In a packed Joint Session in the Gold Dome’s House chamber, Governor Brian Kemp delivered the annual State of the State address on Thursday. Kemp discussed a number of issues central to his campaign and administration in the last year and gave a preview of issues for the legislative session, including education, healthcare, public safety, human trafficking and adoption reform. Notably not mentioned during the speech were a few issues that could be controversial should they arise during the session.
Kemp started out his speech discussing how well the economy is doing. Georgia’s unemployment rate currently stands at 3.3 percent and is the lowest in Georgia history. The workforce is the largest its ever been and the state has been named the number one place to do business by a prominent trade magazine for the seventh year in a row. And as Kemp noted, the growth is at least somewhat spread around. Nearly 80 percent of the 371 economic development projects announced last year were outside of Atlanta, in places like Cairo, Cartersville and Commerce. Kemp promised to continue this growth.
Kemp also laid out his plans for education, including fully-funding public school education for the third year in a row, further dismantling Common Core, and reducing the number of required tests. He also announced his budget included perhaps the biggest piece of news to come out of the address.
“Let’s give our educators another well-deserved pay raise. In my budget, I have included a $2,000 pay raise for all public school educators. This raise will enhance retention rates, boost recruitment numbers, and improve educational outcomes in schools throughout Georgia,” said Kemp. “By investing in our educators, we can build a strong house, a place where everyone learns and all Georgians have the opportunity to thrive.”
Kemp also noted his Anti-Gang Task Force that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is working on and the partnerships the GBI is developing with local law enforcement to “stop and dismantle” gangs throughout Georgia. Gang activity is not just limited to Atlanta or Augusta or other big cities, and the GBI is casting a wide net.
Now for those issues that didn’t get mentioned, such as another tax cut, gambling or casinos, and the push by some for the state to take over the Atlanta airport.
For a Republican speech, in an election year, it was perhaps surprising that the word “tax” only appeared one time, in reference to the aforementioned adoption issue and a tripling of the adoption tax credit from $2,000 to $6,000 to help new parents offset the costs. With talk of a potential recession becoming more common, and some projected revenues coming up short, another round of tax cuts may not be something anyone really wants to take on.
The gambling and casino issue has been slowly building some momentum at the capitol for the last few years and there was some hope by advocates that this year could see a possible breakthrough. Kemp has said he would support allowing voters to decide on the issue but don’t expect much of a push from the governor’s office on the issue.
The fight over the airport has been raising ire in Atlanta since it was first mentioned. As the Kasim Reed administration’s extent of scandal continues to unfold, some have begun to push even harder for the state to take control of the cash machine that is the world’s busiest airport. The fight over the airport has never seriously been taken up and could get rough if the Republican-led legislature decides to tackle it this year.
It being an election year, the session could go a couple ways – with some surprises to be sure. It could be a quick one, with legislators working to get finished and start fundraising and campaigning. It could also be a showcase for Republicans looking to assure their base they are doing what they promised.
