Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday signed legislation empowering the state Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission to remove prosecutors or impose other sanctions.
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Georgia Lawmakers Sign Off on New Congressional Maps
The Georgia House of Representatives passed revised congressional districts, capping the end of a special session that put partisan divides front and center.
The House voted 98-71 to send Senate Bill 3EX, which the state Senate passed on Tuesday, to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature. The revised districts ostensibly maintain the 9-5 Republican edge in the U.S. House.
Read MoreGeorgia Announces New Program to Attend Colleges
A new Georgia program to grant academic eligibility for direct admission to Georgia’s 22 technical colleges is a “win for Georgia,” a leading business group said.
On Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, and state leaders announced GEORGIA MATCH, which they touted as “one of the largest state-run direct admissions initiatives.”
Read MoreGeorgia’s Tourism Industry Broke Records Last Year with Out-of-State Travelers Spending over $39.8 Billion
Tourism in the Peach State broke records last year, according to new data by the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD).
Read MoreGovernor Kemp Signs Gas Tax Suspension Through October 12
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed an executive order Tuesday declaring a state of emergency in the Peach State due to high inflation, which included temporarily suspending the state’s excise tax on motor and locomotive fuel.
Read MoreGroup Wants Gov. Kemp to Reject THC Changes for Georgia Independent Pharmacies
A former White House drug policy advisor wants Georgia’s governor to reject a rule change to allow some independent pharmacies to sell low THC oils.
In June, the Georgia Board of Pharmacy voted in favor of the rule change to allow more than 100 independent pharmacies to sell THC oils.
Read MoreGov. Brian Kemp Rejects Calls to Dismiss Fulton County DA Fani Willis
On Thursday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) said at a press conference that he would not support efforts to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from office following her indictment of President Donald Trump.
As reported by Breitbart, Kemp referred to such efforts as “political theater,” after a Republican state senator had already vowed to take action against Willis. Willis’ indictment included 41 different charges against President Trump and 18 campaign surrogates, lawyers, and other prominent allies.
Read MoreGeorgia State Senator Asks for Emergency Session to Investigate Fulton County DA Fani Willis
Georgia State Senator Colton Moore (R-Trenton) sent a letter to Governor Brian Kemp calling on him to convene an emergency session to investigate Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
“We, the undersigned, being duly elected members of the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Senate, and comprising 3/5 of each respective house, pursuant to Article IV, Section II, Paragraph VII(b), hereby certify to you, in writing, with a copy to the Secretary of State, that in our opinion an emergency exists in the affairs of the state, requiring a special session to be convened under that section, for all purposes, to include, without limitation, the review and response to the actions of Fani Willis,” Moore wrote in his letter on Thursday.
Read MoreGeorgia Governor Brian Kemp Breaks Silence on Trump Indictment
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp responded to former President Donald Trump’s indictment in the Peach State for his alleged role in attempting to “overturn” the results of the 2020 election.
Read MoreEconomic Development in Georgia Breaks Records for Third Year in a Row
The State of Georgia broke records for the third year in a row in regards to economic development as total investments in facility expansions and new locations totaled more than $24 billion during fiscal year 2023 (FY23).
Read MoreGeorgia Gov. Kemp Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Chevron Case
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has filed an amicus brief in a highly visible U.S. Supreme Court case that could overturn a standing practice that gives federal agencies the power to interpret statutes.
Kemp, a Republican, filed his brief in the case of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which seeks to overturn the so-called Chevron deference established by the 1984 decision in Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. It compels federal judges to defer to federal agencies’ interpretations in “ambiguous situations” as long as the interpretation is “reasonable.”
Read MoreGovernor Kemp Appoints New Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Governor Brian Kemp appointed Chris Hosey to serve as Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
“Chris has dedicated his career to protecting the people of our state as a proud member of law enforcement,” Kemp said in a Saturday statement. “With over 35 years of experience at the GBI, he brings a wealth of institutional knowledge and skill to this role. I’m confident he will bring the same level of commitment to the job that he has shown throughout his years of service.”
Read MoreGeorgia’s Gov. Kemp Transfers Millions for Water Wars Fight, Public Safety
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has transferred more than $8.9 million from the Governor’s Emergency Fund to several state agencies, including millions for public safety and a decades-long fight over water.
As part of the allocation, Kemp, a Republican, is sending $5.7 million to cover costs — including counsel fees and litigation expenses — stemming from a long-standing dispute over water use in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River and the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River basins.
Read MoreGovernor Kemp Announces $17.3 Million in Grants and Loans to Fund Seven Transportation Infrastructure Projects Across Georgia
Governor Brian Kemp and the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) Board of Directors announced on Tuesday the approval of $17.3 million in Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) loans and grants to fund seven transportation infrastructure projects across the state.
Read MoreGovernor Kemp Touts Georgia’s Economic Climate While Meeting with Business Leaders at the Paris Air Show
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is meeting with leaders of aerospace industry companies this week at the Paris Air Show to promote economic development opportunities in the Peach State.
Read MoreGovernor Brian Kemp Announces Overseas Trip to the Countries of Georgia and France
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp, and other state officials will travel overseas this week to “focus on reinforcing strategic partnerships while promoting economic development opportunities with industries in Europe,” according to a press release by Kemp’s office.
Read MoreGeorgia Uses $83.5 Million in COVID Relief Money for Public Safety Grants
Georgia is giving out more than $83.5 million in federal COVID-19 relief money as grants to fund 118 public safety projects across the Peach State.
Departments can use the funds to augment law enforcement staffing and support violent crime reduction initiatives or intervention programs. They can also use the money to invest in technology and equipment to address the uptick in violence and personnel shortages stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read MoreGeorgia Funds over 100 Projects Across the State to Address Public Safety and Law Enforcement Staffing
Governor Brian Kemp recently announced that 118 projects have been awarded grant funding totaling $83.5 million to “improve community-level public safety measures and address law enforcement staffing challenges that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Read MoreReport Probes the Questions Policymakers Might Not Be Asking About EVs
Whether it’s higher vehicle costs for consumers or pressure on the electric grid, a consumer group hopes its new report gives politicians and policymakers a few questions to ponder.
The thought starters are included in Consumer Energy Alliance’s “Freedom to Fuel: Embracing Consumer Choice in the Automotive Marketplace” report, which noted it is “increasingly clear that policymakers are not fully considering all the implications of aggressively mandating EVs.”
Read MoreGovernor Brian Kemp Leads Group of Republican Governors in Pushing Back on the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s New Mortgage Rule
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Missouri Governor Mike Parson recently led a group of Republican governors in sending a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) in regards to the agency’s changed to the loan level pricing adjustment (LLPA).
Read MoreGeorgia Attorney General Chris Carr Announces Indictment of 16 Alleged Members of Outcast Motorcycle Gang
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr and a group of law enforcement agencies announced that 16 alleged members of the Southeast Georgia Chapter of the Outcast Motorcycle Gang were arrested and indicted.
Read MoreGeorgia GOP Convention Replaces Mike Pence with Kari Lake
Kari Lake will be the keynote speaker at the Georgia Republican Party (GAGOP)’s annual convention, replacing Mike Pence who was originally scheduled. Former President Donald Trump will also be speaking at the convention. The state party Chair David Shafer sent an email to delegates stating that Pence canceled “because of a televised national town hall at which he will be making an announcement regarding his future plans.”
Read MoreGroup Disappointed with Georgia Gov. Kemp’s Direct Care Worker Wage Increase Removal
A national organization of family caregivers is disappointed that Gov. Brian Kemp removed a wage increase for direct care workers supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities included in the state’s budget.
But the governor says lawmakers didn’t fund the wage increase, which would have cost $105 million.
Read MoreGeorgia Gov. Kemp Bashes Washington Spending but Touts Federally Funded Grants
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp regularly blames Washington policies for causing inflation and hurting Georgians, but he doesn’t hesitate to announce grants — such as those for rural broadband projects — that rely on federal tax dollars.
“While failed policies coming out of Washington, D.C. are pushing us closer to a recession and forcing hardworking Georgians to endure sky-high inflation, we on the state level are doing what we can to return money back where it belongs – in taxpayers’ hands,” Kemp said in a statement earlier this month in announcing officials had issued the first round of “surplus tax refund checks” to Georgia taxpayers.
Read MoreGeorgia Transportation Officials Award $65.2 Million for Projects
The Georgia Department of Transportation said it awarded 18 projects valued at more than $65.2 million in March.
The largest spend, $15 million awarded to E. R. Snell Contractor, goes toward a bridge construction project on State Route 212 over Lake Jackson in Jasper and Newton counties. Bridge construction contracts represented 31% of the allocated money.
Read MoreGov. Kemp Signs Bill to Allow Georgia Hospitals to Form Police Departments
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a measure to allow Peach State hospitals to form campus police departments.
Lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favor of House Bill 383, the Safer Hospitals Act, a measure that enhances criminal penalties for anyone who assaults a healthcare worker on a hospital campus, similar to the protections afforded to paramedics, transit drivers and law enforcement personnel.
Read MoreGeorgia’s Republican Secretary of State Foils Democrats’ ‘Diverse’ Primary Plans
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has set the Peach State’s 2024 party primary elections for March 12, foiling the Democratic National Committee’s plans to move Georgia’s vote toward the front of the presidential nominating line.
Raffensperger says the DNC acted “unilaterally” in its bid to make their nominating process more “diverse” by bumping predominantly white states like Iowa and New Hampshire back and pushing more “racially inclusive” states like Georgia and Michigan to the front of the primary line.
Read MoreFormer Georgia U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler Joins Governor Kemp as He Signs ‘Zuckerbucks’ Ban into Law
Chairwoman of the nonprofit group Greater Georgia and former Georgia U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler recently joined Governor Brian Kemp as he signed Senate Bill 222, also known as the “Zuckerbucks” ban, into law.
Read MoreGeorgia Governor Signs Series of Public Safety Bills
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a series of public safety bills, including a measure increasing penalties for anyone who recruits children into gangs.
Senate Bill 44 also requires judges to “consider the accused person’s criminal history record information that is available at such time” before releasing defendants on their own recognizance.
Read MoreGeorgia’s Kemp Signs Education Bills
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed several education bills, including House Bill 147, the Safe Schools Act.
It establishes a voluntary school safety and anti-gang endorsement for teachers. Proponents say it will help them identify and stop gang activity and classroom recruitment.
Read MoreGeorgia Legislature Signs Off on Bill to Ban TikTok
Georgia lawmakers have sent a measure to bar TikTok and other “national security software threats” on state-owned devices.
Lawmakers in both chambers unanimously signed off on Senate Bill 93, which they say would also bar Telegram and WeChat, and sent the measure to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. It would also prohibit these applications on state devices used in the legislative and judicial branches and in the state’s K-12 schools.
Read MoreACLU Promises to Sue If Georgia Gov. Kemp Signs Bill Banning Gender Surgeries on Children
The Georgia Senate passed a modified version of a bill that would restrict certain surgical procedures on minors for gender dysphoria on Tuesday.
The American Civil Liberties Union is promising to sue if Gov. Brian Kemp signs it into law.
Read MoreGeorgia’s Kemp Signs Tax Rebate Bill
Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law a bill this week that would provide $1 billion in tax rebates for Georgia income tax filers.
House Bill 162 provides a special state income tax refund for Georgians who filed returns in both the 2021 and 2022 taxable years. It marks the second year in a row that Georgia taxpayers will receive a rebate.
Read MoreCommentary: The History of Jim Crow Laws Shows Modern Comparisons Are Just Cheap Political Demagoguery
What are “Jim Crow” laws? President Biden apparently thinks they are synonymous with election integrity. In fact, when Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp signed a bill in 2021 requiring voter ID and strengthening rules against bribery and electioneering at the polls, the President condemned the law as “Jim Crow on steroids.”
Read MoreGeorgia’s Unemployment Rate Was Unchanged to Close Out 2022
Georgia’s December unemployment rate was 3%, unchanged from November’s revised rate.
Additionally, state officials said job numbers increased by nearly 6,000 from November, hitting an all-time high. Georgia’s unemployment rate remained lower than the national unemployment rate of 3.5% in December.
Read MoreEquity Consultant ‘Evil Salesman’ Explains Plan to Upend Georgia Law Banning Indoctrination with Critical Race Theory
A Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) consultant explained to an undercover Project Veritas journalist he is an “evil salesman” who plans to undermine a Georgia law banning the teaching of the concepts of Critical Race Theory (CRT). “If you don’t say the words ‘Critical Race Theory,’ you can technically teach it,” Dr. Quintin Bostic, content manager at The Teaching Lab, is heard telling the Project Veritas (PV) journalist in the video.
Read MoreCritics Say Georgia’s Gas Tax Moratorium Helps, but Isn’t Good Long-Term Policy
Georgia hasn’t collected its gas tax since March, as Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a series of legislation and executive orders to place a moratorium on collections.
“Those prices have a huge impact on the economy as a whole,” National Federation of Independent Business Region Director Nathan Humphrey told The Center Square. “On top of all the other issues that small businesses were particularly struggling with from supply chain, inflation and [the] overall cost of doing business, the margins were just super tight, so when that hit, it really provided necessary relief.”
Read MoreVoterGA Reports ‘Serious’ 2022 Election Abnormalities, Over 20,000 Votes ‘Subtracted’ from Totals for Republican Senate Candidate Herschel Walker
Voters Organized for Trusted Election Results in Georgia (VoterGA) reports it has identified significant abnormalities in the 2022 Georgia general election, including results that show over 20,000 votes were “inexplicably subtracted” from the vote totals for U.S. Senate Republican candidate Herschel Walker.
The organization, a coalition of citizens seeking to restore voter integrity in Georgia, presented at a press conference Wednesday a sworn affidavit, corroborated by the Edison media line feed, showing the “subtracted” votes.
Read MoreCommentary: GOP Botched Early-Voting Ground Game
Two days before Brian Kemp bested Stacey Abrams by more than seven percentage points in their closely watched rematch, the Georgia governor did something unusual for a Republican candidate in the 2022 midterms: He expressed confidence about where he stood and cited early voting as a top reason.
“We’ve also had record turnout for early voting, which ended this Friday. It’s been an incredible turnout, and we feel good about things,” Kemp told Trey Gowdy, the former congressman and host of Fox News’ “Sunday Night in America.”
Read MoreRepublican Gov. Brian Kemp Defeats Dem Challenger Stacey Abrams in Georgia
In the 2022 Georgia gubernatorial election, Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp defeated Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams for the second consecutive time.
Kemp won 54% of the vote, with 86% reporting, according to NBC News. Abrams received 45.3% of the vote.
Read MoreGeorgia’s Kemp Leads Abrams in Rematch of 2018 Gubernatorial Race
Georgia’s gubernatorial race is in the home stretch, as Democrat Stacey Abrams and Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, face off in a rematch of the 2018 race.
Democrats have blamed Kemp for the closure of Atlanta Medical Center, accused the governor of trying to buy votes using federal COVID-19 relief money and criticized his stance on abortion and guns.
Read MoreFederal Judge Upholds Georgia Election Integrity Practices, Deals Blow to Stacey Abrams
A federal judge ruled Friday that Georgia’s election integrity practices requiring voter ID and citizenship checks are legal and constitutional, rejecting arguments of racism and voter suppression from the state’s Democrat nominee for governor, Stacey Abrams, just weeks before Election Day.
U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones, an Obama appointee, issued the ruling, after a lengthy trial, handing a major victory to Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who aggressively defended the state’s election integrity laws from a legal assault by Abrams voter group Fair Fight Inc. and other liberals.
Read MoreGeorgia’s K-12 Education Spending Increases as Enrollment Grows at a Higher Rate
Georgia’s spending per pupil has grown over the past two decades, but its enrollment has increased at a higher rate, a new analysis found.
According to the Reason Foundation’s 2022 K-12 Education Spending Spotlight, Georgia’s inflation-adjusted per-pupil K-12 revenues grew by 6.2% — or $803 per student — between 2002 and 2020. During that same period, enrollment increased by 18%.
Read MoreGov. Kemp Signs Another Gas Tax Holiday Extension Through October 12
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has again extended the suspension of state taxes on motor and locomotive fuel.
On Thursday, Kemp signed an executive order to suspend the taxes and extend a supply chain state of emergency. The orders are valid through Oct. 12.
Read MoreGeorgia Republicans Walker, Kemp Lead Democratic Opponents, Poll
Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker is leading Democrat incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock by two points, while the GOP Gov. Brian Kemp leads Democrat challenger Stacey Abrams by four points, according to a new poll.
Read MoreGeorgia Nonprofit Connected to Warnock to Receive Federal COVID Relief Money to Fight Homelessness
Georgia is giving more than $62.4 million in federal COVID relief money to groups fighting homelessness and housing insecurity worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state is allocating American Rescue Plan and State Fiscal Recovery Fund dollars to the 20 projects receiving money.
Read MoreBrian Kemp Accuses Stacey Abrams of Flip-Flopping on Key Issues
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) took his opponent, Stacey Abrams(D), to task, when he called her out for her inability to stick to a stance on political issues in a statement released on Tuesday.
“Stacey Abrams opposed suspending the gas tax and returning $1 billion to taxpayers, but now she’s on my record. She can’t have it both ways. Abrams has embraced the policies of Joe Biden that have led to disaster at the border, high gas prices, and empty grocery shelves,” Governor Kemp said.
Read MoreCritics Slam $350 Cash Payments to Georgia Welfare Recipients Engineered by Gov. Kemp
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is again turning to the federal government to dole out more cash to Peach State residents.
The governor has funneled more than $1 billion in money from the American Rescue Plan’s State Fiscal Recovery Fund to the state’s Department of Human Services. The agency will give up to $350 in cash to Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients in Georgia.
Read MoreGovernor Kemp Appoints New Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director
Governor Brian P. Kemp (R) announced on Monday he has tapped Mike Register to replace Vic Reynolds as the newest Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
“Mike [Register] has a strong track record of strengthening public safety and protecting Georgia’s communities,” Governor Kemp said.
Read MoreJudge Declines Request to Block Georgia’s Fetal Heartbeat Law That Bans Some Abortions
A Fulton County Superior Court judge declined a request to block Georgia’s fetal heartbeat law that bans most abortions after six weeks.
Georgia lawmakers passed House Bill 481, the Living Infants Fairness Equality Act, in 2019. However, a federal judge initially blocked the law, commonly called the “Heartbeat Bill,” because the U.S. Supreme Court had previously upheld the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.
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