A new Georgia law now allows trucks to carry up to 88,000 pounds on non-interstate roads, a move aimed at supporting the state's top industry, agriculture, while maintaining a carve-out for metro Atlanta. Representative Leesa Hagan explains the bipartisan effort behind the change and shares how a young hunter helped inspire a new law allowing neon pink safety gear in the field.

Donna Lowry: The trucks barreling down local roads can now carry heavier loads. That’s because a repeal of the law banning large loads on non-interstate highways took effect this month. 

The new law now allows trucks to carry to 88,000 pounds – up from 84,000

 

The move makes Georgia more competitive with its neighboring states in terms of boosting the state's agricultural economy.

 

Joining me is representative Leesa Hagen of Lyons in Southeast Georgia. She is chair of the House Rural Development Committee.

 

Donna Lowry: 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 haul weight  for trucks in Georgia. Tell us what was behind all of that.

 

Leesa Hagan: Okay, well, this was a much different situation than we experienced two years ago in the 2023 session when we first introduced this increase. It was, and I believe that year, that bill to increase the truck weight variance to 88,000 pounds for the maximum load, I think that bill may have passed with 91 votes in the House. I can't remember for sure, but it was very close. So, we were a little bit nervous about what we would face this year. 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: I'm speculating here because we really didn't talk about it that much. There wasn't anybody interested in talking about it. I think because people were concerned about the increase and what type of wear and tear that might have on some of our roads. And also some people were concern about safety issues. And over the two years that... The initial truck weight increase bill was in effect; we just didn't see those issues appear the way some people thought we might. And so I think a lot of people that had issue with the bill two years ago, just they didn't have the same concerns, which I'm very happy that it happened that way because of course we don't want to have um, more negative impact on our roads, but at the same time, those trucks are moving products that we need to get out of the fields and out of the forest. Agriculture is our number one industry here in Georgia. And so we have to move those products out.

 

Donna Lowry: Explain how important moving these agriculture products is to the economy for Georgia.

 

Leesa Hagan: Sure, well a lot of these products are shipped across state lines into other parts of the state and so it's very important to be able to get them to the point at which they're going to be distributed further and get to the market. And you know we have a shortage of large truck drivers, CDLs, and so there was the need to be able to put more on an individual truck and get it moved out. In a lot of the cases, we're talking about produce. We don't have time to wait. It's got to get to market while it's good. And that was a concern. Plus, with timber being, I think Georgia is still the number one producer of timber in the country, which a lot people don't realize that. But when you look around Georgia, there are trees everywhere. And, you know, they're constantly, especially down here in South Georgia, constantly being cut, harvested, shipped out, and then those forests are being replanted. Being realistic about it, we did carve out, I think, 13 counties in Metro Atlanta two years ago. That's still in place because we could see the concern of having these large trucks move through the metro area where there's already so much traffic. So I think 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: Yeah. So the repeal just went through the numbers in terms of the vote were amazing in terms of what you were able to do. And that carve out for the 13 counties in the metro area probably made a big difference. So what you're explaining is that will continue.

 

Leesa Hagan: Yes.

 

Donna Lowry: Okay. And let's one last thing I want to get into the competitiveness. I don't think people understand why Georgia cares about moving things faster compared to neighboring states.

 

Leesa Hagan: We want to be the best,  if we can. And we are the best at a lot of things. But this was really about equaling the playing field with surrounding states. They allow heavier truck passage through their state than we did. There were situations where we may not be able to have trucks from other states come across our lines when necessary. And, you know, we're also realizing that we could be moving more at more product into other states than we were, but because we had our weight limit set at 80,000 pounds in Georgia, we were not able to realize that and it just leveled the playing field.There's always wear and tear on a road you can tell when you drive down I-16 which lane the trucks are normally in it's that right lane. It's bumpier. That happens that's progress. That's moving product out of the fields and out of forest to the ports and wherever they may need to be.  I'm very happy that we were able to get it done in a bipartisan way without the controversy that we, we were concerned we may see.

 

Donna Lowry: I want to change gears a little bit to talk about what I call a fun bill. And that is your neon pink legislation during the session. You championed allowing hunters to wear pink safety vests. And a young woman asked you to sponsor that legislation. Tell us about that.

 

Leesa Hagan: Sure. I'm a former teacher. So anytime I see young people interested in engaging in the process, that's very exciting to me. So, a young lady, high schooler in Gwinnett County, had this idea. She's a hunter. She likes to go with her dad and her She didn't like orange. She wondered, why can't I wear orange? I mean, why I can't 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 in that legislation for two reasons. One being a former teacher and another being a hunter myself. So... 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. What I also liked is the levity it brought to some, sometimes there are really heavy days at the Capitol. And even in committee and on the floor of some of the chambers, they joked about it. So it was that, too. 

 

Leesa Hagan: It was. I think it was a reminder that everything we do is not partisan, controversial. That there are a lot of things that we do at the Capitol. In fact, I would say most things that we do it the Capitol we are in agreement on most of us and we work together to get things done that'll benefit Georgians.

 

Donna Lowry: I know you've done some hunting. Have you received your pink vest? Have you bought a pink neon vest?

 

Leesa Hagan: I have not yet. I don't think anybody's required to wear pink when hunting until deer season starts this fall. So, 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, but 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, you know, sales tax. It's a good thing. We need people to get out and commit some commerce.

 

Donna Lowry: It was fun to talk to you about it then. It is fun talking to you about it now and all the work that you do at the Capitol. I appreciate that. It keeps you busy. So Chairwoman Lisa 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: For Lawmakers' Huddle, I'm Donna Lowry.

Tags: Hunting  Agriculture  Georgia