(Editor’s note: This is an exclusive InsiderAdvantage interview by staff writer Jim Kingston with new Georgia House of Representatives Majority Leader Jon Burns, R-Newington.)
1) When you took office in 2005, did you ever think you would eventually be chosen by your colleagues as leader of the state House Republican caucus? As a follow-up, what or who prompted you to offer for the position?
It is truly an honor to serve as House Majority Leader. Although this was not a specific goal of mine, I have always wanted to serve this caucus and our state to the best of my ability. I also had the great fortune of learning from other leaders, past and present, who have worked tirelessly to implement the best long-term policy solutions for our state. Their examples, and my strong relationship with our caucus members, inspired me to offer my name for consideration.
2) As majority leader, what are your legislative priorities for the 2016 General Assembly session?
My priority is to ensure Georgia remains a great place to live, to hold a good job, and to feel secure raising a family. From an economic standpoint, my legislative priorities are to promote responsible economic growth, foster innovation and allow businesses to invest in their employees and their communities. From a budgetary standpoint, our spending is back to its 2008 levels, even though our state’s population is nearly 10% greater than it was in 2008. That means our state is serving its citizens with much greater efficiency than it was just seven years ago. With a state population that now exceeds 10 million residents, it will be my priority to ensure we continue to make state government work better and more efficiently for all Georgians.
We are committed to providing the best educational opportunities for our young people, so they can aspire to a better quality of life. I believe there will be discussions about what we can do to combat the rising cost of tuition and fees at our colleges and universities. I am very proud of our institutions of higher education in this state, and I want to make sure that a quality higher education continues to be affordable and accessible for Georgians. In addition, I anticipate we will begin discussions on comprehensive tax reform. In the process, we will consider whether changes need to be made to our current mix of income, sales and property taxes to promote and sustain economic growth.
3) You are from Newington, a town with less than 400 residents, and you work in Atlanta. What should the rest of the state know about Newington? Are there still two different Georgias?
Newington is an idyllic South Georgia town in Screven County. Like many small towns, it is anchored by a post office, and a community bank and communications company, both vibrant and successful. Although my mailing address is Newington, I actually live a few miles south of town in northern Effingham County on the family farm where the Burns family has lived and worked for five generations. We have a strong connection to our church, which has bound our community together for 156 years.
With respect to your second question, I believe the people of Georgia are basically the same no matter where they reside. We all want the best opportunity to have good jobs, to raise a family and to achieve personal goals. We want our children to have a better quality of life, and I believe the conservative, common sense principles championed by Republican leaders in this state have helped provide the best opportunities for all Georgians, rural and urban.
4) Your occupation has been in agribusiness and you have been a champion of rural legislative concerns. What about urban concerns, such as traffic congestion in Atlanta? What are some of your specific legislative concerns with that issue? For example, do you favor public-private road-building partnerships and new lanes being converted into variable toll roads to help relieve congestion?
Agribusiness is a powerful and diverse economic driver in our state, and I am proud to have worked in this industry during my career. From this experience and my service on the Georgia Department of Transportation Board, I have seen just how economically connected the rural and urban regions of our state are. Transportation is a perfect example. My business depends upon having a reliable transportation infrastructure to deliver our products to customers. As a result, I believe having a broad mixture of businesses is vital to long-term economic success and ensuring a high quality of life for all Georgians. And I firmly believe we need to consider innovative solutions to solve the complex transportation problems in our most congested regions. Doing so will continue to foster economic development in every corner of our state.
5) Attached to the transportation funding bill that passed is a controversial $5 hotel/motel room tax that critics say is unfair and especially hurts small hotel/motel operators. Do you favor repealing this part of the law?
I supported passage of HB 170 and voted for it, because I believe it is an effective and fair mechanism for addressing our state’s dire transportation needs. This provision was intended to lessen the tax burden on Georgians by capturing revenue from out-of-state visitors who use our transportation infrastructure. That said, we will monitor the implementation of this provision and the impacts it has on our tourism industry.
6) Do you favor repealing the $200 fee imposed on alternative fuel vehicles?
Not at this time, because I prefer we first see how this measure works before we consider changing it. One of the reasons I supported HB 170 was that it intends to fund roads primarily through user fees. Because our roads are funded by a tax on gasoline and diesel, folks driving electric cars were using state roads at the expense of taxpayers who drove gas operated vehicles. HB 170 closed the loophole, so that all drivers share responsibility to fund our roads. To me, it’s a fairness issue.
7) The religious liberty bill, designed to protect individuals’ religious rights from government regulation, will be back again next January. The Senate passed the bill, it stalled in the House. Do you favor passage of the Senate version?
From time to time, we see legislative proposals that pit core values against each other. As it stands, this proposal is such an example. Proponents seek to protect against religious discrimination and opponents fear the measure may open the door to allow for discrimination against certain individuals. Our caucus believes in protecting liberty – both personal and religious. Leadership is not about checking the box, but it is about getting things done right. I believe the legislative process can get this right and produce a measure that protects both religious and individual liberties.
8) The recently-concluded state GOP convention passed a resolution urging the legislature to deny driver’s licenses to illegal aliens given “deferred status” by the Obama administration. Do you agree?
The federal government has failed to offer comprehensive, actionable immigration reform that secures our borders while keeping America the land of opportunity. I think we would all be better off if the President works with Congress to address this critical issue which is impacting every state in the nation.
9) Do you have a favorite candidate yet for the 2016 Republican Party presidential nomination?
Not yet. We have a large group of very talented candidates, and I will be watching the primary process closely to determine which candidate is best for our state and our country.
10) Is Georgia prepared for the next round of BRAC?
As majority leader, I realize just how important our military bases are to our national defense and to our state’s economy. Moreover, military bases do not exist in a vacuum. They are woven into the fabric of their communities. BRAC isn’t an abstract policy talking point. It has serious and real implications for every community that may lose a base or receive personnel cuts. As a result, I will work with our U.S. Congressmen and Senators, as well as the Governor’s Defense Initiative, to ensure that our state government is doing all it can to protect our military installations and the Georgia communities they support. Georgia is immensely proud of our role in supporting our national defense and the brave men and women who wear the uniform.
11) Tell us about serving in a House super-majority? What are the challenges?
We are actually just shy of a super-majority and currently have a number of vacant seats in the Georgia House to be filled by special elections. That said, we are fortunate to have a strong conservative majority in Georgia and our work has limited government and afforded opportunity for Georgia families. In a caucus as large as ours, the challenge is to ensure each voice is heard, while prioritizing those policies consistent with our conservative agenda that has served Georgia so well under Republican leadership.
12) How involved should the taxpayers be in the creation of the new Falcons and Braves stadium? Does the state government really need to play any role at all?
Those stadiums will be funded from a mixture of private funding and local tax revenues/incentives. As a result, the state government will not have a significant role in financing those stadiums. I am optimistic, however, that the state as a whole will benefit from the economic activity generated by those venues.
13) The state Government chose not to accept the federal Medicaid expansion, some conservative states did. Is there a middle ground or any room to compromise on this issue? As a follow-up how does outcome the Supreme Court case King v. Burwell effect Georgia?
Georgia, like most states, has struggled to meet the numerous challenges posed by the President’s “experiments” with our nation’s healthcare and insurance systems. Governor Deal has worked to provide care for Georgians without putting our state in a perilous financial condition. Federal funding, even when promised, can be unreliable. Georgia’s transportation dollars are at risk right now because Congress has not found a way to fund the Federal Highway Trust Fund.
I expect that the General Assembly will continue to support Governor Deal’s leadership on this important matter.
