Discussing the week of January 25th GA House of Representatives topics of importance:

Medical Marijuana and HB 712 The Georgia Economic Justice Act (http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/e...) sponsored by Rep. Bruce to Create a the Division of Supplier Diversity to manage a Minority and Women Business program. Joining Roger is William S Cannon V , the President of the Georgia Black Constructors Association, Tiffany Steward-Stanley (Roger's Communications Director) and Rodney J Littles, Roger's Legislative Aide who worked with Legislative Counsel to draft the Bill.

1. What does the Bill do?

Creates a Supplier Diversity Division in the Department of Administrative Services to implement a Supplier Diversity Program for the award of State contracts. The Bill establishes purchasing goals with women and minority owned business (MWBE) in the purchasing of goods and services by all State Agencies. The goals are established based upon a Statewide Disparity Study that analyzes the State’s procurement practices for a period of at least 3 years. If a statistical disparity is found in the award of Georgia’s contracts to ready, willing and able market area MWBEs then remedies will be recommended to correct the disparity. This program is modeled after the Georgia Minority Supplier Diversity Council’s program of Fortune 500 Georgia based companies.

2. Provide a short, concise statement as to why this piece of legislation is needed.

Georgia needs to conduct the Disparity Study and create the Division of Supplier Diversity to identify best practices that will that will help the State build programs to stimulate the economic growth of all of the State’s businesses. Thereby increasing the participation of Minority and Women owned businesses in the State’s contracts. The State will benefit by identifying industry practices to improve the State’s contracting process; increase the number of bidders on State’s contracts and lower the State’s procurement costs through increased competition.

3. Succinctly describe the opposition, if any, and what is says:

It has been alleged that the current GADOT program is putting majority owned companies out of business because so many MBEs are taking business away from their firms.

4. Does this bill have a fiscal note? If so, briefly describe the fiscal impact this legislation will have. The Disparity Study will cost from $750,000 to $1,200,000. The Division of Supplier Diversity’s budget is estimated to be $450,000 per year.