Atlanta

Gov. Kemp vows pay raises, tax cuts in 2024 during State of State address

By Bryan Mims, WSB-TV
By Bryan Mims, WSB-TV

ATLANTA — In his sixth State of the State address, Governor Brian Kemp proposed 4% pay raises for state workers, including $2,500 raises for teachers and $3,000 boosts for law enforcement officers. The same increases were proposed for Georgia’s K-12 teachers.

He also promised tax relief in the form of a cut in the state income tax, dropping the rate to 5.39% this year.

“Thanks to a strong economy, and conservative fiscal management of state revenues, we’ve provided nearly $5 billion of direct relief to taxpayers,” the Republican said. “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.”

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The governor also pledged support for school choice as lawmakers remain split on a voucher plan in recent days.

“I firmly believe we can take an all-of-the-above approach to education, whether it’s public, private, homeschooling, charter or otherwise,” Kemp said.

In this election year, he unleashed criticism on Washington, D.C., describing a “stark difference” between Georgia and the nation’s capital.

“Congress has become synonymous with runaway spending, bloated budgets, job-killing regulations, gridlock and partisanship,” he said.

Among those in the audience were Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum.

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The governor again stressed his backing for the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which has sparked violent protests in the past year.

“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,” he said.

Kemp then acknowledged Trooper First Class Jerry Parrish, who was shot during a protest at the site last January.

“Thank you to the entire Parrish family for your service, your bravery, and the sacrifices you made over the past year for us,” he said.

After the speech, several Democratic lawmakers denounced the governor’s record and his budget priorities.

State Rep. Billy Mitchell, (D-Stone Mountain), said the state’s schools are struggling and Republicans have long failed to expand Medicaid in Georgia.

“Instead, the governor has kept his head in the sand,” he said. “He is using his political power to block Medicaid expansion and defund our schools.”

State Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler, (D-DeKalb), said the governor has failed to invest the state’s $16 billion surplus – a $5 billion rainy day fund plus $11 billion in unspent money from previous years.

“The truth is, we have all this money left over in the budget because we took it away from state agencies, leaving them underfunded, undermanned and unable to respond to Georgia’s most serious problems,” she said.

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