Brian P. Kemp is a husband, father, businessman, and public servant. On November 6, 2018, he was elected as Georgia’s 83rd Governor, earning more votes than any gubernatorial candidate in state history.
Governor Kemp built his first business – Kemp Development and Construction Company – with a pick-up truck and a shovel. Over thirty years later, he is a successful entrepreneur with companies and investments in banking, farming, timber, manufacturing, and real estate.
Brian Kemp ran for Governor on a bold, conservative plan to spur economic growth, reform state government, strengthen rural communities, lower healthcare costs, and protect Georgia families from violence. Since his inauguration on January 14, 2019, he’s worked tirelessly to turn those campaign promises into reality and build a safer, stronger Georgia for all who call the Peach State home.
Mirroring the rebate passed earlier this year, this proposal – if passed by the General Assembly – will use nearly $1 billion in funds from the state budget surplus to return money to Georgians’ pockets – because that is your money, not the government’s.
Georgians can expect to receive payments of $250 for single filers, $375 for a single filer who is head of household, and $500 for a married couple filing jointly.
Throughout Governor Kemp’s first term, the Kemp administration – in partnership with the General Assembly – has put our students and educators first. From the largest teacher pay raise in state history and funding school security grants, to reducing high-stakes testing, fully-funding our schools, strengthening the teacher pipeline, and keeping divisive politics out of the classroom, Governor Kemp has delivered on his promises to stand with our educators, ensure our students have a bright and promising future, and give parents a voice in their child’s education.
Governor Kemp’s priorities for a second term build on these historic successes by focusing on addressing learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing our educator and school counselor workforce, and implementing stronger school safety measures.
While Georgia led the nation in reopening under Governor Kemp’s leadership, a few local school systems chose to play pandemic politics with their students’ education. Ignoring the science and the negative impacts these decisions would have on our children, a handful of school boards and superintendents chose for their students to learn almost exclusively at home in front of a screen – instead of being in the classroom. As a result, in 2019, 73% of 3rd graders in Georgia were reading at or above grade level, and in 2022, that critical statistic had dropped to 63%. In fact, state data shows that over 44,000 students are currently reading below grade level as they enter 4th grade.
While the overwhelming majority of school systems across the state did the right thing by getting their students back in the classroom as soon as possible, a select few did not. Governor Kemp is committed to making sure every child in our state has the opportunity to reach their full potential and succeed in the classroom. Utilizing state funds in his 2023 budget recommendations, Governor Kemp will propose $25 million for a Learning Loss Opportunity Scholarship Grant (LLOSG).
From the beginning of his service as Georgia’s 83rd chief executive, Governor Kemp has made strengthening the Peach State’s education workforce a top priority of his administration. From historic pay raises and record state funding for schools and staff, to reducing the cost of becoming a teacher by 67% and cutting high-stakes testing, Governor Kemp has delivered major reforms that made Georgia a better place to be an educator.
But our work is far from over. The need for more qualified, passionate teachers in our classrooms and counselors in our schools has never been greater. That’s why the governor is proposing two key initiatives for his second term that will build upon our state’s successes over the last few years in recruiting, retaining, and appreciating those who serve our students.
In his first year in office, Governor Kemp proposed and signed into law school security grants of $30,000 to every school in the state. Schools used these funds to harden their campuses, utilize technology, and train staff.
In his second term, Governor Kemp will propose the following legislation to further enhance school safety efforts statewide.
During his 2018 campaign for governor, Brian Kemp prioritized cracking down on criminal street gangs, tackling violent crime, and making communities across our state safer. Early in his first term, Governor Kemp fulfilled a key promise on the campaign trail and created an Anti-Gang Unit within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which has assisted in hundreds of cases statewide and helped bring dozens of violent criminals to justice. The Governor also championed $5,000 raises for state law enforcement, signed legislation to toughen penalties on street racers, and worked with Attorney General Chris Carr to expand efforts to prosecute gangs and human traffickers.
First Lady Marty Kemp has led bipartisan efforts to raise awareness regarding human trafficking, strengthen state laws to punish the perpetrators, and help the victims of this evil industry heal and re-enter society. These unanimous pieces of legislation were signed into law by Governor Kemp.
In a second term, Governor Kemp will build on the success of his first four years in office by increasing penalties for gang recruitment of minors, implementing a database for gang research and prevention, reforming the “own recognizance” bond system, creating an education loan reimbursement program for those looking to become POST-certified members of Georgia’s law enforcement community and medical examiners, and ensuring specific places of business adhere to state law regarding notification of human trafficking resources.
Governor Kemp will prioritize legislation to update Code section 16-15-4e to increase the penalty from 5 years minimum to 10 years minimum for recruitment of a minor into a criminal street gang, as defined by current state law.
The Kemp administration prioritized and funded in 2020 and 2021 the Georgia Criminal Street Gang Database to build on the strongest gang statute in the country.
Governor Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp will champion legislation to increase fines for specific locations listed in code section 16-5-47 if they fail to post information for individuals being trafficked or held against their will.