Gov. Brian Kemp used his annual state of the state tackle to tout Georgia’s financial development and known as for investments in priorities like schooling, housing and boosting pay for academics and state workers, calling for a “new period” in state authorities.
In his roughly 30-minute speech, the governor mentioned the state of the state has “by no means been stronger and extra resilient” since he first took workplace in 2019. “Over the past 4 years, our biggest achievements have been completed when each chambers labored hand-in-hand with my workplace to place the folks of our state first—forward of the established order,” he mentioned. “Our future as a state depends on that partnership: to do the suitable factor for our residents, even when it is probably not straightforward.”
Kemp’s tackle painted this 12 months’s legislative session as certainly one of nice consequence, as lawmakers start work on his $32.5 billion price range plan that may partially return a multi-billion greenback surplus to taxpayers via refunds and a one-time further homestead exemption.
Now in his second time period and on the pinnacle of his energy as governor, the Brian Kemp of 2023 struck comparable tones to his inaugural replace, with continued concentrate on combating gang violence, rising well being care entry in decrease revenue communities and pouring extra sources into the state’s schooling system and those that work in it.
“Whereas some politicians have continued to grouse about instructor pay in Georgia, let me provide the details: In complete, we may have given hardworking educators a $7,000 pay increase in simply 5 years,” Kemp mentioned. “No different Common Meeting or governor may have raised instructor pay by a lot, so rapidly, in state historical past.” He mentioned Georgia’s common instructor pay can even be $7,000 larger than the regional common.
With a brand new lieutenant governor and Home speaker, many new key committee chairs and a commanding victory in November, Kemp has crafted his speeches and appearances over the previous couple of weeks to flex Georgia’s financial development and rising prominence in key industries reminiscent of electrical mobility.
“In lower than three hundred and sixty five days, we introduced 4 of the most important financial growth initiatives in state historical past,” he mentioned to applause. “Simply these 4 initiatives alone will convey over 20,000 new jobs and over $17 billion in funding to rural communities throughout Georgia. These good-paying jobs are in fields that may outline the subsequent era of producing, and that future will probably be made proper right here in Georgia.”
The Georgia Division of Financial Improvement not too long ago introduced that the second half of 2022 noticed firms announce greater than 17,000 new jobs totaling $13 billion in funding, with 85% of these outdoors of metro Atlanta.
“This session, we is not going to solely construct on the monumental achievements of the previous 4 years, we’ll set Georgia on a path of greatness for generations to return,” Kemp mentioned.
However Kemp mentioned extra work must be finished, particularly round workforce housing and job coaching and recruitment, reiterating his price range proposals for totally funding the state’s schooling formulation, the post-secondary HOPE Scholarship and a “rural workforce housing fund.”
The governor additionally devoted parts of his speech to the touch on the problems of crime and public security, touting a particular gang prosecution unit and asking for stiffer penalties for many who recruit younger folks into gangs. He additionally praised the Georgia State Patrol and decried a gaggle of those who broke home windows and set a police automobile on hearth over the earlier weekend after an indication stemming from the taking pictures loss of life of a protestor dwelling in a DeKalb County forest that’s slated to change into a large police coaching middle.
On the well being care entrance, the governor is proposing mortgage compensation applications to assist increase the variety of suppliers in rural Georgia, extra funding in a well being reinsurance program and restricted enlargement of Medicaid via the Georgia Pathways to Protection program.
“Right here’s one other truth: Upwards of 345,000 Georgians may qualify for the Pathways program and well being care protection for the primary time, with no adjustments for many who qualify for normal Medicaid,” Kemp mentioned. “And in contrast to Medicaid enlargement, Georgia Pathways is not going to kick 200,000 Georgians off their personal sector insurance coverage.”
In closing, the governor requested lawmakers to contemplate “the Georgia of generations from now” when contemplating payments and the price range this 12 months, and never “come down into the mud of politics.”
“Right here at first of a brand new session, a brand new time period, and a brand new period for our state, we have now a chance to make choices that may affect our kids’s grandchildren, if we do it proper and collectively,” he mentioned.
Democrats within the legislature provided their response to Kemp’s message, arguing that the state’s financial prosperity ought to be used to totally increase Medicaid and supply much more funding into elevating salaries for state workers, regulation enforcement and academics.
Sen. Elena Dad or mum (D-Decatur) delivered the official response to the governor’s message and mentioned her celebration agreed with him that Georgia’s finest days are forward, however it isn’t a foregone conclusion with out adjustments to the price range.
“All of us agree on the specified final result, however we have now very completely different concepts concerning the path that may take us there,” Dad or mum mentioned. “We is not going to get the place we wish to go by placing comparatively few {dollars} in Georgians’ pockets with tax cuts for some and one-time refunds—that is like anticipating a automobile to drive a number of hundred miles when it’s operating on fumes.”
Dad or mum echoed Kemp’s concern a couple of scarcity of well being care staff and workers in authorities businesses, and argued that Georgia wanted to move dwelling wage laws and considerably increase pay for many who work for the state. “Democrats suggest a $10,000 enhance for academics and regulation enforcement, plus the institution of normal will increase transferring ahead,” she mentioned.
Each chambers of the legislature are managed by a Republican majority, so it’s unlikely any Democratic-led initiatives will acquire a lot steam on this legislative session.
This story involves Flagpole via a reporting partnership with GPB Information, a non-profit newsroom overlaying the state of Georgia.
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