While one Georgia state senator wants a special session to potentially act on the district attorney prosecuting former President Donald Trump, another says it’s impossible.
Last week, State Sen. Colton Moore, R-Trenton, sent a letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, calling for a special session “for all purposes, to include, without limitation, the review and response to the actions of [Fulton County District Attorney] Fani Willis.”
Read More
Special Counsel Jack Smith has contacted Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp regarding the investigation of former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Read More
A Georgia State Senate study committee will explore how the state can help mitigate the truck driver shortage.
In April 2022, Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, issued an executive order, which, in part, allowed heavier trucks to operate on Peach State roads. The governor subsequently renewed the executive order, but it expired in March.
Read More
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a measure to establish a commission with the power to investigate and potentially remove district attorneys from office.
But critics argue the measure attacks progressive prosecutors, saying it’s a “national right-wing coordinated effort to undo the will of voters,” particularly minority voters.
Read More
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed the state’s fiscal 2024 budget on Friday, saying it will help Georgia maintain its standing as “the best state for opportunity.”
“House Bill 19 funds our priorities and places our state on strong financial footing, keeping us on the road to economic growth even while policies coming out of Washington, DC, push the country closer to a recession,” Kemp, a Republican, said in remarks before the signing.
Read More
Georgia officials have dispatched the first “surplus tax refund checks” to Georgia taxpayers who properly paid and filed their taxes over the past two years.
State lawmakers approved the roughly $1 billion in “refunds” as part of House Bill 162, which Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law. Citing “the state’s revenue surplus,” Georgia leaders agreed to refund the money to taxpayers.
Read More
A Georgia state lawmaker has expressed reservations about a measure Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed that proponents say will help keep teachers and students safe in the classroom.
In a news release, the governor’s office described House Bill 147, the Safe Schools Act, as a “key part of the governor’s legislative agenda this year” that “builds on his commitment to keeping Georgia’s students, teachers, and school personnel safe.”
Read More
A 72-year-old Alpharetta businessman pleaded guilty in federal court to bribing two Atlanta city officials in exchange for steering millions of dollars of city business to his company.
Read More
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp could soon decide whether to sign legislation eliminating a college degree requirement for some state government jobs.
The state House and the state Senate overwhelmingly voted in favor of Senate Bill 3, the “Reducing Barriers to State Employment Act of 2023.”
Read More
Georgia’s net tax collections for March decreased by 3 percent from a year ago, new state revenue figures show.
While collections for the month surpassed $2.6 billion, the total was more than $82.7 million less than net tax collections a year ago.
Read More
Approximately 16 Georgia House Republicans voted down a piece of school choice legislation on Wednesday that would have given taxpayer funds to students outside of the public school education system.
In a 89-85 vote, the state House killed Senate Bill 233, which would have given state funded vouchers up to $6,500 to students pursuing a private or homeschool education. Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp endorsed the legislation after it passed the Senate on March 6, urging state lawmakers to “get this over the finish line,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Read More
Georgia will be the only state among its neighbors to allow local governments to give residential property owners a temporary break on their taxes for storm damage.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law last week House Bill 311, which was authored by State Rep. Lynn Smith, R-Newnan. It allows local governments to provide tax relief on property taxes, either through a millage rate reduction (one mill equals $1,000 worth of property value) or a credit once a disaster is declared by the federal government.
Read More
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday signed into law a ban on sex changes for minors.
The state House passed the measure 96-75 last week while the Senate granted its assent earlier in March by a 33-22 margin. The legislature sent the bill to Kemp’s desk on Wednesday.
Read More
Georgia officials plan to dole out an additional $15 million to expand broadband in unserved and underserved areas of the state.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced a second round of Capital Projects Fund grants funded by American Rescue Plan Act dollars to expand high-speed internet service. The Office of Planning and Budget will administer the funding through a competitive grant process.
Read More
Georgia Republicans formally rolled out legislation to increase penalties for those who recruit minors into gangs.
Senate Bill 44, introduced by state Sen. Bo Hatchett, R-Cornelia, also mandates minimum sentences for gang offenses currently on the books in Georgia. It would allow prosecutors and judges to consider lower sentences only in some situations, including where a defendant renders “substantial assistance” in identifying, arresting or convicting other gang members.
Read More
Georgia lawmakers are almost certain to discuss school funding and even school choice legislation during this year’s legislative session.
Read More
Georgia saw its revenues exceed expenses overall during the past 15 years, a new report reveals.
The Peach State’s total revenue as a share of expenses during fiscal 2006-20 was 102.6%, according to a new analysis from Pew Trusts. That’s in line with the 50-state median of 102.7%.
Read More
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has signed an extension of the state’s gas tax moratorium, saying such a move is needed because of a potential diesel fuel shortage.
The extension runs through Dec. 11.
Kemp also extended the locomotive fuel tax moratorium and a supply chain state of emergency. The governor, who is in the middle of a reelection campaign against Democrat Stacey Abrams, squarely placed the blame for high gas prices on President Joe Biden’s policies.
Read More
The Cato Institute gave Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp a B on its 2022 Fiscal Policy Report Card of governors, citing his tax cuts as a reason for the grade.
The libertarian think tank also gave Kemp, a Republican, a B on its 2020 report card. The analysis grades governors on their fiscal policies from a limited-government viewpoint; the higher the grade, the more a governor has cut taxes and spending.
Read More
A new poll shows Gov. Brian Kemp widening his lead over challenger Stacey Abrams with less than a month until election day and just days before early voting starts.
The new Georgia News Collaborative poll found Kemp, a Republican, leading Abrams, a Democrat, by a margin of 51% to 40.7%. Libertarian Shane Hazel drew 2.3% of the vote, while 6% were undecided.
Read More
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has extended the suspension of the state’s collection of taxes on motor and locomotive fuel.
The governor also extended the supply chain state of emergency. Both orders will be effective through Nov. 11, shortly after the election.
Read More
Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams made an unscientific remark on the topic of abortion during a recent campaign stop.
“There is no such thing as a heartbeat at six weeks. It is a manufactured sound designed to convince people that men have the right to take control of a woman’s body,” Abrams said.
Read More
Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker and incumbent GOP Gov. Brian Kemp are both widening their leads over their Democratic opponents, according to a poll.
Former NFL star Walker is ahead of incumbent Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock by 47-44%, an InsiderAdvantage/FOX 5 Atlanta poll released Thursday shows. Libertarian nominee Chase Oliver is receiving 4% support with 5% of voters still undecided.
Read More
Two Cobb County Sheriffs Deputies were killed in the line of duty Thursday night while attempting to serve a warrant, that law enforcement agency said.
“Two deputies died tonight in the line of duty while serving a warrant,” the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) said Thursday night. “SWAT and FAST teams are at the scene. The suspect is barricaded. We will release additional information, including the names of the fallen deputies, as it becomes available.”
Read More
Another day, another dollar dispersed.
Georgia’s governor is again turning to federal COVID-19 relief money to provide grants to another constituency. This time, he plans to give $100 million to law enforcement agencies statewide.
Gov. Brian Kemp is turning to the American Rescue Plan and the State Fiscal Recovery Fund to dole out grants of up to $1.5 million per award. Awardees can put the money toward a range of initiatives, from law enforcement staffing to investing in technology and equipment to respond to the uptick in gun violence.
Read More
Liberal “fact-checker” PolitiFact denounced a claim made in a Saturday statement by Stacey Abrams (D) that Governor Brian Kemp (R) and Georgia’s House Bill 481 stipulates a warrant for the arrest of women who suffer a miscarriage.
“Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has not said he wants women investigated or punished for pregnancies that end in miscarriage. A six-week abortion law he signed said miscarriages are legal,” PolitiFact said.
Read More
Georgia plans to give a $125 supplement to teachers in the state to offset the cost of classroom materials and ostensibly help students rebound from learning losses suffered amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Georgia officials cannot say how much money in total the state plans to give public school teachers as part of the “Back-to-School Supply Supplement” program.
Read More
A second poll released in as many days shows Georgia’s incumbent Republican governor with a slight lead over his Democrat challenger in this year’s gubernatorial race.
A SurveyUSA/11 Alive News poll shows that Gov. Brian Kemp (R) leads Democrat Stacey Abrams by a hair, with 45 percent of the vote. Abrams, according to the poll, has 44 percent of the vote.
Read More
According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll, Georgia’s incumbent Republican governor has a slight edge over second-time Democrat challenger Stacey Abrams.
AJC says that Gov. Brian Kemp (R) leads Abrams by five points in the duo’s rematch of the 2018 gubernatorial race in the Peach State.
Read More
A high-quality electrodeposited (ED) copper foil manufacturer Denkai America announced Wednesday in a joint statement with Governor Brian Kemp that it will invest $430 million in a Richmond County-based facility that will create 250 jobs over the next five years.
“As Georgia continues to lead in the emerging electric vehicle market & next-gen jobs, I’m proud to announce that Denkai America will invest $430M & create 250 new jobs over the next five years in Richmond County through its new manufacturing facility and North American Headquarters!” Kemp said.
Read More
The governor of Georgia Wednesday said he will continue battling to keep costs down for Georgians after the June Consumer Price Index report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was released.
That report showed 9.1 percent inflation, by far the highest one month increase in more than 40 years.
Read More
The reelection campaign for Gov. Brian Kemp (R) has responded after gubernatorial challenger Stacy Abrams raised $2.5 million from a George Soros-run Political Action Committee (PAC).
“Far-left radicals from across the country are bankrolling Stacey Abrams’ campaign to bring the failed agenda of D.C. Democrats to Georgia,” Tate Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Kemp campaign, told The Georgia Star News. “Abrams and her liberal allies can – and will – continue to outraise and outspend our campaign, but we will continue to run on Governor Kemp’s record of putting Georgians first and securing historic economic success for our state.”
Read More
A state lawmaker is helping a private company find actors and actresses during an open casting call event for a trio of Savannah-based film projects.
On Tuesday, the Georgia Media Services Office distributed a media advisory on behalf of Rep. Carl Gilliard, D-Savannah. Gilliard is partnering with Bill Marinella Casting to potentially cast actors and actresses in roles on “Fear the Walking Dead,” “Cave Dweller” and “Pax.”
Read More
Georgia’s House Speaker this week turned the heat up on Major League Baseball (MLB), which moved its All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver last year in protest of Georgia’s SB 202 election integrity law.
“Earlier this week, I wrote to [MLB] Commissioner [Rob Manfred] and called on him to announce a future All-Star Game in Atlanta,” said Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston (R-District 7). “Georgia’s Election Integrity Act made voting more accessible and secure. False claims to the contrary have been proven wrong. Time for him to make this right.”
Read More
A non-profit founded by gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams Monday bemoaned what it says is a lack of freedom for many Americans.
“Since our nation’s independence, true freedom has only ever existed for a small subset of people,” Fair Fight said on Twitter. “Today, when our basic rights are once again under attack, we’re celebrating those who continue the fight for freedom for every American—no matter their gender, race, or zip code.”
Read More
More than 100 Sheriffs in Georgia signed a letter blasting Democrat gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams as “soft on crime.”
“Over the last four years, Governor Kemp and his family stood shoulder to shoulder with the men and women serving in Georgia’s law enforcement community,” the letter, touted on incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp’s website, says. “Working alongside our departments, Governor Kemp has championed legislation to recruit and retain more officers into the profession, strengthen penalties for criminals and help keep Georgia’s streets safe, and prevent rogue local governments from stripping critical funding and resources from police.”
Read More
In a follow-up tweet that expounded on his letter penned in January on election reform, Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, reiterated his call for a federal Constitutional amendment on U.S. citizenship and election integrity.
“A citizenship amendment is a necessary security measure that will ensure that only American citizens are voting in our elections. We need an amendment now,” Raffensperger said.
Read More
An early poll in Georgia’s gubernatorial election shows incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R) leading Democrat challenger Stacey Abrams.
The poll, taken by East Carolina University (ECU), was conducted between June 6 to June 9 among 868 registered voters in Georgia.
Read More
As the race for Georgia’s governorship intensifies, Gov. Brian Kemp (R) Tuesday launched an ad attacking opponent Stacey Abrams for recent comments she made about living in the Peach State.
“Georgia is the worst, according to Stacey Abrams,” the ad says. “Bless her heart.”
Read More
Georgia’s Democrat gubernatorial candidate this week launched her campaign’s debut television ad, whacking her Republican opponent.
“For years, Brian Kemp has taken Georgia backwards,” said an ad by Stacey Abrams’ campaign.”
Read More
Democrat gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams in a Friday post accused her incumbent opponent of signing a bill into law that does not appear to exist.
“Our children across Georgia are bearing the heartbreaking consequences of gun violence. Instead of addressing the crisis, Brian Kemp signed criminal carry legislation that will put more guns on our streets and make our communities less safe,” said Abrams on Twitter.
Read More
Georgia’s governor Thursday extended the state’s gas tax holiday amid record-high prices at the pump.
“While President Biden continues to enforce an out-of-touch agenda with damaging effects, we’re responding to record-high inflation and addressing supply chain issues by empowering Georgians to keep their money in their own pockets and keep goods flowing,” Gov. Brian Kemp said on Twitter.
Read More
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has not said whether he would seek to extend the state’s motor fuel tax suspension when it expires at the end of May. However, during a Wednesday morning interview with an Atlanta radio station, the governor indicated an announcement might be looming.
“I know Georgians need it; they’re getting killed at the pump right now, and they’re getting killed at the grocery store because of [President Joe] Biden’s 40-year high inflation, and quite honestly, … just bad policies in Washington, DC, like our domestic energy supply policy,” Kemp, a Republican, told WSB Radio.
Read More
The Chairwoman of the Republican Party took to “Fox News Sunday” where she called for unification of the Republican Party.
“I think we’re gonna get past this primary season and I’m gonna be so grateful when we do and we really focus on the Democrats,” GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in segment that focused on former President Donald Trump’s endorsements for various offices nationwide.
Read More
After NBC published a Friday story citing anonymous sources who said former President Donald Trump had given up his support of former Sen. David Perdue (R-GA), now running for governor, Trump himself dispelled the rumor.
“The Kemp Campaign, together with Fake News NBC, has put out a phony narrative that I have given up on David Perdue in Georgia,” Trump said on his social media outlet Truth Social. “That is completely FALSE.”
Read More
Savannah, Georgia – Former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, a Republican who is currently running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Alaska, joined former Sen. David Perdue (R) at a rally in the closing days of his primary election race.
“The position of governor is so very important when we talk about election integrity, and that should be first and foremost on everyone’s mind what we can do to ensure the integrity in our elections,” Palin said at the rally. “You cannot exercise Democracy within a Republic when you don’t have the fair elections that the electorate deserves.”
Read More
After NBC published a Friday story citing anonymous sources who said former President Donald Trump had given up his support of former Sen. David Perdue (R-GA), now running for governor, Trump himself dispelled the rumor.
“The Kemp Campaign, together with Fake News NBC, has put out a phony narrative that I have given up on David Perdue in Georgia,” Trump said on his social media outlet Truth Social. “That is completely FALSE.”
Read More
Georgia is doling out more than $415 million in federal relief money as grants to help nonprofits recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The money, which goes to more than 30 recipients, is from the American Rescue Plan’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.
Read More
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has signed the state’s more than $30.2 billion fiscal 2023 state budget, increasing spending by more than 10% over last year’s budget.
The plan, which takes effect July 1, exceeds $57.9 billion when including other funds, such as more than $17.6 billion in federal money and grants.
Read More
In an act of opposition against former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence will rally with Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on the eve of Georgia’s primary election day.
Kemp confirmed the news on his Twitter account, saying he was “honored” to have Pence’s support.
Read More