In particular, the speech lacked the conservative election promises that dominated his first term two years ago when he signed an abortion law that shared the statehouse. This year there was no mention of an extension of gun rights, new raids against illegal immigration or other initiatives that would appeal to the grassroots.
And he also sidestepped the thorny issue of an electoral law overhaul, though in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution earlier this week, he clearly advocated adding a photo ID for absentee voting, disgruntled Democrats and electoral activists who view it as restrictive.
Governor Brian Kemp exchanged punches with lawmakers Thursday as he exited the chambers of Georgia House after providing the state address. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Instead, Kemp appeared to be sending a message to Republicans calling for the “ridiculous and harmful conspiracies” to be put aside and beyond the painful 2020 elections and President Donald Trump’s relentless attempts to reverse the outcome.
“At the beginning of a new year, a new legislative period, there are some who look into the past, assign blame, settle old bills and want to experience and relitute again in 2020,” he said. “Today I think we should take the advice of these wise farmers. Let’s clear the fields and start planting. “
The maneuver could usher in a new strategy for Kemp, who opened the year in a precarious political position and, after an epic election cycle, was shelled by both Conservatives and Liberals as he prepared for a second term in 2022.
Georgia was democratically elected president for the first time since 1992 in November, and Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock swept both seats in the U.S. Senate in Georgia this month, costing Republicans control of the chamber. Democrat Stacey Abrams is preparing for a possible rematch with Kemp, and her die-hard allies say they have no reason to believe Kemp.
“Do I think the governor will be more forgiving? No, I don’t, ”said Rep. James Beverly, the top Democrat at Georgia House. “His politics showed who he is.”
The pressure from Kemp’s rights is also stifling. Trump and his allies have blamed the governor for the GOP defeats at the top of the ticket – Republicans fared better in voting competitions – and vowed to support a major opponent after Kemp refused to illegally reverse election results.
Phrased the speech as an engineer would, Kemp spoke of Georgia’s infrastructure as strong enough to weather the storms of a tumultuous 2020 that Kemp had with the death of Harrison Deal, a young aide to Kelly Loeffler and “Son that we never have had taken a personal toll ”who was killed in a traffic accident in December.
“Despite incredible losses and unprecedented challenges, Georgia still stands. Our house, built on a secure foundation, survived the storm. This condition is damaged, but not broken. A better and better future is just around the corner, ”he said to an ovation from the legislature.
“Yes, we still have challenges to overcome a virus, rebuild and restore an economy,” said Kemp. “But my fellow Georgians, the state is resilient and we will endure it.”
ExploreGeorgia Budget Proposal: Kemp Calls For School Cuts And Offers Teacher Rewards
Perhaps the most significant development in the speech was Kemp’s support for the revision of the 19th century law that allows citizens to arrest anyone they believe is committing a crime.
The many critics of the Citizens’ Detention Act on both sides of the Ganges say it was used disproportionately to justify the killing of black victims, a dire reality underscored by Arbery’s death in February near Braunschweig.
Arbery was shot dead after he was followed by three white men who falsely claimed he robbed a house under construction, and local prosecutors cited the citizen’s arrest law when initially refusing to prosecute the men.
His death became a rallying cry during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that erupted that summer, and the outrage spurred lawmakers to pass a hate crimes law that increases penalties for those who commit crimes, after nearly two decades of debate that are fueled by bias.
Wanda Cooper-Jones, the mother of Ahmaud Arbery, refused to attend the signing ceremony for the Hate Crimes Law last year because she did not deal with the Law on the Arrest of Georgian Citizens. Local prosecutors cited the law when they initially refused to prosecute the three white men who persecuted Arbery, who was shot dead in February. (Alyssa Pointer / Constitution of the Atlanta Journal / TNS)
Image credit: TNS
Image credit: TNS
But proponents, including a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers, have called for stricter measures. And Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, refused to attend last year’s hate crime law signing ceremony, partly because she was disappointed that lawmakers failed to address the citizen’s arrest law.
Kemp called Arbery the victim of a “vigilant style of violence” and said his government was planning to revise an “outdated law that is ripe for abuse and allows sinister, evil motives”.
“We can send a clear message again: Georgia is a state that protects all its people and combats injustices wherever they are found,” he said.
Almost immediately after these words were uttered, the chasm about the law was revealed. Across the room in the Georgia Senate, Republican Senator Tyler Harper shook his head sharply when he disagreed with Kemp’s plan. And Fair Fight, the advocacy group founded by Abrams, said in a social media message within minutes that revising the “racist” law was not enough.
“The law must be repealed in its entirety, not simply reformed,” said the group.
Kemp, meanwhile, did not reveal any new details on his support for tightening voter ID laws on postal ballots that have attacked Republicans since the record turnout helped Democrats turn Georgia around.
In an interview, he told the AJC that he had reserved “judgment” on proposals aimed at ending postal voting at will, banning ballot boxes and preventing groups from sending postal votes. But he said he wanted lawmakers to put the new photo ID requirements on their agenda.
Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp greet lawmakers as they leave the house after posting the state’s address in the House’s chambers on Thursday. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
If there was one predominant topic of speech, it was the challenges of the pandemic – and Kemp’s decision to aggressively reopen the state’s economy in the first few months of the outbreak. His line that “the community, not the government, have come together to stop the spread,” a pandemic that is still raging, sparked sharp criticism from Democrats.
“I wouldn’t list this as an achievement if the people had elected me their chief executive,” said Senator Elena Parent, a Democrat from DeKalb County.
The governor didn’t unveil any major new proposals to contain the pandemic other than calling for a tax break to be extended to manufacturers of critical medical and pharmaceutical equipment, but he listened to the early days of the struggle when “protecting life was an issue for minute.” Minute fight against a virus we knew little about. “
Citing “steady, significant progress,” Kemp urged Georgians to wash their hands, follow safety guidelines and wear masks to prevent the disease from spreading. To the fighting Georgians, he said, his message is: “Your state hears you, your governor hears you and we have your back.”
And he was optimistic, with a barren but growing vaccine infrastructure that has vaccinated more than 283,000 Georgians of the disease.
“We also know that there are 283,000 reasons for hope and optimism,” he said as the applause echoed in the socially distant chambers of the house. “We’ll get through this. We will get there together. “
Contributor Maya T. Prabhu contributed to this article.
