ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp outlined fresh plans to crack down on violent crime in Georgia, laying out a pledge in his State of the State address to enact tougher penalties on gang offenders and address the “revolving door of criminal justice” as he opens his second term.
The Republican invoked the violent protests this weekend over a proposed public safety center in Atlanta as he urged legislators to commit to a “new phase” of law-and-order measures that continues to refashion the state’s approach to criminal justice policy.
Kemp said Wednesday he endorsed legislation that increases penalties for gang members seeking to recruit children. And he lauded a Fulton County judge for denying bond for four of the activists charged in connection with the spasm of violence in the heart of the capital city.
“Unfortunately, this approach is not universal across the judicial system. While some may not take this issue seriously, I can assure I do,” he told the joint session of the state Legislature. “We can and we must do something about the revolving door of criminal justice.”
While Kemp didn’t provide specifics, his advisers indicate he is reviewing legislation that could sanction prosecutors who don’t act with urgency to target serious offenders. He has also endorsed new efforts to limit no-cash bail, stiffen human trafficking penalties and boost the ranks of law enforcement officers.
It’s part of a wholesale policy shift from his GOP predecessor, Nathan Deal, who orchestrated an eight-year overhaul that focused primarily on steering more nonviolent offenders from prison cells to treatment centers.
While Deal pursued his criminal justice shakeup at a time when many Republicans embraced a reform movement, Kemp’s agenda underscores the party’s return to tough-on-crime measures.
To underscore the shift, Kemp blasted “out-of-state rioters” who lit a police car ablaze and hurled rocks at a downtown Atlanta skyscraper over the weekend. To a loud burst of applause, he thanked the “unsung heroes” in law enforcement officers who contained the violence.
“That’s just the latest example of why here in Georgia, we’ll always back the blue.”
With record-high approval ratings, Kemp signaled he intends to spend his political currency beyond public safety initiatives.
He unveiled a Rural Workforce Housing Fund designed to empower the state to partner with local governments to develop home sites. That aligns with his recent remarks supporting a call to roll back certain local zoning rules to jumpstart development, though details remain sketchy.
“Despite all we have achieved, there’s a growing risk to that No. 1 status,” he said of the state’s pro-business reputation, “the need for more workers and quality homes where they can raise a family in the same community where they work.”
He trumpeted his plan to fully fund the state’s K-12 system and pump more money into the HOPE scholarship, reversing cuts to the popular program enacted in 2011 that still haunt many legislators. He was rewarded with a standing ovation from legislators from across party lines.
And Kemp downplayed critics who have “continued to grumble” about teacher pay in Georgia by emphasizing his plans for another $2,000 salary increase for educators, atop $5,000 increases that were adopted in his first term.
“In total, we will have given hardworking educators a $7,000 pay raise in just five years,” the governor said. “No other General Assembly or governor will have raised teacher pay by so much, so quickly, in state history.”
On the health care front, Kemp reminded legislators of his proposal for $4.5 million in loan repayment programs to boost the number of health care workers in Georgia, and another $1.7 million to finance 102 new residency slots.
And he backed legislation to allow pregnant women who qualify to receive benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, commonly known as welfare. Previously, he said, they were unable to apply for the aid until after the child was born.
Pointedly left out of the speech was mention of divisive social issues that shaped his first term, such as the anti-abortion restrictions he signed into law months after his 2018 victory and the permissive gun expansion he approved in the run-up to last year’s vote.
Echoing his inauguration message earlier this month, when he pledged a focus on everyday Georgians and not bitter politicking, Kemp promised a “new era” for the state.
“The campaigns have all been run and the people have spoken,” he said. “They have given us our marching orders, and it’s time to get back to work. So, for the Georgians of today and tomorrow: Let’s get it done.”
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