State of the State
- Governor Brian Kemp
On Thursday, January 16, the House and Senate members gathered for a joint session in the House Chamber to hear Governor Brian Kemp deliver his annual State of the State Address. This address allowed the governor to present his assessment of the State's current condition and outline his legislative priorities for the year ahead, which include increased funding for school safety and security, the need for tort reform legislation, expanding access to healthcare in rural areas and increased support for Georgia's Department of Corrections. You can watch a video archive of the governor's address here, and I will highlight some of the points for his address.
Governor Kemp began his State of the State address by reflecting on the impact and destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Helene last September. Georgia Power reported that Hurricane Helene was the worst storm in Georgia's history, resulting in 34 Georgians who lost their lives during the storm. The governor shared some heroic stories of first responders and neighbors who risked their lives to help those in need. In response to this devastation, the state prioritized funding for hard-hit areas and repurposed $100 million to the Georgia Development Authority to support the farming and timber industries. Although Georgians are still grieving and rebuilding from Helene, the legislature remains focused on prioritizing support for our resilient state's hardest-hit regions and communities.
In his address, Gov. Kemp also emphasized that while communities directly affected by Hurricane Helene still need substantial disaster relief, all Georgians, regardless of location, also need long-term solutions to offset rising costs and inflation. He noted that Georgia families have struggled in recent years. Still, despite record inflation, Georgia succeeded through tax cuts, gas tax suspensions, a 2024 homeowner tax relief grant, and an income tax cut that saved taxpayers more than $7.6 billion. Building on previous tax cuts, he proposed an additional reduction in the state income tax rate from 5.39 percent to 5.19 percent during his address. This move would save Georgians an expected $7.5 billion over the next decade.
Also, in his address, Gov. Kemp underscored his administration's ongoing efforts to address rising insurance costs, particularly for small businesses, and the need for tort reform. He highlighted the passage of House Bill 1114, the Data Analysis for Tort Reform Act, which was signed into law last summer and enables Georgia's Insurance Commissioner to gather data and propose reforms to stabilize insurance costs, expand consumer choices, and prevent carriers from leaving Georgia. The governor pointed out that some small businesses have seen their insurance premiums increase by as much as 100 percent, threatening their operations. To combat this, he announced that one of his top priorities this session is passing comprehensive tort reform legislation to limit civil lawsuits while allowing Georgians access to a fair system.
Lastly, we reflected on the tragic shooting that occurred at Apalachee High School, honoring the victims and their families, as well as the heroes who prevented the incident from becoming an even greater tragedy. Responding Sergeant Chase Boyd, Deputy Brandon King, and Sheriff Jud Smith joined us in the gallery at the governor's address, and we applauded their brave actions that day. Several caregivers who provided mental health services in the critical days following the events at Apalachee High School also joined in the gallery. In response, Gov. Kemp mentioned the $294 million allocated to school safety thus far and noted that his budget proposal includes an additional $159 million to bolster those efforts during this session.
Watch the State of the State Address, click here.
Bills from Week 1
No bills were voted on during Week 1 as committees met to begin moving legislation forward.
Committee Schedules
House Committees are beginning to meet, and once again, I serve on nine committees in addition to leading House Higher Education. Full committee schedules are available online by clicking here.
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