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Farmers plowed a step closer to seeking tax relief today on some of the crops they grow.
The House passed H.B. 1350 which calls for a constitutional amendment on November's ballot that would remove all property taxes from agricultural products on family farms.
Crops that would be exempted include all fruit and nut trees, bushes and plants, turf grass and sod, Christmas trees, plants and trees grown in nurseries, and all other crops that are in the hands of producers.
If approved by the voters in November the state would only lose approximately $2.5 million in revenue.
Supporters said that farmers need tax relief because, in many other states, there are no taxes on farm products' inventories, which puts Georgia agriculture at a disadvantage in the marketplace. They also said this would not only be good for farmers, but consumers as well because they could go into a supermarket and buy good Georgia produce.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 157 to 0 and now has to be approved by a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
Another piece of legislation taken up today was H.B. 873, which passed by a vote of 149 to 15,
and says statewide elected officials cannot send out mass mailings that includes their name, at the
public's expense, during an election.
To check on legislation click here