Current location:world >>
Georgia may limit farm purchases by China 'agent'
world14749People have gathered around
IntroductionThe Georgia House of Representatives has passed and sent to the state Senate a bill that would ban a ...
The Georgia House of Representatives has passed and sent to the state Senate a bill that would ban any "agent" of China from buying farmland or land near military sites.
The House bill — SB420, passed on March 20 — is different from the one passed previously in the Georgia Senate.
The Senate bill would have expanded the ban to all foreign nationals who are not legal U.S. residents, to China and four other countries.
SB420 is similar to legislation attempted or passed in a few other states that aim to limit land ownership by citizens from China and several other countries.
The vote in the Georgia House was 97-67 along party lines, with most Republican members voting for it and most Democratic members against it.
Even though the bill bans "agent of a foreign government designated as a foreign adversary by the United States secretary of commerce", the house debate prior to the vote was primarily directed at China. By its definition, the foreign adversaries currently include China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Russia.
"An agent" is defined as a person who acts on behalf of the foreign government or a business domiciled in the country. The ban doesn't apply to residential property.
Democratic Representative Michelle Au questioned how to determine if someone is an agent of an adversarial government and accused the bill of being racist.
"Who's doing that investigation? What would trigger that suspicion? And would that be applied equally to everyone looking to buy or lease property?" Au asked. "These bills aim to weaponize racism, xenophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiment while wrapping itself in the cloak of national security and patriotism."
Representative Sam Park also questioned the logic of the bill. "I remain equally perplexed in that multiple Republican legislators have stated that this bill is focused on Chinese nationals while at the same time China remains one of the top trading partners for Georgia's agricultural exports that exceeded $5 .8 billion in 2023," he said.
"If you all really believe all the rhetoric that China is coming after America, would it not make sense for the state of Georgia to divest entirely and stop all trade with China? Or is that a step too far because it hurts your bottom line?" Park continued.
"Passage of this bill will cast a shadow of suspicion on any Asian or Hispanic-looking person who may want to purchase agricultural land or land near a military installation even if that person may be serving in our armed forces," he said.
Similar land laws passed last year in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas. The Florida land law was challenged in court, and the case is now before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
While the court is scheduled to hear the argument in April, it has also temporarily blocked its enforcement on the grounds that it might be preempted by federal law.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Cosmic Coverage news portal”。http://niger.adventistmissionjapan.org/html-91b399893.html
Related articles
Mexico proudly controls its energy but could find it hard to reach its climate goals
worldMEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s taking control of its oil sector from U.S. and British companies is taug ...
【world】
Read moreCopa 71 review: An enlightening documentary about REAL girl power, writes BRIAN VINER
worldRating:Copa 71 (PG, 90 mins)Rating:Irish Wish (93 mins)Even in my many years as a sports writer, I n ...
【world】
Read moreJULIE BURCHILL: Why I spread rumours about Kate
worldI blame Oscar Wilde; reading him at a formative age, his line ‘There is only one thing in the world ...
【world】
Read more
Popular articles
- The Latest
- JULIE BURCHILL: Why I spread rumours about Kate
- Queen Camilla praises Kate Middleton
- Rustle these up with Rosemary: My traditional steak and kidney pie
- Europeans share things about the American lifestyle that leave them absolutely baffled
- Emma Hayes blasts Jonas Eidevall's 'male aggression' after heated post
Latest articles
Goodbye to Scotland's answer to Liz Truss: How Sturgeon's short
8000 unvaccinated or partly vaccinated health workers were allowed to keep working
Core blimey: Bramley & butternut squash soup with gorgonzola cream
Ant and Dec discuss their emotional farewell to Saturday Night Takeaway after 22 years
I live on the Isle of Wight
Robin Goodfellow's racing tips: Best bets for Friday, April 12
LINKS
- Convicted scammer who victims say claimed to be a psychic, Irish heiress faces extradition to UK
- Man up for parole more than 2 decades after Dartmouth College professor stabbing deaths
- Plane passenger lifts the lid on WILD conspiracy theories surrounding Denver airport
- USA Basketball finalizing Paris Olympics roster, AP sources say
- The habits that add decades to your life
- Man up for parole more than 2 decades after Dartmouth College professor stabbing deaths
- Plane passenger lifts the lid on WILD conspiracy theories surrounding Denver airport
- 'I was afraid for my life' — Orlando Bloom puts himself in peril for new TV series
- Lab chief faces sentencing in Michigan 12 years after fatal US meningitis outbreak
- Convicted scammer who victims say claimed to be a psychic, Irish heiress faces extradition to UK