Georgia's business community has clearly defined what it considers the pillars of economic prosperity ahead of the next legislative session. High on the agenda are initiatives aimed at bolstering the rural economy, continual support for defense, and the preservation of vital tax credits for small businesses. At the Georgia Chamber Congressional Luncheon, held at the Classic Center in Athens, Chris Clark, President and CEO, underscored the importance of extending small business tax credits. "If Congress doesn’t act, then you’re gonna see mom-and-pop small businesses in every little town in Georgia have federal tax rates that will be higher than the big international companies that are operating in Georgia," Clark told WABE.
Democratic Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr. wishes to see legislation that will to effectively protect the state's agricultural sector. Bishop emphasized the current strains on farmers saying, "Farm producers are very, very stressed because of inflation, input cost and natural disasters." On the defense front, Republican Rep. Austin Scott highlighted the expanding mission scope of military bases to include emerging areas such as cyberspace. "Cyberspace and things that were not missions a few years ago are going to become a bigger part of the mission set going forward," Scott said in the same WABE interview.
The luncheon also surfaced views on other economic levers. Amanda Schroeder from the Georgia Research Alliance suggested that creating pathways between universities and companies is crucial for the state's future success. "I think if we can create some pipelines from our universities to the needs of our companies and helping develop the skill sets for the future, that will help retain recent grads here, as well as helping [to] meet the needs of the demands for our companies," Schroeder mentioned. The Georgia State Senate-elect Rashaun Kemp, meanwhile, placed emphasis on fair pay, asserting that adequate wages are essential for sustaining "healthy and happy lives."
Yet, for all the strategic priorities highlighted, small enterprises still face significant hurdles. Lisa Guadalupe Clarke, who leads both ATL Search Group and Latinas Rise, pointed out the financial challenges for small business saying, "When it comes to small businesses, we need nontraditional loans because a lot of times, banks won't fund us to continue in our entrepreneurial journey." These sentiments as well as the priorities laid out during the gathering, reflect a broader consensus on the direction Georgia business leaders believe the state should be heading in order to preemptively weather potential economic challenges.
