102 Georgia Sheriffs Sign Letter Condemning Stacey Abrams as ‘Soft on Crime’

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.”

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Brad Raffensperger Calls for Federal Amendment on Election Security

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.

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Poll Shows Kemp with Lead over Abrams

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.

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Kemp Launches Ad Targeting Abrams over ‘Worst State’ Comments

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.”

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Abrams Says Kemp Signed ‘Criminal Carry’ Bill into Law

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. 

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Kemp Extends Gas Tax Holiday as Prices Continue to Rise

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.

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Kemp Ponders Extending Georgia Motor Fuel Tax Suspension

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.

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Ronna McDaniel Calls for Republican Unification Before Georgia Primary

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. 

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Trump Not Dumping Perdue, NBC Story ‘Fake News’

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.”

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Palin Stumps for Perdue in Georgia

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.”

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Trump Not Dumping Perdue, NBC Story ‘Fake News’

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.”

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Pence to Rally with Kemp on Eve of Primary

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. 

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Trump Slams Republicans Supporting Kemp in Re-Election Bid

Former President Donald J. Trump is taking out his frustrations as current and former governors from across the country continue to support Gov. Brian Kemp (R), a political enemy of the former president, for reelection in Georgia. 

“Today, the worst ‘election integrity’ Governor in the country, Brian Kemp, loaded the great state of Georgia up with RINOs. That’s right, he had them all,” Trump said in Wednesday statement. “Chris Christie, Doug Ducey from Arizona, and Pete Ricketts from Nebraska. That tells you all you need to know about what you are getting in Georgia—just a continuation of bad elections and a real RINO if you vote for Brian Kemp.”

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Gov. Kemp Signs Betsy’s Law, Expanding Access to Maternity Support Services

Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a bill to allow nonprofits to offer “maternity supportive housing residences” and resources at no cost for pregnant and postpartum women.

Under Senate Bill 116, known as Betsy’s Law, local governments cannot constrain or place occupancy requirements on these residences unless those same restrictions apply to a residence with a single-family living there, according to a news release.

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Food Trucks Will Be Able to Operate in Multiple Counties Under New Georgia Law

Gov. Brian Kemp signed a trio of bills he says will help small businesses in the state, including a measure that allows food trucks to operate in more than one county without needing multiple permits.

“As a small business owner for more than 35 years, I have always applied a pro-business approach to governing, helping to cut red tape and ensure we have an environment that allows good Georgia companies to thrive and serve their customers,” Kemp said in an announcement.

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Kemp Signs Bills to Ban Vaccine Passports, Ensure Free Speech on Campus

As the COVID-19 pandemic winds down, Georgia’s governor Tuesday signed a bill into law banning state and local governments from requiring vaccine passports. 

SB 345 bans “proof of any vaccination of any person as a condition of providing any service or access to any facility, issuing any license, permit, or other type of authorization, or performing any duty of such agency,” and says that state and local governments cannot “through any rule, regulation, ordinance, resolution, or other action … require that any person or private entity require proof of vaccination of any person as a condition of providing any service or access to any facility, or as a condition of such person or private entity’s performance of any regular activity by such person or private entity.”

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Trump Highlights Story About Kemp’s Net Worth Increase While Governor

Former President Donald Trump released a short statement Friday highlighting a story about the net worth of his political rival Gov. Brian Kemp (R), which has reportedly grown by millions since he took office.

“ICYMI: “Kemp’s net worth grew by more than $3M since he took office” said the headline from Trump’s statement.

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Kemp Signs Bill to Help Parents Challenge Obscene School Library Books

In a victory for parental rights, a bill Thursday was signed into law giving Georgia’s parents the right to challenge books and other school materials that they find offensive.

“No later than January 1, 2023, each local board of education shall adopt a complaint class resolution policy for its local school system to be used to address complaints submitted by parents or permanent guardians alleging that material that is harmful to minors has been provided or is currently available to a student enrolled in the local school system who is a child of such parent or permanent guardian,” SB 226 says. 

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Kemp Touts Lower Prices at the Pump Month After Gas Tax Suspension

Georgia’s governor is touting lower gas prices one month after he signed into law a bill suspending the state’s tax on gasoline. 

“A month ago, I signed HB304 to temporarily suspend the state gas tax and help counter Biden-flation at the pump,” Gov. Brian Kemp (R) said on Twitter. “This week, the price of an avg. gallon in GA was down 57 cents. We’ll keep doing our part to lessen the impact of failed policies on Georgians’ wallets.”

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Trump’s Save America PAC Donates $500,000 to Defeat Kemp

According to a Federal Elections Commission (FEC) filing, former President Donald Trump’s Save America Political Action Committee (PAC) has donated $500,000 to an effort to take down Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R).

The filing shows that Trump’s PAC donated the money to an anti-Kemp PAC called Get Georgia Right.

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Loeffler Nonprofit Holds Voter Registration Drive in Metro Atlanta

A voter registration group led by a former U.S. Senator held a registration drive over the weekend at gas stations across the metro Atlanta area. 

“Part of Greater Georgia’s broader mission that has already registered tens of thousands of lean-conservative voters, this latest registration drive will continue at a variety of consumer marketplaces over the coming weeks, including at gas stations, grocery stores, and gun stores,” that group said in a press release. “It will also include an accompanying digital and text registration campaign in counties across the metro area.”

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Kemp Signs Constitutional Carry Bill into Law

Georgia’s governor Tuesday signed a bill into law that will allow residents of the state to carry a concealed firearm without a permit.

“I certainly want to thank all of those legislators – many of them – that along with us have been pushing to get this bill across the finish line for a long time,” Gov. Brian Kemp (R) said in the bill signing ceremony at Gable Sporting Goods in Douglasville.

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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Confronted on Election Integrity at Fulton County GOP Event

Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) was confronted over the weekend about election integrity during a Fulton County GOP event, and he responded by saying he was not responsible for Georgia’s consent decree, which some Republicans claim abolished signature verification and allowed for voter fraud in the state.

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Georgia Senate President Pro Tempore ‘Butch’ Miller: Kemp Told Me He Would Have Signed Election Integrity Bill

Georgia Senate President Pro Tempore ‘Butch’ Miller told John Fredericks on The John Fredericks Show that Governor Kemp told him that he did not oppose SB 89, the election integrity bill killed by Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan.

Miller is also a candidate for Lt. Governor in the Republican primary which is slated to occur on May 24. His main opponent is fellow Georgia Senator Burt Jones.

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Georgia State Senator Brandon Beach: ‘I Don’t Understand Why the Governor Didn’t Want Us to Address That Outside Money’

Brandon Beach

Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R), allegedly on the behalf of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, blocked state Senate legislation that addressed ballot chain of custody and would have placed a ban on private donations directly to counties. 

Senator Brandon Beach (R-21) told The Georgia Star News, “I don’t understand why the governor didn’t want us to address that outside money, whether it was Zuckerberg or Soros or whoever.”

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Georgia Gov. Kemp Used Lieutenant to Block Ban on Zuckerbucks, State Senator Alleges

Geoff Duncan and Brian Kemp

Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R), the chair of the state Senate, refused to bring up an election integrity bill for a vote on Monday because Republican Gov. Brian Kemp wanted it scrapped, Senate GOP leadership said, according to state Sen. Brandon Beach.

Senate Bill 89 would have dealt with chain of custody for ballots and prohibited private, “Zuckerbucks”-like donations from going directly to counties by routing them first through the State Election Board for distribution.

However, a vote on the bill was blocked by Duncan on Monday, the last day of the 2022 legislative session.

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Georgia Lawmakers Approve $30.2 Billion Budget as 2022 Session Draws to a Close

Georgia State Capitol

Georgia lawmakers capped off the 2022 legislative session by approving the state’s fiscal 2023 budget.

The state Senate voted 53-0 in favor of House Bill 911, while the state House voted 160-5.

The $30.2 billion budget, which starts July 1, represents a 10.8 percent increase over last year’s budget and includes a $5,000 pay increase for state employees. Coupled with more than $17.6 billion in federal money, the state’s budget exceeds $57.9 billion.

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Never Trump Lt. Gov. Duncan Says GOP Moving Past Trump in May Primaries

A known critic of former President Donald Trump thinks that those who are allied to the forty-fifth president will lose their upcoming May primaries, and that the party will move away from the America First movement. 

“The quicker we get through the May primaries, the quicker we’re going to move past Donald Trump and close that chapter,” Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) said of the former president. 

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Georgia Lawmakers Sign Off on Flat Tax

Governor Brian Kemp

Georgia lawmakers passed legislation that will gradually drop the state income tax rate over the next few years, a move that proponents say will make the state more competitive.

The state House voted 167-2, and the state Senate voted 41-13 in favor of an amended House Bill 1437. The bill sets the state’s tax level at 4.99% by 2029, starting with a 5.49% flat tax for the tax year beginning Jan. 1, 2024.

The measure, which received broad bipartisan support in both chambers of the Legislature, now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, for his signature. Kemp is expected to sign the bill into law.

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Trump Seeks Revenge Against Republican Enemies in 2022 Midterms

Former President Donald Trump is on a mission to rid the party of some of his most fervent opponents at the state and federal levels. 

“UPTON QUITS! 4 down and 6 to go. Others losing badly, who’s next?” Trump said in a statement, referring to Representative Fred Upton (R-MI-04). 

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Gov. Kemp Expected to Sign Georgia Parents’ Bill of Rights

Georgia lawmakers have signed off on a measure to give parents more insight into what their children are learning in school.

The state Senate voted 31-22 on Friday in favor of House Bill 1178, which would outline a Parents’ Bill of Rights. Proponents said the measure gives parents recourse if they object to the curriculum taught in public schools.

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Georgia Lt. Gov. Duncan’s Advocacy Group Launches Anti-Trump Ad Ahead of Former President’s Saturday Rally

Just days before former President Donald Trump is slated to hold a rally in Georgia, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) launched a statewide ad bashing the Trump and the direction of the GOP.

“Inflation at a 40-year high, open borders, national security threats – but some politicians would rather talk about conspiracy theories and past losses, letting liberal extremists take us in the wrong direction, a mistake our country simply can’t afford,” the ad begins. 

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Georgia Gov. Kemp Expected to Sign Law Suspending Gas Tax

After a swift and unanimous passage through both chambers of the Georgia General Assembly, Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is expected to sign into law a bill that will temporarily suspend the state’s tax on gasoline. 

HB 304 would take effect on May 31. Kemp is reportedly expected to sign the bill, which will alleviate prices at the pump to the tune of 28 cents per gallon. It had not been signed as of Friday afternoon. 

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Stacey Abrams Debuts First Campaign Ad of Election Cycle

Stacey Abrams walking and talking with group of people

A Georgia Democrat making her second attempt at securing the state’s highest office released her first campaign ad Tuesday, touting her determination to this time win the election. 

“I was raised that when you don’t get what you want, you don’t give up,” Stacey Abrams said in the ad. “You try again. You try because it’s how things get better. It’s how the world moves forward. I don’t quit, because Georgians deserve leadership, and that’s what a leader does.”

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Gov. Kemp Plans to Use $217 Million in Federal Funds for Georgia Healthcare Facility Grants

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp plans to use more than $217 million in federal money to fund grants for hospitals, assisted living communities and personal care homes.

The state will use money from the American Rescue Plan’s (ARP) Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds for grants to bolster COVID-19 response efforts.

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Georgia House Passes $2.7B Spending Increase in Its Amended Fiscal Year Budget

The Georgia House passed its version of an amended fiscal year budget Friday, agreeing to spend $2.7 billion more than the previously passed budget.

Appropriations leaders in the Georgia General Assembly must review and approve spending changes for the remainder of fiscal year 2022 and approve a budget for fiscal 2023, which begins July 1.

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Georgia Issues More Than $5 Million in Grants to Law Enforcement Agencies

Georgia has awarded more than $5.6 million in grants to law enforcement agencies, state officials announced Friday.

The grants will fund law enforcement training programs. It is part of Gov. Brian Kemp’s larger effort to bolster public safety and reduce crime.

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Georgia Lawmakers Ban State Contracts with Business Boycotting Israel

State agencies would be barred from doing business with any company or contractor unless they vow not to boycott Israel under a bill approved by the Georgia General Assembly.

The House voted, 146-9, to approve the Senate’s changes to House Bill 383. The amended bill was approved by the Senate, 47-2, last March, but it did not make it back to the House for a final vote before the end of the 2021 legislation session.

“Trade with Israel is a compelling state interest for the state of Georgia, I would argue, and this bill preserves free speech rights for individuals and sole proprietorships,” said Rep. John Carson, R-Marietta, who presented the bill Thursday on the House floor. “But it also says we as a state are not going to contract – we’re updating our statute to say we are not going to contract with groups that embrace boycott, divestment and sanctions against the state of Israel.”

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Georgia Lawmakers Ban State Contracts with Business Boycotting Israel

State agencies would be barred from doing business with any company or contractor unless they vow not to boycott Israel under a bill approved by the Georgia General Assembly.

The House voted, 146-9, to approve the Senate’s changes to House Bill 383. The amended bill was approved by the Senate, 47-2, last March, but it did not make it back to the House for a final vote before the end of the 2021 legislation session.

“Trade with Israel is a compelling state interest for the state of Georgia, I would argue, and this bill preserves free speech rights for individuals and sole proprietorships,” said Rep. John Carson, R-Marietta, who presented the bill Thursday on the House floor. “But it also says we as a state are not going to contract – we’re updating our statute to say we are not going to contract with groups that embrace boycott, divestment and sanctions against the state of Israel.”

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Georgia Sues Biden Administration over Rejecting Medicaid Work Requirement

Georgia has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration for rejecting the work requirement and premium proposal in Gov. Brian Kemp’s partial Medicaid expansion plan.

The plan, called Georgia Pathways, was approved by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in October 2020 under former President Donald Trump.

President Joe Biden’s CMS sent a letter to Georgia officials in December, rescinding the selected parts of the plan because they counteract with the objectives of the program.

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Georgia, 23 Other States File Lawsuit Against Head Start Vaccination, Mask Mandate

Georgia is again pushing back against the Biden administration’s COVID-19 mandates.

Georgia and 23 other states are asking the court to block the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Administration for Children and Families from requiring Head Start program staff, certain contractors and volunteers to wear masks and be fully vaccinated by Jan. 31.

Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr announced the court challenge against the Head Start vaccination and mask mandate Tuesday.

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Former Georgia US Sen Johnny Isakson Has Died

Former Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican from Georgia, died Sunday morning at 76.

Isakson’s death was confirmed by Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who called the former senator one of Georgia’s “greatest statesmen.”

“As a businessman and gifted retail politician, Johnny paved the way for the modern Republican Party in Georgia, but he never let partisan politics get in the way of doing what was right,” Kemp said.

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Former Senator Perdue Says He Wouldn’t Have Certified 2020 Election

Former Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) who is currently challenging Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) in the Peach State’s gubernatorial primary, said in a Thursday interview that he would not have voted to certify the 2020 election results in the state. 

“Not with the information that was available at the time and not with the information that has come out now. They had plenty of time to investigate this. And I wouldn’t have signed it until those things had been investigated, and that’s all we were asking for,” told Axios. 

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Former Georgia GOP Sen. David Perdue Announces Primary Bid Against Gov. Kemp

Former Georgia GOP Sen. David Perdue on Monday announced his primary bid against incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.

In a video announcement Monday, Perdue said Kemp “has failed all of us and cannot win in November.”

Perdue was recruited to challenge Kemp by former President Donald Trump.

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Stacey Abrams Says She Never Challenged 2018 Georgia Governor Election Results

Stacey Abrams, Georgia’s high-profile 2022 Democrat gubernatorial candidate, told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Thursday night that she never challenged the results of her 2018 gubernatorial bid, which she lost to Gov. Brian Kemp (R).

“On the night on November 16, when I acknowledged I would not become governor, that he had won the election, I did not challenge the outcome of the election unlike some recent folks did,” Abrams said on “The Rachel Maddow Show,” referring to former President Donald J. Trump. 

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Jury in Georgia Finds Three Men Guilty in Arbery Killing

A jury convicted three Georgia men of felony murder Wednesday for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery in a case that led to historic legislative reform in the state.

Travis McMichael, who was seen on viral video wrestling with Arbery over his shotgun before Arbery was killed, was found guilty on nine charges that range from malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony.

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