Fifteen members of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce visited with the county's legislators and came away with a better understanding of several pertinent issues.

After posing for a photograph with Gov. Roy Barnes, a working lunch was held in the Legislative building at which Sen. Rick Price, Sen. Greg Hecht, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland and Rep. Kathy Cox explained the various measures now before the legislature and the possible impact of them on Fayette County.

Rep. Westmoreland brought out the points in the bill proposed by Gov. Barnes, S.B. 57, "The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority". A full reading of the bill can be found on the Internet at www.georgianet.org/cgi- bin/pub/leg/legdoc?billname=1999/SB57.

Commissioner of Labor, Michael Thurmond, also spoke and stated that since there was $1 billion in the Workman's Compensation fund, Gov. Barnes has proposed that $200,000 to $300,000 per year can be used to reduce the tax rates each year through 2003. It was felt that the lower tax rates could be an incentive for companies to relocate to Georgia and the existing businesses could use the savings to expand.

The tax rates proposed under S.B. 222 can be found at the above web address, changing the Senate bill number to SB222.

"The Workforce Investment Act" will be a new act that will consolidate 30 individual groups that target education for the unskilled. Each county will have WFI and the members in each county will be appointed by the chairman of it's county commissioners. Thurmond encouraged the chamber members to be in touch with their county officials and ask for appointment to WFI.

He pointed out that the WFI has the potential for significant and positive changes in a workforce development system by consolidating and streamlining employment and training programs. It would lead to a customer-driven, business-led system of workforce development services, he said.