Georgia Amendment 1, Portion of Revenue from Outdoor Recreation Equipment Sales Tax Dedicated to Land Conservation Fund Amendment (2018)

Elections in Georgia, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
• Early voting: Oct. 15 - Nov. 2
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: Photo ID required
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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Georgia Amendment 1
Election date November 6, 2018
Topic Environment
Status a Approved
Type Constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature
List of Georgia measuresGeorgia Amendment 1Georgia Amendment 2Georgia Amendment 3Georgia Amendment 4Georgia Amendment 5Georgia Referendum AGeorgia Referendum BSubmit

Georgia Amendment 1, the Portion of Revenue from Outdoor Recreation Equipment Sales Tax Dedicated to Land Conservation Fund Amendment, was on the ballot in Georgia as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 6, 2018. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported amending the state constitution to authorize the legislature to dedicate up to 80 percent of revenue from the sales and use tax on outdoor recreation equipment to the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund to fund land conservation.

A "no" vote opposed amending the state constitution to authorize the legislature to dedicate up to 80 percent of revenue from the sales and use tax on outdoor recreation equipment to the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund to fund land conservation.

Election results

Georgia Amendment 1
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		3,161,607	82.89%
No		652,560	17.11%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Amendment 1:

“

Without increasing the current state sales tax rate, shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to create the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund to conserve lands that protect drinking water sources and the water quality of rivers, lakes, and streams; to protect and conserve forests, fish, wildlife habitats, and state and local parks; and to provide opportunities for our children and families to play and enjoy the outdoors, by dedicating, subject to full public disclosure, up to 80 percent of the existing sales tax collected by sporting goods stores to such purposes without increasing the current state sales tax rate?

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for Amendment 1 was as follows:

“

This proposal authorizes the General Assembly to provide for an annual allocation of up to 80 percent of the revenue derived from the state sales and use tax collected by sporting goods stores to a trust fund to be used for the protection and preservation of conservation land. Any law adopted pursuant to this proposal shall provide for automatic repeal not more than ten years after its effective date; however, such repeal date may be extended for a maximum of ten additional years. It amends Article Ill, Section IX, Paragraph VI of the Georgia Constitution by adding a new subparagraph (p). A copy of this entire proposed constitutional amendment is on file in the office of the judge of the probate court and is available for public inspection.

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Article III, Georgia Constitution

Amendment 1 amended section 9 of Article III of the state constitution. The following underlined text was added:

(p) The General Assembly is authorized to provide by general law that up to 80 percent of all moneys received by the state from the levy of a tax on the sale and use of goods and services, as defined by general law, collected by establishments classified under the 2007 North American Industry Classification Code 451110, sporting goods stores, in the immediately preceding fiscal year will be paid into and dedicated to the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund for the purpose of protecting and preserving conservation land, as more specifically provided for by general law. Any general law adopted pursuant to this Paragraph shall provide for automatic repeal not more than ten years after its effective date, provided that such repeal date may be extended for a maximum of ten additional years. The revenues dedicated pursuant to this subparagraph shall not lapse, the provisions of Article III, Section IX, Paragraph IV(c) to the contrary notwithstanding, and such revenues shall not be subject to the limitations of subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph or Article VII, Section III, Paragraph II(a).

Readability score

See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2018

Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The state legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure. The FKGL for the ballot title is grade level 43, and the FRE is -32. The word count for the ballot title is 101, and the estimated reading time is 26 seconds. In 2018, for the 167 statewide measures on the ballot, the average ballot title or question was written at a level appropriate for those with between 19 and 20 years of U.S. formal education (graduate school-level of education), according to the FKGL formula. Read Ballotpedia's entire 2018 ballot language readability report here.

Support

The Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Coalition led the campaign in support of Amendment 1. It was comprised of The Conservation Fund, The Georgia Conservancy, Georgia Wildlife Federation, The Nature Conservancy, Park Pride, and The Trust for Public Land.

Arguments

• Robert Ramsay, president of The Georgia Conservancy and legislative chair of the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Coalition said: “This is a historic victory for land conservation in our state. We want to commend the members of the legislature not only for their overwhelming support of this measure, but also for their clear commitment to the protection of our state’s natural resources. This legislation has the potential to have a generational impact on communities throughout our state as a reliable, dedicated source of funding will give our leaders the flexibility needed to address both short term needs and long-range goals.”

• Thomas Farmer, executive director of the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Coalition, said: “Georgia’s growing outdoor recreation industry relies upon access to land and water, as do other key sectors such as tourism and agriculture. Georgians understand this connection between our natural resources, our economy, and their quality of life - and we are hopeful that, should Governor Deal sign this legislation, that will be reflected by their vote later this year."

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not identify committees, organizations, or individuals opposing the ballot initiative. If you are aware of any opponents or opposing arguments, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Georgia ballot measures

Total campaign contributions:
Support:	$610,268.34
Opposition:	$0.00

Ballotpedia identified one committee—Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Coalition, Inc.—registered to support this amendment. The committeeraised $610,268.34 and spent $686,433.92 The top donor was The Nature Conservancy, which gave $205,641.

Ballotpedia did not identify any committees registered in opposition to the measure.

Support

Committees in support of Georgia Amendment 1 Supporting committees Cash contributions In-kind services Cash expenditures Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Coalition, Inc. $522,335.00 $87,933.34 $598,500.58 Total $522,335.00 $87,933.34 $598,500.58

Totals in support Total raised: $610,268.34 Total spent: $686,433.92

Top donors

Donor	Cash	In-kind	Total
The Nature Conservancy	$125,000.00	$80,641.00	$205,641.00
The Conservation Fund	$50,000.00	$0.00	$50,000.00
Bradley Curry Jr.	$100,000.00	$0.00	$100,000.00
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation	$25,000.00	$0.00	$25,000.00
Trust for Public Land Action Fund	$25,000.00	$0.00	$25,000.00
Delta Airlines	$20,000.00	$0.00	$20,000.00

Opposition

Ballotpedia did not identify any committees registered in opposition to the measure.

Methodology

To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.

Background

Amendment 1 authorized the state to dedicate up to 80 percent of the existing sales and use tax on outdoor sporting goods to be used for land conservation. The funds will be used to support state parks and trails, provide stewardship of conservation lands, and acquire land for the provision or protection of clean water, wildlife, hunting, fishing, military installation buffering, or outdoor recreation under the amendment.

Implementing legislation

This implementing legislation was a companion bill to the proposed constitutional amendment that outlined specific details in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated regarding the creation of a Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund.

The implementing legislation for the amendment was House Bill 332 (HB 332). It was sponsored by Senator Steve Gooch (R-51). The bill was passed in the House on March 29, 2018, in a vote of 166 to 1, with 7 not voting and 6 excused. It was passed in the Senate on the same day in a vote of 49 to zero, with 7 not voting. The bill became effective on July 1, 2019, due to the passage of the constitutional amendment.

HB 332 was designed to create the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund and to create fundraising mechanisms for protecting conservation lands and their operation, including the following:

• Establishing procedures and requirements for project proposals and approval;
• Providing reporting requirements;
• Establishing a board of trustees for the trust fund;
• Providing rules and regulations; and
• Providing annual grants to counties eligible through the trust fund land acquisitions.

While the proposed constitutional amendment authorized the state to use up to 80 percent of all money received from the sales and use tax collected by outdoor recreation equipment establishments, House Bill 332 was designed to credit 40 percent to the trust fund.

Referred amendments on the ballot

From 1996 through 2016, the Georgia State Legislature referred 46 constitutional amendments to the ballot. Voters approved 36 and rejected 10 of the referred amendments. All of the amendments were referred to the ballot during even-numbered election years. The average number of amendments appearing on the ballot during an even-numbered election year was 4. The approval rate at the ballot box was 78.26% during the 20-year period from 1996 through 2016. The rejection rate was 21.74%.

Legislatively referred constitutional amendments, 1996-2016
Years	Total number	Approved	Percent approved	Defeated	Percent defeated	Annual average	Annual median	Annual minimum	Annual maximum
Even years	46	36	78.26%	10	21.74%	4.18	4.00	2	7

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Georgia Constitution

To put a legislatively referred constitutional amendment before voters, a two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required in both the Georgia State Senate and the Georgia House of Representatives.

This amendment was added to the House hopper on February 10, 2017, as House Resolution 238. On February 28, 2018, the state House voted 164-2 in favor of the amendment, with 14 not voting. The amendment was initially proposed to allow the allocation of 75 percent of the revenue from sales taxes on recreational outdoor equipment to land conservation. The percentage of allocation was changed down to half and then, in the final version, up to 80 percent. On the last day of the session, after substitutes making changes in both the Senate and the House, the Senate unanimously agreed to the amended version passed in the House, where there was one dissenter.

Vote in the Georgia State Senate March 29, 2018
Requirement: Two-thirds (66.67 percent) vote of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 38  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	55	0	1
Total percent	98.21%	1.79%	0.00%
Democrat	19	0	0
Republican	36	0	1

Vote in the Georgia House of Representatives March 29, 2018
Requirement: Two-thirds (66.67 percent) vote of all members in each chamber
Number of yes votes required: 120  a
	Yes	No	Not voting
Total	168	1	11
Total percent	93.33%	3.14%	6.11%
Democrat	61	0	3
Republican	107	1	8

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Georgia

Poll times

In Georgia, polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Eastern Time. In cities with a population greater than 300,000 people, polls remain open until 8 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Georgia, one must be a citizen of the United States and a legal resident of their county. The voter must be at least 17.5 years of age at the time of registration and 18 at the time of the election, and not serving a sentence for a felony conviction.

The deadline to register to vote is 29 days prior to the election. Registration can be completed online, in person, or by mail.

Automatic registration

In Georgia, eligible voters are automatically registered to vote when they conduct transactions at the Department of Driver Services. This automatic registration program began in 2016.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Georgia has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Georgia does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Georgia, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

A Georgia state law, passed in 2009, required voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. However, as of June 2025, the law had not been implemented.

In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot require proof of citizenship with federal registration forms. That meant states would need to create a separate registration system for state elections in order to require proof of citizenship.

In Georgia, an individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who provides false information on a voter registration application is guilty of a felony.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The site My Voter Page, run by the Georgia Secretary of State's office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Georgia requires voters to present photo identification while voting in person or by mail/absentee.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of August 2024. Click here for the Georgia Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Any valid state or federal government-issued photo ID, including a free ID card issued by your county registrar's office or the Georgia Department of Driver Services. A Georgia driver's license, even if expired Student ID from a Georgia public College or University Valid employee photo ID from any branch, department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government, Georgia, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state Valid U.S. passport ID Valid U.S. military photo ID containing a photograph of the voter Valid tribal photo ID containing a photograph of the voter

”

Voters can obtain a free voter ID card from any county registrar's office or Department of Driver Services Office. Click here for more information on obtaining a free voter ID card in Georgia.

See also

2018 measures

• 2018 ballot measures
• Budgets on the ballot
• Environment on the ballot

Georgia

• Georgia ballot measures
• Georgia ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• House Resolution 238
• 2018 Proposed Constitutional Amendments and Statewide Referendum Questions