SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - On Tuesday night lawmakers made a late amendment to House Bill 170, one that has one Georgia industry worried about negative long-term effects.
The amendment is a five dollar tax that would be levied on customers getting a hotel room state-wide. According to leaders with the Tourism Leadership Council, if signed into law, the measure would go into effect on July 1.
The move by state legislators has really caught people representing the lodging aspect of the tourism industry off-guard. They've been trying to flood the governor's office with calls, trying to get him to veto the bill, but with no luck so far.
“This was not researched, not vetted for ramifications, and we believe those ramifications are actually pretty substantial,” said Michael Owens, president and CEO of the Tourism Leadership Council.