like to get this done and not just, um, take the bills that we've already passed as a win, because until it's law, in my book, across the finish line, that is not a win. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
- 0:17:04
Thank, thanks for the comments. And while this bill takes a while to get fully implemented, we did look at the numbers on the computer equipment and the, the, uh, data center exemption, and the total amount, and of course there's a local share that's almost equal to this, but the total amount of just the state share is more than a month's revenue Of all the income tax that Georgia collects, it's a very significant, uh, amount of money for a, for, you know, a very few. And, um, I think it's something we certainly need to address.
- 0:17:38
I have a question.
- 0:17:38
Sure. Mr. Chairman, I got just a question. So I know when we were dealing with this, we were dealing with, um, OCGA 48-8-368 and 68.1. This does nothing to 68, right? It just lets it sunset in 2020-
- 0:17:53
Right
- 0:17:53
... 9 or 2028 like it would have.
- 0:17:55
2028, yeah.
- 0:17:56
Okay. Gotcha. Was there a reason why we didn't? I just, I, I can go along with that, I just wondering why.
- 0:18:01
I mean, I think we could, we could look at it either way, but I think we had quickly gotten together the original language, which it was only 68.1.
- 0:18:12
Mr. Chairman, if I have the time, I'd like to make a motion. Okay. Any other questions anybody has? Um, if not, you better hurry. We're talking data centers. Uh, not, not your bill that stopped it all immediately. Oh, somebody else's? Uh, one that gradually does. Um, go ahead. The floor is yours, Senator Anderson, for a motion. I make motion to do pass.
- 0:18:38
Second.
- 0:18:39
Got a second by Senator Albers. Guys, I don't, uh, I don't have a phone in here.
- 0:18:43
It's okay.
- 0:18:44
Uh-huh. Okay. There we go. She's done. Thank you. Discussion? Discussion, yes. It's up to the Senate.
- 0:18:55
Let's- Just give her a minute. All right. I was trying to make this a record meeting, but it's- ... already failed. I, I know. People have been asking me. I said, "10 minutes. 10 minutes." 160.
- 0:19:07
Leave the previous question.
- 0:19:13
And we already did the, the, the gun storage bill. That was the first item. Mm-hmm. So it's 168.
- 0:19:20
We can move both of them. Right?
- 0:19:23
186. Well, how many- 186, correct. What is this? Mr. Chairman, while she's looking- 69. Is there a reason why we didn't- I don't, won't this still apply to 68? I, I think that would probably make an, uh, appropriate amendment if you wanted to make that.
- 0:19:41
While she's looking at it. It wouldn't hurt.
- 0:19:44
I, I just asked why we didn't want it to apply to OCGA 48-3, 48-8-368 to-
- 0:19:49
It's gonna put them out a couple more years-
- 0:19:51
As long as you can-
- 0:19:52
... by doing that. 'Cause they end in '28. So if you do that, aren't you taking them to '32?
- 0:19:59
No.
- 0:20:00
I don't know if you want to do that.
- 0:20:01
You don't. That would just go one-
- 0:20:05
I can't do the amendment that quickly on the floor, guys.
- 0:20:07
Okay.
- 0:20:07
Just there was a time when I could-
- 0:20:09
Yeah
- 0:20:09
... when I was younger.
- 0:20:10
You're, you're getting old, you're saying?
- 0:20:12
Get that train coming down the mountain.
- 0:20:13
Say, I've got a few more bills on my plate right this minute.
- 0:20:16
Yeah. All right.
- 0:20:17
I would love to be able to do it to '68 as well.
- 0:20:19
All right. Well, we're, we've had a motion and a second. Um, we're gonna go ahead and call the question. All in favor of the bill, raise your hand. All right. Everybody... All right, passes unanimously. That's the last item of business. Meeting adjourned. Uh, thank you all for your work this year.
- 0:20:41
Last finance meeting.
- 0:20:42
Thank
- 0:21:12
you, Mr. Chairman.
- 0:21:13
Thank you-