Group mourns 4 lifeless in Georgia highschool taking pictures
Two academics and two college students have been killed at Apalachee Excessive Faculty by a 14-year-old scholar, who’s in custody.
Gov. Brian Kemp delivered a not-so-veiled menace to members of the Normal Meeting on Thursday: Move vital tort reform through the 2025 legislative session — or else.
“There may be all the time room for compromise, however there will probably be no room for excuses, half measures or failure,” Kemp mentioned throughout his annual State of the Union deal with to a joint session of the Georgia Home and Senate. “Whether or not it is this legislative session, or maybe a second one later this yr, we are going to obtain significant, impactful tort reform.”
After years of pushing for tort reform, lawmakers final yr handed a invoice ordering the state Insurance coverage Division to gather information on authorized developments affecting insurance coverage premiums and establish reforms that might stabilize prices.
Within the months following the 2024 legislative session, Kemp hosted three roundtables throughout the state to listen to from enterprise homeowners saddled with rising insurance coverage premiums that threatened their means to maintain their doorways open.
“Regardless that every individual at these roundtables got here from a unique a part of our state, represented a unique trade or enterprise, instructed a novel story or had a unique perspective, the decision to motion was unanimous,” he mentioned. “It is very clear that the established order isn’t working.”
Legislative Democrats have blocked reform for many years amid issues that it may deprive Georgians injured in a automotive accident or medical malpractice of their day in courtroom.
On Thursday, Kemp requested Democrats to help tort reform this yr and promised a balanced strategy to the difficulty. He cited examples from the current previous the place lawmakers from each events labored collectively to cross vital legal guidelines.
“Passing laws on hate crimes, repealing citizen’s arrest and supporting victims of human trafficking are all tough points,” he mentioned. “However Republicans and Democrats obtained it collectively as a result of it was the best factor to do.”
In a 35-minute speech, Kemp additionally pledged to advance laws that may decrease the state revenue tax charge from 5.39% to five.19%, a transfer he mentioned would price Georgia taxpayers $7.5 billion over the subsequent 10 yr saved.
The longest sustained applause through the governor’s speech got here when he acknowledged himself within the gallery with Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith and two college useful resource officers – Sgt. Chase Boyd and Deputy Brandon King — who rapidly arrested the teenage gunman accused of fatally taking pictures two academics and two college students at Apalachee Excessive Faculty final September.
Kemp mentioned his spending proposals for this yr would come with an extra $159 million for varsity security grants on prime of the $294 million the state appropriated for that program in 2019 and 2023.
And the governor defended his restricted enlargement of Georgia’s Medicaid program towards Democrats who favor a full Medicaid enlargement as 39 states have finished.
“We cowl over 200,000 extra Georgians than conventional Medicaid enlargement would cowl,” Kemp mentioned. “And people Georgians are on higher plans that present higher protection, and result in higher well being care outcomes for them and their households.”
After Kemp’s speech, Democrats pointed to Georgia’s doubtful standing because the state with the nation’s third-highest charge of uninsured. Whereas the Georgia-specific medical insurance alternate Kemp launched in November is displaying early indicators of success, the governor’s Georgia Pathways restricted Medicaid enlargement has enrolled solely 8,385 Georgians since launching in the summertime of 2023.
“Georgia Democrats within the state legislature have outlined plans to … totally develop Medicaid to carry well being protection to just about half one million Georgians,” in keeping with a information launch from the Democratic Social gathering of Georgia.
In a sideshow after the primary occasion, ultra-conservative state Sen. Colton Moore, R-Trenton, arrested for attempting to enter the Home chambers for the State of the Union deal with. Home Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, banned Moore from the Home ground final yr after the senator made disparaging feedback concerning the late Speaker David Ralston.
Kemp additionally thanked the primary responders and neighborhood volunteers who stepped up throughout and after Hurricane Helene devastated a lot of the state in late September.
“We noticed neighbors serving to neighbors, lending a hand or a chainsaw, even when their very own houses and farms wanted consideration,” he mentioned. “We have seen model new church outreach packages that feed total cities, and we have seen first responders put the lives of others earlier than their very own.”
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