As the President travels to Plains and Atlanta on Thursday, Governor Brian Kemp will be making his way to Cornelia. The governor is scheduled to visit the Home of the Big Red Apple tomorrow to sign into law ten bills sponsored by area legislators.
House District 10 State Rep. Victor Anderson of Alto tells Now Habersham he invited the governor to Cornelia. The city was hit by a ransomware attack last December, making it an appropriate backdrop for the governor to sign Anderson’s cybersecurity bill.
House Bill 134 excludes government meetings on cybersecurity contracting and planning from open meeting requirements. It also “exempts from public inspection” any document or plan relating to cybersecurity devices, programs, or systems.
While his cybersecurity bill — soon to be law — likely won’t stop cyberattacks, Anderson says it will provide some protection to local governments by allowing them to “discreetly” put into place plans and systems that can prevent such attacks.
“Basically, you won’t have to disclose your vulnerability while you are trying to minimize and protect from the threat,” Anderson says.
In addition to the cybersecurity bill, Gov. Kemp is expected to sign into law a bill sponsored by freshman District 50 State Senator Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia) regarding revenue and taxation. He’s also expected to sign bills sponsored by House District 28 State Rep. Chris Erwin (R-Homer), creating a new charter for the town of Mt. Airy and restructuring the Stephens County Board of Elections.
Lawmakers from Rabun and other neighboring counties will also be in attendance as Kemp signs their bills into law.
The signing ceremony begins at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 29, at Cornelia City Hall. The public is invited to attend.
