Brian Kemp in 2023 Governor's State of the State speeches
On Budget & Economy:
Partner with local governments on workforce housing
But transformational projects, good-paying jobs, and new investment are worth little if there aren't options for hardworking Georgians to live where they work.
That is why I am creating the Rural Workforce Housing Fund, enabling the state to partner directly with local governments to develop sites across the state for workforce housing.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Georgia legislature
Jan 25, 2023
On Crime:
Come after our children, and we will come after you!
For far too many Georgians, the safety of their families and homes is put at risk by the unchecked crimes of street gangs. We created the GBI's Anti-Gang Task Force to take the fight to these criminals. And you gave the state a new tool to ensure
justice--the Gang Prosecution Unit in the Office of Attorney General. The Attorney General and his team have already indicted over fifty gang members in just the first six months of standing up this unit, with more on the way!
In communities across our state, gangs are actively recruiting children as young as elementary school students into a life of crime. They are targeting the most innocent among us, pulling them down a dark path that too often leads to either a prison
cell or the cemetery. That is why, along with the Attorney General, I'm proposing legislation that will increase penalties for those trying to recruit our children into a gang. Let me be clear: come after our children, and we will come after you!
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Georgia legislature
Jan 25, 2023
On Education:
We have given teachers a $7,000 pay raise in just five years
While some politicians have continued to grumble about teacher pay in Georgia, let me give you the facts: In total, we will have given hardworking educators a $7,000 pay raise in just five years. No other General Assembly or governor will have raised
teacher pay by so much, so quickly, in state history! With the passage of this budget, the average teacher salary in Georgia will also now be over $7,000 higher than the Southeast regional average.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Georgia legislature
Jan 25, 2023
On Education:
HOPE Scholarship and Grant awards now cover 100% of tuition
That is why, for the first time in over a decade--and in the 30th year of both this program and the Georgia Lottery--we are once again fulfilling Governor Zell Miller's vision and returning HOPE Scholarship and Grant awards to 100% of tuition!
By covering 100% of tuition--a policy long worked on by members of both sides of the aisle--a student will receive roughly $1,000 in additional financial assistance in the coming school year.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Georgia legislature
Jan 25, 2023
On Health Care:
State Pathways to Coverage rather than Medicaid expansion
When I first signed the bipartisan Patients First Act in 2019, no counties had more than two health insurance carriers. Today, 86% of Georgia counties have three or more carriers. And while others have called for expanding one-size-fits none,
massive government health programs, thanks to our policies, enrollment in the individual market has more than doubled since 2019 to over 700,000 Georgians.
The Georgia Pathways to Coverage program was negotiated with the federal government so that we could expand access to health insurance for those who need it the most, while sustaining the quality of coverage. 345,000 Georgians could qualify for the
Pathways program and healthcare coverage for the first time, with no changes for those who qualify for regular Medicaid. Unlike Medicaid expansion, Georgia Pathways will not kick 200,000 Georgians off their private sector insurance.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Georgia legislature
Jan 25, 2023
On Health Care:
$4.5M in loan repayments to increase healthcare workers
Right now, there are 67 counties with less than 10 physicians. And Georgia's need for more nurses is well documented. That's why I'm proposing over $4.5 million in loan repayment programs to grow the number of healthcare workers in Georgia.
I'm also calling for an additional 102 residency slots through an investment of $1.7 million. With these additions, we will exceed the initial goal number of this program.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Georgia legislature
Jan 25, 2023
Page last updated: Apr 02, 2023