Kemp highlights

ATLANTA, Ga. (WUPA) — Gov. Brian Kemp delivered his State of the State deal with on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, calling 2022 an “unprecedented yr of financial success” in Georgia.

Kemp’s arrival on the Home Chamber contained in the Gold Dome was met with applause from members of the Basic Meeting. Throughout his deal with, he listed a number of monumental achievements.

“The state of our state has by no means been stronger or extra resilient,” mentioned Kemp. “Now we have been named the primary state within the nation for enterprise for 9 years in a row. We introduced 4 of the biggest financial growth initiatives within the historical past of our state.”

The initiatives are slated to carry over 20,000 new jobs and $17 billion in investments to Rural Georgia and 1000’s of extra jobs outdoors Metro Atlanta. Kemp additionally mentioned Georgia’s partial Medicaid enlargement, which gives protection to moms for a full yr after they offer delivery.

“To assist new moms much more, my crew is proposing laws that may permit pregnant ladies who qualify to obtain TANF (Momentary Help for Needy Households) advantages,” Kemp mentioned. He additionally addressed the necessity for extra employees, housing, and healthcare. “Upwards of 345,000 Georgians may qualify for the Pathways program and healthcare protection for the primary time.”

Lawmakers on either side of the aisle applauded the successes of the Kemp Administration, nonetheless, Democrats mentioned the governor is taking an excessive amount of credit score for a few of these achievements.

“A number of issues that he talked about, maternal mortality, we did that, proper? We discuss housing; reasonably priced housing. We’re dropping a invoice that claims we should always give tax credit to individuals who construct reasonably priced housing,” mentioned Home Minority Chief James Beverly (D-Macon). “The governor talked about that Georgia is the primary state to do enterprise for 9 years working, however he failed to say that, over that very same interval, 10 hospitals have closed.”

Democrats mentioned they’re nonetheless pushing for a full enlargement of Medicaid advantages in Georgia.

“5 hundred forty-five thousand Georgians — anticipated — are going to lose their healthcare this yr, as a result of Medicaid is unwinding,” Beverly mentioned.

Kemp additionally celebrated the strides he says have been made in crimefighting within the state, saying, “Right here in Georgia, we are going to all the time again the blue.” Nonetheless, Beverly countered Kemp’s assertions, saying the state can be coping with over-policing in communities of coloration, plus an absence of issues over what has been perceived as an infrastructure that has fallen behind these in different areas. 

“What will we do about constructing the longer term? How will we get high-speed rail from Atlanta to Savannah,” mentioned Beverly. “How will we incentivize the entire ecosystem, so that every one of us get an opportunity to profit, not simply the wealthy and the privileged?”

Either side mentioned it would take a bipartisan effort to construct the longer term.

“I wish to encourage the women and men all through this chamber to contemplate not simply the Georgia of at the moment, however the Georgia of generations from now,” mentioned Kemp.

The governor additionally shared plans for funding schooling, together with a proposal to commit an extra $1.9 billion to schooling. This comes after Kemp lately proposed $2,000 instructor pay raises, bringing a complete of $7,000 in raises over the previous 5 years. 

Kemp additionally talked about plans so as to add 5,000 academics via certification grants. Kindergarten instructor Lisa Morgan, president of the Georgia Affiliation of Educators, mentioned they’re grateful for the increase, however that extra is required. 

“Paraprofessionals, bus drivers, cafeteria employees, custodians, entrance workplace employees, I can not train my college students with out these staff in my constructing, and the instructor wage increase doesn’t affect these members,” Morgan mentioned.

The affiliation says that lawmakers ought to prolong these raises past academics to all faculty employees members.