And he backed the construction of a $90 million Atlanta Public Safety Training Center opposed by environmentalists who object to transforming a forest into a law enforcement facility and liberal activists who worry it would further militarize policing in Atlanta.

“While President Biden hires tens of thousands of new (Internal Revenue Service) agents, my vote is we just keep cutting taxes here in Georgia,” he said in one of several remarks that drew applause from Republicans and stony silence from Democrats.

The sharp-elbowed rhetoric was tucked into a speech that also outlined salary hikes for state employees, law enforcement officers and teachers fueled by Georgia’s $16 billion in reserves, as well as new funding to shore up the state’s pension system and bolster mental health programs.

Left unmentioned were several issues that could dominate the 40-day legislative session, including whether Georgia could expand Medicaid, overhaul election rules or pass a stalled effort to combat antisemitism.

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Likewise, the governor steered clear of launching new efforts to restrict abortion, expand access to firearms and wade into other culture war fights geared toward energizing conservatives in an election year.

Instead, he warned that America faces a crossroads ahead of a November vote that could hinge on Georgia, which Biden narrowly captured in 2020 and is expected to be another tightly contested battleground in 2024.

“From crushing inflation and dysfunction in Washington to the crisis at our southern border and unrest overseas, these are indeed trying times,” he said. “But I believe we have an opportunity here in Georgia — an opportunity to highlight a different path.”

The speech echoes Kemp’s broader attempt to nurture his political profile after defeating both Democratic star Stacey Abrams and a Donald Trump-backed challenger in 2022. He could challenge U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in 2026 or even run for president, and he plans next week to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland for the second consecutive year.

That ambition could also backfire. Democrats ripped Kemp for what they described as a nakedly partisan speech that doesn’t credit the Biden Administration for the surge of green energy developments that have taken root in Georgia in recent years.

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

“It was a campaign speech with a lot of mixed messages,” Democratic state Rep. Scott Holcomb said. “If Donald Trump wasn’t the presumptive Republican nominee, I’d wager it was a tryout speech to be a running mate.”

Democratic state Rep. Sam Park said he’s tired of the “doublespeak” from Kemp, who he accused of capitalizing on Democratic-backed federal tax incentives and clean energy policies even while blasting Biden’s policies.

“We’re seeing a boom in manufacturing in Georgia because President Biden and Democrats in Congress passed transformative legislation,” said Park, one of the top Democrats in the House. “If the governor wants to demonstrate bipartisanship, he should stop playing the blame game.”

No more ‘next years’

The governor revealed other mainstays of his 2024 agenda in the days leading to Thursday’s speech, which was held before hundreds of lawmakers, judges and dignitaries in the Georgia House.

Most are expected to pass with broad support in the Republican-controlled Legislature, including a plan to speed up an income tax cut, distribute safety grants to every K-12 school and devote roughly $2 billion in new infrastructure and transportation spending.

But his call for a “school choice” expansion is no easy sell, given opposition from many local school boards and other critics who say vouchers would undercut public education and benefit families already paying for private school education.

The most significant expansion of private school vouchers in recent Georgia history failed last year despite Kemp’s last-minute endorsement as 16 Republican House lawmakers rebelled against it.

The governor didn’t explicitly endorse the details of that measure, which would have tapped taxpayer dollars to finance a $6,500-per-student voucher to pay for private school tuition and home-school expenses.

But in blunt terms, the governor told lawmakers they have “run out of ‘next years’ ” and should pass a voucher measure to give Georgians an “all-of-the-above approach to education — whether it’s public, private, home-schooling, charter or otherwise.”

“It is time for all parties to get around a table and agree on the best path forward to provide our kids the best educational opportunities we can,” he said, “because that’s what we were elected to do.”

Kemp also signaled that he would prioritize support for the public safety complex, which has roiled Atlanta politics for much of the past two years and divided Democrats ahead of an election that could be shaped by concerns about public safety.

Credit: City of Atlanta

Credit: City of Atlanta

To loud applause, he singled out Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who has championed the project. And he praised Georgia State Trooper Jerry Parrish, who was wounded in an exchange of gunfire at a training center protest that left one activist dead.

“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,” he said. “And the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center should be built — period.”

Kemp’s most cutting comments, however, drew a contrast between his conservative policy outlook and a Washington he portrayed as hopelessly mired in gridlock and instability.

“The path Georgia has taken over the last five years has led to record job growth, historic investment in communities from Bainbridge to Blue Ridge, $5 billion dollars in tax relief and enough funds saved to operate state government for months in an emergency — not days,” he said.

“That’s the choice before Georgians this November,” Kemp said. “And I feel confident they’ll vote to keep Georgia moving in the right direction once again.”