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Request a DemoRead Gov. Brian Kemp’s State of the State address
Gov. Brian Kemp delivered his State of the State speech on Thursday morning, laying out his agenda for the 2024 legislative session and touting accomplishments, including job growth in the state. What follows is a transcript of his speech, provided by the Office of the Governor.
Lt. Governor Jones, Speaker Burns, President Pro Tem Kennedy, Speaker Pro Tem Jones, members of the General Assembly, Constitutional Officers, members of the Public Service Commission, Mayor Dickens, members of the judiciary, members of the consular corps, and my fellow Georgians:
Later this year, the people of this state will once again fulfill their civic duty, they will choose who occupies these seats of service, and they will determine what course America takes in the years to come.
As they have in years past, when they go to the ballot box, they’ll see a stark difference between Georgia and our nation’s capital.
They will see what we’ve achieved together on the state level to make Georgia an even greater place to live, work, and raise a family, and they’ll see the hardships Washington D.C. has brought into every home and placed on every kitchen table across our state.
Congress has become synonymous with runaway spending, bloated budgets, job-killing regulations, gridlock and partisanship, and elected representatives in both parties who are more interested in getting famous on cable news than delivering results for the American people.
All the while across the nation, over 60 percent of households are living paycheck to paycheck.
Over 8.4 million Americans are working two jobs to make ends meet. Mortgage rates remain at highs not seen in a generation.
And while the rate of inflation may have fallen, high prices on everything from groceries to rent have not.
In fact, it costs Americans over 11,000 dollars more per year to maintain the same quality of life they had just a few short years ago.
For the hardworking men and women of this country, paying 11,000 dollars more a year is not a choice between the luxuries of life.
For too many people, that’s a decision between putting food on the table for their family, making your car payment, buying clothes for their kids, or going further into debt.
For a recent graduate, it’s about whether you can afford to get your own place and pay off student loans.
For a single mom, it’s a decision about taking that new job in a career that pays better, but it doesn’t offer affordable childcare.
For a family of four, can they make ends meet when saving for their kids’ college and paying their mortgage?
And for our seniors, are they able to stretch a fixed income to meet their basic needs?
These are the people that Washington D.C has left behind. Because for every challenge our nation faces, the federal response is to spend more, regulate more, tax more, and come up with yet another government program meant to cure every ill.
Instead of empowering hard working Americans to innovate, create, and seek greater prosperity, their answer is more government.
But here in Georgia, we’ve chosen a different path.
Because we realize that the success of our state does not rely on the actions of government, but on the prosperity of our people.
Washington D.C forgot a long time ago that it’s not the brilliance of politicians or the good intentions of a new program that make our nation great.
It’s the resolve, ingenuity, and character of the American people. Those were the hardworking Georgians we heard from on the campaign trail.
As a family, we heard their stories, their struggles, and their hopes for a brighter future.
And as you all know, that was truly a family affair. And I want to thank Marty, Jarrett, Lucy, and Amy Porter for being there every step of the way – including today!
My commitment to the people of our state was simple. I promised to put hardworking Georgians first, fund our priorities as a state like education, public safety, and healthcare, but also keep government efficient, responsible, and accountable.
The federal government may have abandoned those principles, but here in Georgia, thanks to the partnership between my administration and the General Assembly, we’ve delivered real results for the people of our state, ahead of schedule and under budget.
Thanks to a strong economy and conservative fiscal management of state revenues, we’ve provided nearly 5 billion dollars of direct relief to taxpayers in tax refunds, gas tax suspensions, homestead tax exemptions, and more.
Despite unprecedented challenges, we have maintained a Triple-A bond rating while celebrating the creation of more than 171,000 new jobs and roughly 74.5 billion dollars of investment in every corner of the Peach State over the last 5 years!
And unlike a lot of blue states, these are private sector jobs – not growing the ranks of government!
And we’re not done yet.
Last month, I joined Lt. Governor Jones, Speaker Burns, and others to announce our plan to speed up implementation of the largest tax cut in state history.
With your support, I look forward to signing legislation that decreases our state income tax to 5.39 percent starting this year.
That represents savings of 3 billion dollars for Georgia taxpayers over the next ten years.
Mr. Speaker and Lt. Governor, while President Biden hires tens of thousands of new IRS agents, my vote is we just keep cutting taxes here in Georgia!
The path Georgia has taken over the last five years has led to record job growth, historic investment in communities from Bainbridge to Blue Ridge, 5 billion dollars in tax relief, and enough funds saved to operate state government for months in an emergency, not days.
That’s the choice before Georgians this November, and I feel confident they’ll vote to keep Georgia moving in the right direction once again.
So, to answer the question, the state of our state is strong, growing, and prosperous because we trust our citizens more than we trust the government.
Georgia is succeeding because we’ve charted our own path, rejected the failed policies of Washington D.C, and worked together to put our citizens first.
But I believe the worst thing we could do is call it a day and coast through what is certain to be a contentious election year.
We have accomplished so much over the last five years – despite unprecedented times and challenges – because we haven’t gotten distracted from doing the job we were all sent here to do.
Like I mentioned four years ago in my second state of the state address, we stayed true to the example of Nehemiah, committed to our great work, and now we’re seeing the results.
It’s no secret that Georgia is growing. As the top state for business for a record ten years in a row, new jobs are headed our way on a daily basis, existing businesses are looking to expand, and companies all over the world look to the Peach State to locate their next headquarters.
But with growth comes the need for more trained workers to fill these good paying jobs in a rapidly changing labor environment.
That’s why I was proud to unveil the Georgia MATCH program at last year’s Workforce Summit.
The largest direct college admissions program in the nation, Georgia MATCH is already doing an incredible job linking the upcoming generation with the school that meets their needs.
As of today, over 10,000 students have already “met their match,” and we will keep working to reach every high school senior in Georgia, so that they know there is a higher education path open to them right here in the Peach State, no matter their circumstances.
Speaking of education, my amended 2024 budget and fiscal year 2025 budget proposals double down on our continued and historic support of K thru 12 education with 1.4 billion dollars in additional funds allocated for a total of 12.8 billion dollars.
Republicans and Democrats alike have supported this record investment in our students, and I want to take a moment and thank all of you for that strong, bipartisan achievement.
It’s also important for us to remember that increased funding does not always guarantee greater success.
As a small business owner for almost forty years now, I believe – like many of you – that competition and the free market drive innovation and, at the end of the day, result in a better product for the consumer.
When it comes to education, the same principles hold true.
Over the last few years, there has been a great deal of debate around different proposals to expand options for students and families when it comes to finding the education that best fits their individual needs.
Many members in both chambers have worked hard on this important issue and I want to thank and applaud them for their efforts.
Some prefer the term school choice or educational freedom, some call them vouchers.
In my opinion, what each of those terms or slogans fail to mention is the child. At the end of the day, our first and foremost consideration should be the future of that student.
Our job is not to decide for each family, but to support them in making the best choice for their child.
This week, as we begin the second year of another biennial of the General Assembly, I believe we have run out of “next years.”
I firmly believe we can take an all-of-the-above approach to education… whether it’s public, private, homeschooling, charter, or otherwise.
It is time for all parties to get around a table and agree on the best path forward to provide our kids the best educational opportunities we can – because that’s what we were elected to do.
To that end, my office and I look forward to working with the members and leadership of both chambers to get a bill passed and signed into law this session.
Finally, our students and teachers deserve to have a safe learning environment, no matter their zip code.
Since I took office, I have had the opportunity to hold more than 30 roundtable discussions with educators and superintendents from all over this state. We heard frequently that our schools were in need of additional resources to enhance this security.
That is why since 2019, we have provided more than 185 million dollars to all of our schools to help ensure the safety and well-being of our students and teachers.
This year, I am proposing we continue those efforts by making school security funding permanent. In my budget proposal, I have included a request for 104 million dollars that will go directly to school districts for school safety enhancements.
Schools will determine how best to use this money, whether for personnel like school resource officers or for physical and technology improvements that make our places of learning more secure.
This investment is more significant because it will enable schools and administrators to plan accordingly, knowing that this money is headed their way for this specific purpose.
I hope to see strong bipartisan support for this budget item to keep our kids and our schools safe.
Since being sworn in as your 83rd governor, a top priority of my administration has been ensuring the safety and security of our communities.
There’s no doubt we have made great progress. From the GBI’s Anti-Gang Taskforce and HEAT Unit, and the Department of Public Safety’s Crime Suppression Unit, to the First Lady’s GRACE Commission, the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, and the school security measures I just mentioned, we have not wavered in our commitment to strengthening public safety.
But the state can’t do it alone. Thankfully, over the last two years, we have had strong partners at the local level who have worked alongside state law enforcement to make our capital city safer.
Two of those gentlemen are here with us today, and I want to take a moment to thank Mayor Dickens and Chief Schierbaum for their partnership.
While the mayor and I come from different political parties and don’t agree on everything, we do agree on the importance of reducing crime and keeping our citizens safe.
Bipartisan majorities of both chambers, the mayor, and myself all agree on the critical need for the completion of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
This facility will provide our law enforcement officers, firefighters and additional first responders the critical tools, knowledge, and skills needed to keep themselves and our communities safe.
One of our brave public safety officers is here with us this morning.
Exactly a year ago this week, this dedicated trooper was shot and severely wounded near the site of the future training center.
He spent weeks in the hospital fighting for his life, he endured multiple surgeries, and spent the better part of this year in recovery while his family stood strong beside him.
Marty and I were honored to spend time with him while he was in the hospital, and I was honored when he gave me one of my most prized possessions: his SWAT challenge coin bearing his badge number.
He had that coin on him when he was shot that horrible day, and it is a constant reminder of the price paid by men and women like him all over this state who keep our children, our homes, our businesses, and our streets safe.
Trooper First Class Jerry Parrish, will you please stand with your wife Kelli and let us thank you for your great service?
Thank you to the entire Parrish family for your service, your bravery, and the sacrifices you’ve made over the past year for us.
We’re also joined in the gallery by some brave men who rendered life-saving aid to Trooper Parrish on site and who helped get him to safety.
They represent some of our very finest from both the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Natural Resources. Will you all please stand and let us thank you for your inspiring actions?
I don’t claim to speak for anyone else in this chamber today, but this decision is very simple for me and my family.
As long as I’m your governor, there will be no gray area or political double talk: We support our law enforcement officers.
We support our firefighters and first responders.
And the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center should be built – period!
Article I, Section I, Paragraph II of the Georgia Constitution states: “Protection to person and property is the paramount duty of government and shall be impartial and complete.”
To fulfill that paramount duty, we must do more than show our support for law enforcement in words. We have to show it through action.
That is why last year, thanks to the work of the General Assembly, I was proud to sign a budget that included a 6,000-dollar pay raise for state law enforcement officers. That pay raise was a recognition of the contributions these brave men and women make as they put their lives on the line, day in and day out.
And this year I look forward to working with each of you to, once again, provide another pay raise for state law enforcement.
Within my budget proposal are pay increases of an additional 3,000 dollars for State Patrol officers like Trooper Parrish, as well as our correctional officers and other state law enforcement agencies.
These investments will not only serve as a renewal of our commitment to these law enforcement officers, but will also support our ongoing recruitment and retention efforts.
I’m also urging the General Assembly to complete what we started last year and give final passage to the peace officer loan repayment program.
Because despite what some may say, we need more police officers, not fewer.
This year we will also be continuing our efforts to combat human trafficking in our state, thanks to the leadership of the greatest First Lady in the country, Marty Kemp!
Thanks to her work, and that of the GRACE Commission and members of both chambers, Georgia has gone from being known as a human trafficking destination to being known as the leader in going after traffickers and supporting victims.
Under the First Lady’s leadership, and with overwhelming support from both chambers, we have passed and signed into law 8 pieces of legislation that go after those who work in this evil enterprise while also supporting the victims.
Our efforts have enabled the GBI’s HEAT unit to investigate 369 cases of human trafficking since its creation and for Attorney General Carr’s Human Trafficking Prosecution unit to secure 32 convictions while assisting in the rescue of over 129 victims since it launched.
But we still have work to do, and Marty and I are both looking forward to working with each of you this session to keep up this fight.
Five years into my administration, when it comes to healthcare, we have made enormous strides in lowering costs, expanding access, and incentivizing more healthcare providers to give care.
We began this work with the passage of the Patients First Act in 2019, and since then, we’ve seen strong results.
In 2019, no counties in Georgia had more than 2 health insurance carriers. Today, 87 percent of Georgia counties have three or more carriers.
And thanks to Georgia Access and the reinsurance program, enrollment in the private sector exchange over the past five years has grown from just under 460,000 to over 1.2 million Georgians.
Georgia Access is also saving hardworking families more and more in their wallets.
In all, we’ve reduced premiums by an average of 11 percent across the state. That represents an average annual premium reduction of almost 929 million dollars a year.
In rural counties, where premium prices were the least affordable when I took office, Georgia Access has reduced premiums by an average of 29 percent.
While some in the media refuse to acknowledge this significant progress, we’ll continue to support policies that work for Georgians – not political narratives.
Because the fact is that for individuals and families struggling to make ends meet, lower insurance costs and more choices lead to better care that they can actually afford.
And because we have made sound policy choices, budgeted conservatively, and prioritize innovation and efficiency, we’re able to make other important investments in the health and wellbeing of hardworking Georgians.
That includes our efforts in mental health.
Two years ago, I was proud to sign into law the Mental Health Parity Act, a fitting capstone to the late Speaker David Ralston’s years of service in this chamber, and one that leaves a lasting legacy.
One of the most visible examples of that legacy was the 9-8-8 crisis hotline campaign, conducted by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities last year.
Thanks to Commissioner Kevin Tanner and his team, more Georgians than ever before are accessing services and the help they need to turn their lives around for the better.
To enhance this program further, my budget proposals call for a total increase of 205 million dollars for DBHDD and other entities that address mental health.
This new funding will enable DBHDD to expand services for those struggling with mental illness, it will increase the number of crisis beds throughout the state, it will further crisis intervention resources in all communities, and improve the quality of mental health services overall.
Once passed, we will be spending 1.6 billion dollars on mental health – more than ever before.
I’m proud of what these and other agencies are doing to help their fellow Georgians and to keep us the best state to live, work, and raise a family.
As we speak, all across Georgia, there are men and women working hard to keep our neighborhoods safe, attract new jobs and industries to communities in need, teaching a whole generation that will one day occupy these roles, and much more.
They have remained committed and hardworking during unprecedented challenges over the last five years and I’m proud of everything they have accomplished for our citizens.
It’s no secret that most state government jobs pay less than private sector opportunities in the same line of work. But many of our employees do it because they feel a sense of public service and they want our state to succeed.
But for state government to stay efficient and stay ahead of Georgia’s continued growth, we must be able to attract and then retain employees who perform vitally important jobs.
That’s why my budget proposal provides a pay increase for all state employees, including our teachers.
This will build on the historic raises we’ve provided for educators over recent years and will increase every state worker’s pay by 4 percent.
My proposal also rewards those who gave decades of their lives and careers to serving others by allocating 500 million dollars to shore up our state retiree fund, ensuring our state keeps its promises to our retirees and stays on solid financial footing.
Instead of expanding the size and scope of government, we’re putting state dollars to work in targeted, efficient ways to recruit, retain, and thank employees in vital roles from corrections officers to case workers.
By doing so, we’re continuing our efforts to wisely use every penny taxpayers send us, from state agency personnel, to our schools, public safety, and the healthcare marketplace.
As we look across America, there is no doubt we are at a crossroads.
From crushing inflation and dysfunction in Washington, to the crisis at our southern border and unrest overseas, these are indeed trying times.
But I believe we have an opportunity here in Georgia, an opportunity to highlight a different path.
One of the brilliant principles of America’s founding is the role of the states, for them to be the laboratories of democracy, to protect the liberties and freedoms of their citizens, and to carry out the will of the people.
Our founders didn’t believe the states should always look to the federal government for answers, and judging by the current comparison, I don’t think we would have much to learn.
In Georgia, we balance our budget and spend less than we take in. We cut taxes instead of raising them.
We return money back to the taxpayers rather than justifying new government programs.
We back the blue, crack down on violent crime and gangs, and put the safety of our communities ahead of partisan political agendas.
We celebrate the free market, instead of using the heavy hand of government. We work together across party lines on more issues than not. And most importantly, we put our people first.
In an election year, I don’t expect us all to agree on every issue. Every district represented under this Gold Dome is different and sends each of you here with a unique set of issues to address.
Over the next 36 legislative days, there will be passionate debate, there will be disagreements, there will be tough votes, there will be long nights, and maybe even some short tempers.
But in the middle of all that, I ask that we also remember Georgia is different for a reason.
That our success is not an accident, but the result of a resilient people who elected their leaders to keep state government efficient, responsive, and accountable.
In Georgia, we believe the American Dream will always provide our people greater prosperity than the government ever could.
The state of our state is strong, growing, and full of opportunity.
Let’s use this session to keep it that way!
Thank you all, may God Bless you, and may God Bless the great state of Georgia!
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Weekend Read: Mesha Mainor expected to face uphill battle to retain seat — even against little-known competitors
Three of the four candidates for Georgia House District 56 in southwest Atlanta are scheduled to appear at a forum in Fulton County next week, just a few days ahead of the May 21 primary election.
Rep. Mesha Mainor won’t be among them. The incumbent, an Atlanta native running for her third term, said she won’t go because her alleged former stalker — one of her Democratic challengers — will be there.
But in any group of Democrats gathered in Atlanta lately, Mainor is the odd woman out. Since switching to the Republican Party last July, she has earned the enmity of many of her former Democratic colleagues, as well as the voters who elected her.
Mainor’s strong support for bills creating private school vouchers and disciplining prosecutors last year made her a pariah among some in her party. After Mainor cast the lone Democratic vote for Senate Bill 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, which narrowly failed, Sen. Josh McLaurin, D-Sandy Springs, said that “a Democrat who votes to defund public education should be primaried,” and posted online a photo of a $1,000 check awaiting Mainor’s primary challenger.
More condemnation and criticism from other Democrats followed, leading Mainor to announce last July that she was leaving the Democratic Party due to their “harassment” and intolerance. In doing so, she became the only Black member of the GOP among Georgia’s 236 lawmakers and the first Black Republican woman to ever serve in the Georgia General Assembly.
This year Mainor voted as a member of the Republican majority to pass the school voucher bill, as well as Senate Bill 332, which empowers the oversight commission aimed at disciplining “rogue” and errant prosecutors.
‘Dead woman walking’
Mainor’s Republican colleagues have praised her for taking a stand on the two bills, despite the political cost.
“She was a leader on that education reform bill from start to finish,” said Rep. Matt Reeves, R-Duluth, adding that “here in Georgia, I think that people want to see problem solving and effectiveness and delivering results. And that’s what she has done.”
House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, told State Affairs that “[Mainor’s] support of school choice legislation played a vital role” in the bill’s passing. He added, “Representative Mainor’s dedication to common-sense policies that support Georgia’s children, families and communities has been evident since day one.”
Still, Mainor, who has no Republican primary opposition, faces long odds for reelection in November in her strongly Democratic district, where 90% of voters chose Joe Biden for president in 2020.
House District 56 is 47% Black, 32% White, 10% Asian and 6% Hispanic or Latino, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line, according to 2022 data from the Atlanta Regional Commission.
“She has incumbency in her favor, and she’ll do better than most Republicans in a heavily Democratic district where African Americans are a key constituency, but she will get nowhere close to 50% plus one vote,” said Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia.
“She alienated everyone in the Democratic caucus and engendered animosity among her colleagues” through her unpopular votes, he said. And once Mainor switched parties, “she was a dead woman walking from that point on,” Bullock said. “I would imagine most Republican strategists have written that district off.”
“Party matters,” said Andra Gillespie, a political science associate professor at Emory University. Although “there is a diversity of thought within Black communities on issues related to school choice, this is likely not the top issue for voters in her district in this cycle,” Gillespie said. “And Democratic voters as a whole tend to penalize more conservative candidates. Party switching kind of goes beyond the pale. … While she may have some residual level of support as an incumbent, most people are not going to defect and go vote for her because they’ve known her before. Partisanship is going to hold that back.”
Mainor’s Democratic challengers
Mainor’s first Democratic challenger to emerge was Bryce Berry, a 22-year-old seventh-grade math teacher and president of the Young Democrats of Georgia.
Originally from St. Louis, Berry said he got involved in community organizing as a teen after the shooting death of Michael Brown by police in nearby Ferguson in 2014. At Morehouse College, Berry started a state-level student group to help elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2020 and then led college voter mobilization efforts for the Georgia Democratic Party in 2022.
Berry has since won the endorsement of dozens of Democratic state legislators, including most of the House leadership. He also has the backing of several Atlanta school board members, Fulton County commissioners and Democratic student organizations at Spelman and Morehouse colleges.
Berry, a teacher at Young Middle School, in southwest Atlanta has raised $36,350 in campaign contributions since last July, and his campaign war chest held $19,150 as of April 30. Mainor, meanwhile, reported raising $62,863 over the last three quarters and had $12,420 in her campaign account through April.
Berry’s platform includes measures around education reform, expanding Medicaid coverage, raising the minimum wage and working with local and federal governments to create more affordable, mixed-use housing developments in Georgia.
“Fundamentally, Rep. Mainor has left our community behind,” Berry said. “It’s not just about her switching parties; it’s about her actions. …Voters in my district feel like they are not being heard by the state, their needs are not being met and they’re ready for a return back to a visionary, progressive Democrat who will work tirelessly to improve their lives.”
Emory’s Gillespie said Berry appears to be the front-runner in the District 56 Democratic primary.
The Democratic candidate with the next-best level of name recognition in House District 56 is likely Corwin “CP” Monson.
Monson, 50, an audio engineer, was a volunteer in Mainor’s unsuccessful campaign for Atlanta City Council in 2019 before she fired him for being disruptive, she said. Soon after, she accused him of stalking her. A Fulton judge granted a temporary protective order against Monson, who was later arrested for violating it.
In September 2021, in a plea deal offered by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Monson pleaded no contest to aggravated stalking charges and accepted a three-year sentence — one in prison and the rest on probation. Having already served 10-and a-half months in jail, he was released in November 2021.
Monson has denied stalking Mainor, who he said has “lied and committed character assassination” against him. He told State Affairs he took the plea deal to get out of jail after his lawyer told him a court backlog in Fulton County meant his case might not be heard for another two years.
Monson, who has been endorsed by former state representative for District 56 “Able” Mable Thomas, is campaigning on economic development and education reform, including making the school funding formula “more equitable” for low-performing and rural schools.
Monson also seeks to expand Medicaid and other affordable health care options, as well as pursue criminal justice reform.
He reported $1,005 in campaign donations as of January, but has not yet filed a campaign finance report for the first quarter of 2024, which was due on May 7.
Last week, Mainor announced she is suing Fulton County, Willis and Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington (who initially represented Monson) in civil court for their mishandling of the stalking case against Monson, which she said was not properly investigated, was sidetracked due to interference from Arrington and resulted in a too-lenient sentence.
Also challenging Mainor is Adalina “Ada” Merello, a 42-year-old waitress who has lived in Vine City in House District 56 for two years.
Originally from Eugene, Oregon, she has an extensive background in government and campaign-related work, including working for former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed on neighborhood improvement and service-based initiatives and volunteering for the campaigns of former President Barack Obama in 2012, gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams in 2018 and U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams and U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock in 2020 and 2021.
“I’m running because the neighborhood has been misrepresented for too long,” Merello told State Affairs. “Recently, we’ve had backstabbing with misrepresentation,” she said of Mainor’s party switch. “But I believe prior to that, we just don’t have a loud enough voice at the Gold Dome. So I’m newer in the neighborhood, but what I’ve seen is just people living their day-to-day lives, wanting life to be a little easier. And I don’t mean that in a handout way but a hand-up way, of people helping each other.”
Her campaign platform includes mental health reform, with a focus on further implementing some of the parity goals established in the major mental health legislation passed in 2022.
Merello, who has openly discussed her bipolar disorder diagnosis, said she “wants to normalize mental health issues and treatment to make life easier for people who’ve had lives like mine.”
She also wants to improve public schools, create more food security for low-income residents, enact more tenant protections and expand LGBTQ+ rights.
Merello reported $13,219 in campaign contributions as of April 30.
Running on her record
Shrugging off Democrats’ criticism , Mainor, 49, maintains she is “extremely proud” of her advocacy for “the school choice bill,” which she said will deliver sorely needed education options to families in her district, where only 2% or 3% of students at some schools meet reading and math proficiency levels, she said.
Mainor grew up in the Hunter Hills neighborhood of District 56, where she said property and violent crimes, prostitution and the drug trade were rampant and students like her were stuck attending low-performing, poorly equipped schools. She said her mother “worked the system” to enable her to attend Mays High School across town, a better public school that put her on a path to attend Howard University.
“Currently, my district has the most charter schools than any other district in the entire state,” she said. “And what does that mean? That means parents want options and choices. And I do believe school choice is going to create a competitive environment; it’s going to change the dynamics of the education system, which needs to happen. I mean, we really do need to look at how education is done. The school board essentially controls the curriculum, and it’s not serving all students well enough. … And so I think SB 233 will allow families to kind of pick what they want.”
Besides improving educational opportunities for children, Mainor said she’ll continue to focus on public safety and criminal justice reform. She pointed to a bill she sponsored last session, House Bill 1165, that will bring in $7.5 million in federal funds for gun violence prevention programs in Georgia, which Kemp signed in April. She also worked this year with Rep. Reeves on House Bill 926, also known as the Second Chance Workforce Act, which allows people to keep their driver’s licenses and “to still be able to get to work” while they’re awaiting court appearances. Kemp signed it last week.
In 2023, as a Democrat she authored House Bill 142, the Unified Campus Public Safety Act, which allows police on the multiple Atlanta University Center campuses in southwest Atlanta to cross boundaries and collaborate, which she said was in response to campus shootings and bomb scares.
Mainor pointed to other accomplishments during her two terms, including her bill in 2021 to create the Fulton Technology & Energy Authority, an agency that fosters the development of energy-saving technologies that she said will lower the energy burden and create good-paying, green jobs for her constituents.
If reelected, her “key priorities are going to be continuing in the education space,” she said. “But in addition to schoolwide things, I really want to focus on the criminal justice system. I want to see what kind of resources you have while you’re in jail that are getting you ready for when you go out of jail and then when you’re on probation, because we really need to be more comprehensive with the resources we’re giving ‘second chance’ citizens once they come out.”
Reeves, who serves on two House judiciary committees, said Mainor “has a passion for workforce issues and upward mobility of young people. … I think her mindset is rather than having people unnecessarily go to jail or go to prison, to figure out a way to not have their work and education disrupted. And that invariably touches on legal and criminal and public safety issues, so we’ve had multiple chances to work together. And what I’ve seen is she’s very educated, intelligent, a deep thinker in terms of legislative matters. She gets the big picture and the philosophical issues, but she’s always working on the practical part of it to help out her constituents.”
Mainor said she has enjoyed accomplishing more as a legislator in the Republican majority.
“Mentally, I’m in a better place because I don’t have the hostility on one side, because of my vote on school choice or whatever vote I did. And so I feel like I’m in a space where I am encouraged,” she said. “And I got a lot more done this year than I did last year.”
She said she is relying on voters in her district to “look at my record and reflect on what I’ve been able to deliver and see how that compares to what you’ve gotten from Democratic representation in recent years. I tell people, ‘Now you have someone at the other side of the table, sharing what your needs are, because right now [the Republicans] don’t know. I’m able to go and say this type of community needs this. Right now they have no idea.’”
Mainor said, “People in the community have told me, ‘You have helped us and we don’t care what letter is next to your name,’ and sent texts saying, ‘I guess I’m gonna vote across the ballot.’ Many people are coming to me secretly. You know, being Black and a Republican is taboo. You’re not allowed to be a Republican if you’re Black. You’re bound to face bullying and ridicule. Nobody, no one feels like they can just come out and say it, and that’s fine. I just need them to vote for me at the ballot box.”
Gillespie of Emory said Mainor might be expecting too much from voters.
“As a third-term incumbent, you have an incumbency advantage, but you haven’t built up a long-term reservoir of goodwill yet, compared to someone who’s held on to the seat for, say, 20 years,” she said. “It’s a risky thing to get ahead of your constituents on policy, when your constituents aren’t animated by the same issues that you are. And now we’re going to see what the impact of that is.”
Early voting is underway through May 17, and primary election day is May 21. Primary runoff elections, if needed, will be held June 18. The general election will happen Nov. 5.
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Have questions, comments or tips? Contact Jill Jordan Sieder on X @journalistajill or at [email protected].
Kemp signs a bevy of bills on elections, public safety and workforce development
The Gist
Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday ended a six-week whirlwind statewide bill-signing tour that enacted hundreds of new laws governing agriculture, families, elections, public safety and workforce development.
He also vetoed a dozen bills — including those dealing with homestead exemptions and easing eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship for former foster youths — during that time.
What’s Happening
All told, Kemp signed 709 bills into law in the 40 days since the 2024 legislative session ended in the early hours of March 29. The most crucial piece of legislation, by far, was the $36.1 billion fiscal year 2025 state budget, which included 12 disregards. A disregard is when a state agency is directed not to spend the money allocated for a specific item.
“He didn’t have any real disregards. The majority of these are clarifications,” Kemp spokesman Garrison Douglas said of the governor. “Agencies were given more specific instructions on how to spend the money.”
Bills impacting education, health care, military members, human trafficking and Georgia’s coastal communities were among those Kemp signed in the month following the session’s end. Other notable legislation:
- Police and property owners now have more tools to remove squatters, people who have illegally taken over a private home or property.
- Homeowners associations are now required to notify homeowners in writing of a covenant breach and give them time to fix it before the HOAs take legal action.
- Families of students in low-performing school districts may now receive scholarships, commonly referred to as vouchers, of $6,500 per child to be used for private school tuition or homeschooling expenses.
Additional legislation the governor signed over the last two weeks includes:
Agriculture
- Kemp signed a package of bills meant to provide further protection for the state’s No. 1 industry. The new laws are intended to ban “adversarial” countries from owning Georgia farmland, ease high input costs for farmers, protect children from misleading and dangerous marketing, and hike penalties for livestock theft.
Children & Families
- Senate Bill 376 improves timely permanent placement of a child removed from his or her home by the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services.
- Senate Bill 387 provides free state identification cards for children between the ages of 14 and 17 who are in the custody of the Division of Family and Children Services.
Elections
Any Georgia resident can now challenge another resident’s voter eligibility under a new law the governor signed in April, setting up probable cause to have voters removed from the rolls, critics say. Senate Bill 189 also allows a presidential candidate from any political party to be on the ballot as long as that person qualifies in at least 20 other states. It’s one in a package of election-related bills that critics say could impact the outcome of the 2024 and other future elections.
- House Bill 974 gives the public online access to photos of ballots cast in elections on the Georgia Secretary of State’s website, requires watermarks on ballots and uses technology to verify the text on ballots cast. The bill also requires a percentage of ballots in select statewide elections to be audited.
- House Bill 1207 gives election supervisors the flexibility to change the number of voting booths in precincts.
Public Safety
- House Bill 1105, the Georgia Criminal Alien Track and Report Act, creates a new immigration law that requires law enforcement to determine the nationality and immigration status of people they detain and requires the Department of Corrections and sheriffs to notify federal authorities when they have undocumented immigrants in their custody. Failure to enforce the law could cause local governments to lose state and federal funds, and law enforcement officers and government officials could face misdemeanor charges.
- Senate Bill 63 adds 30 more criminal charges to those requiring cash bail for release, including 18 misdemeanors, such as criminal trespass, forgery and failure to appear. The bill also limits what charitable organizations can do to provide bail to people in jail and establishes that individuals and organizations cannot post more than three cash bonds per year to secure a person’s release. Legal defense organizations say it unfairly limits their work and violates the rights of those accused, and they plan to sue the state to overturn the law.
- Senate Bill 465 creates a new type of offense — felony aggravated involuntary manslaughter — for selling fentanyl to someone who dies from taking the potent drug. Dealers could be prosecuted under the new law whether or not they knew the drug they sold contained fentanyl. Penalties range from a minimum of 10 years to 30 years or life imprisonment.
Workforce Development
Several bills were enacted to help students take advantage of dual enrollment and technical education programs, especially those in high-demand career fields.
- House Bill 982 directs the State Workforce Development Board to create the High-Demand Career List. Colleges, technical schools and high schools currently use conflicting lists, so this unified list will eliminate confusion among students, parents, educators and agencies about what careers are considered high-demand.
- Senate Bill 440 creates the Accelerated Career Diploma Program and simplifies the pathway for students to receive dual enrollment funding for more than 30 hours.
- Senate Bill 497 expands the apprenticeship programs in high-demand career fields and creates a pilot program for public service career apprenticeships.
The Legislature considered more than a dozen bills related to occupational licensing. Among those that passed:
- Senate Bill 354 removes the licensure requirement for beauticians who blow-dry hair, wash hair or apply makeup. The bill doesn’t include other services, such as cutting hair, applying dyes, bleaching or using chemicals, which will still require a cosmetology or esthetician license.
- Senate Bill 373, requires the Board of Marriage and Family Therapists to issue an expedited license to any individual moving from another state who has a current valid license to practice in that state and is in good standing with that state.
- Senate Bill 195 makes Georgia the third state to join the Social Work Licensure Compact. Once seven states have joined, the compact will become functional and allow social workers with valid licenses in good standing to practice in member states.
View Kemp’s 2024 signed legislation here.
Here are some of the bills Kemp vetoed:
House Bill 1231 would have expanded the Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG) Program, HOPE Scholarship and Dual Enrollment Program eligibility for certainprivate, nonprofit institutions; allowed HOPE Scholarship recipients to use unusedcredit hours to get a first professional degree; and removed the initial and first-year achievement standards of the HOPE Scholarship for former foster youths. Kemp said he vetoed the bill because none of the three proposals were accompanied by additional funding or fiscal analysis.
Senate Bill 368 would have prohibited foreign nationals from making political contributions, which is already banned by federal law. Kemp vetoed the bill at the request of the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Rick Williams, R-Milledgeville.
House Bill 1019, as originally introduced, would have doubled the statewide homestead tax exemption to $4,000 from $2,000 if voters approved it in a referendum. But on the last day of the legislative session, the Senate adopted a floor amendment to return the bill to its original form. That amendment did not change the language of the constitutionally required voter referendum, which references a $10,000 exemption. Voters would therefore be approving a different exemption, which the Legislature did not pass. Conflict between the statutory and the referendum language led Kemp to veto the bill.
See the governor’s statements on all the bills he vetoed here.
What’s Next?
Most of the new laws took effect upon signing or will take effect July 1 unless otherwise noted.
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Have questions or comments? Contact Jill Jordan Sieder on X @journalistajill or at [email protected] and Tammy Joyner on X @lvjoyner or at [email protected].
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Rural communities hopeful Kemp change to state soil amendment law will curb stink
After seven years and millions of dollars in restoration, Heritage GA opened its door last month to those seeking solitude and a chance to commune with nature. But the constant presence of trucks hauling a noxious concoction of waste byproducts from poultry processing plants threatens to ruin those plans.
The historic Catholic retreat sitting on 200 acres near Sharon is meant to be an economic boon and tourist attraction for Taliaferro (pronounced “Tolliver”) County, a poor, mostly Black county of 1,600, situated 90 miles east of Atlanta.
“It’s a very historic, sacred site. Our business is being threatened by this soil amendment. It’s [the retreat] been a major financial investment in the county and in the state and it’s really helping,” Betsy Orr, chief executive officer of Purification Properties LLC, which restored the retreat — a tribute to the first Catholic settlers who arrived in Georgia in 1790.
The sludge, known as soil amendment, is being transported to a hog farm about 1.5 miles from Heritage. The former hog farm was cited by the state Environmental Protection Division after residents complained that the waste being spread on the farm had polluted a nearby creek. The property owner resolved the consent order requiring him to pay $5,000, mark the buffer area on the farm and ensure no soil amendment is applied to that area, according to EPD spokesperson Sara Lips.
The Heritage property includes a commercial building, barn, cottages, prayer spaces, walking trails and the oldest Catholic Cemetery in Georgia. Orr predicts that if the smell from the former hog farm reaches Heritage, “it’s going to wreck our business.”
On Monday, Orr breathed an inward sigh of relief when she learned that Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill into law that could prove fortuitous for landowners and other businesses battling problems created by soil amendment.
The new law adds a provision to the state Soil Amendment Act of 1976 that stops companies from hauling or receiving soil amendment if they’ve been notified by EPD to resolve an outstanding dispute or complaint. The notification is known as a consent order. The new law is effective July 1.
“It’s good because the state and the Agriculture Department have really prevented that kind of bill from being enacted because they say that it’s to the farmer’s benefit to be able to use the soil amendments,” Orr said.
Orr’s comments are a common refrain from business owners and families with properties in rural Georgia who sit near soil amendment sites and who complain of vultures, hordes of flies and unbearable smells floating across their properties.
“The problem is a lot of the soil amendments are causing pollution. They are stinky, nasty wastewater and other products,” Orr said. “Sometimes it is not even what they are allowed to dump. Finally, they have passed this amendment, and I hope they enforce it. Some of the things that these people are dumping are … ruining the landowners around them and the state has got to start caring about that.”
Doug Abramson, a retired corporate lawyer who lives in Wilkes County where a soil amendment runoff killed 1,700 fish in the Little River July 2022, called the new law “a step in the right direction.”
“Many counties throughout the state are encountering problems with sludge, improper dumping, and [other] soil amendment issues,” said Abramson, who along with his wife Susan have been working to address the problem for about a decade. “This [new law] is at least a recognition that there are problems out there. I do think the state could do better. The Department of Agriculture could do better but it is a step in the right direction.”
Have questions? Contact Tammy Joyner on X @lvjoyner or at [email protected].
Watch live: Kemp signs $36.1B budget bill
Today is the deadline for Gov. Brian Kemp to either sign or reject bills passed by the Georgia General Assembly during this past legislative session. Arguably, the biggest of those bills is the annual budget. Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp will be joined by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, House Speaker Jon Burns, and members …