Lawmakers Huddle: New Georgia laws let truckers carry heavier loads and have hunters seeing pink

Caption

Georgia state Rep. Leesa Hagan (R-Lyons, left) with Carly Lennig of Gwinnett County, who helped create a new law to allow hunters to wear fluorescent pink hunting garments.

Credit: Photo courtesy of Leesa Hagan

The trucks barreling down local roads can now carry heavier loads.     

In this week’s Lawmakers Huddle, GPB’s Donna Lowry talks to state Rep. Leesa Hagan about the reason for the change and why she pushed to make sure some hunters may see pink. 

TRANSCRIPT: 

Donna Lowry: A new law now allows trucks carrying heavy loads on Georgia roads to increase the weight limit from 84,000 to 88,000 pounds. The move makes Georgia more competitive with its neighboring states in boosting the state's agricultural economy.  

Joining me is state Rep. Leesa Hagen of Lyons in Southeast Georgia. She is chair of the House Rural Development Committee.  Welcome to Lawmakers Huddle.  

Leesa Hagan: Thank you so much, Donna. I'm happy to be here.  

Donna Lowry: During the session, a bipartisan group united to seek increased allowable weights for trucks in Georgia. Tell us what was all about.

Leesa Hagan: OK, well, this was a much different situation than we experienced two years ago in the 2023 session when we first introduced this increase. I think that bill may have passed with 91 votes in the House. It was very close. We were a little bit nervous about what we would face this year. And — and the main thing this bill does is it maintains the 88,000-pound limit. It just removes the two-year sunset so we don't have to revisit it every two years. We were kind of expecting that we might have a fight over it, and there just wasn't one.  

Donna Lowry: What was the difference?  

Leesa Hagan: Being realistic about it, we did carve out, I think, 13 counties in metro Atlanta two years ago. That's still in place because, y'know, we could see the concern of having these large trucks move through the metro area where there's already so much traffic. We worked hard to make everybody as comfortable with it as possible two years ago, and I think they are comfortable with it, which is why you didn't see the pushback that we were concerned may happen.  

Donna Lowry: And the repeal of the law went through easily. I want to change gears a little bit to talk about what I call a fun bill. And that is your neon pink legislation (House Bill 167). You championed allowing hunters to wear pink safety vests.  

Leesa Hagan: A young lady, high schooler in Gwinnett County, had this idea. She's a hunter. She likes to go with her dad and her brother. She didn't like orange. She wondered, "Why can't I wear pink? Why do I have to wear orange?" So, she did her research and she found that other states did allow pink. So, she and her dad contacted their representative, who is our House Majority Leader, Chuck Efstration. And he knew that I might have an interest for two reasons. One being a former teacher and another being a hunter myself. I decided to run with it. And when you talk about, is it heavy-hitting legislation? No, it's not. But it taught a young person how the process works. She was with me the whole way through. She testified in committee twice, the House and Senate, and she was there when the governor signed her bill into law. So, more important than hunters having the option to wear pink now, there is a young woman in Gwinnett County who now has a full understanding of the process. And I think we might possibly see her serving at the Gold Dome one day. 

Donna Lowry: That is amazing. I know you've done some hunting. Have you bought a pink neon vest yet?  

Leesa Hagan: I have not yet. I've already got my pink hat that I was given by the young lady. She brought that one to me and to the governor when it was signed. So, I do have my pink hat; I may keep wearing my orange vest. We'll just have to wait and see. But you know, I suggested to some retailers, "You know, you might want to look into stocking some pink hunting gear because there's going to be people that are going to want that pink." And, sales tax. It's a good thing. We need people to get out and commit some commerce.  

Donna Lowry: Chairwoman Leesa Hagan of the Georgia House Rural Development Committee, thanks for joining me on Lawmakers Huddle.  

Leesa Hagan: You're welcome. Thanks for having me. I appreciate you so much.  

Donna Lowry: You'll hear more of Rep. Hagan in the extended version of this interview on GPB's Battleground Ballot Box podcast. For Lawmakers Huddle, I'm Donna Lowry.