Sen. Wilkinson named Legislator of the Year

Sen. John Wilkinson (R – Toccoa) was recently named Legislator of the Year by the Rural Jobs Coalition, a nonpartisan organization that supports small, rural businesses and advocates around the country for policies that benefit rural economic growth.

Wilkinson was chosen as Legislator of the Year for his support of agribusiness and policies that help drive job creation, revitalization of small businesses and economic opportunities for small, rural communities across the state.

Wilkinson says being born and raised in rural Georgia, gives him a first-hand experience of the struggles small businesses face accessing affordable capital in order to grow operations and hire and retain a workforce.

The Georgia Agribusiness and Rural Jobs Act (GARJA) is one of many programs that Wilkinson has supported that provides growth opportunities for our rural businesses.

The GARJA, sponsored by Wilkinson during the 2017 Legislative Session, is a program that uses a tax credit for investors in rural funds to increase capital available to small businesses in rural Georgia.

These investments can be made in agribusiness, businesses dealing with healthcare, transportation, technology or other areas as deemed appropriate by the Department of Community Affairs.