Gov Brian Kemp Archives - The Florida Capital Star

States Focus on Squatting as TikToker Encourages Illegal Immigrants to ‘Invade’ Homes

March 29, 2024 Just the News

State and local officials are working to prevent property owners from having their residences taken over by squatters as a social media influencer from Venezuela encouraged illegal immigrants to “invade” homes in the U.S.

The issue of squatting has arisen in both Florida and Georgia, states fighting against squatting, while a New York City resident was arrested for trying to prevent a squatter from reentering her home. Squatting has become a concern with the influx of illegal immigrants as a Venezuelan national encouraged others to squat in Americans’ homes.

Judge Overseeing Trump’s Georgia Case Donated to Fani Willis Campaign Prior to Appointment

February 21, 2024 Admin

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing the case against former President Donald Trump, made a small donation of $150 to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ campaign prior to his appointment.

Georgia Gov. Kemp Used Lieutenant to Block Ban on Zuckerbucks, State Senator Alleges

April 7, 2022 Florida Capital Star Staff

Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R), the chair of the state Senate, refused to bring up an election integrity bill for a vote on Monday because Republican Gov. Brian Kemp wanted it scrapped, Senate GOP leadership said, according to state Sen. Brandon Beach.

Senate Bill 89 would have dealt with chain of custody for ballots and prohibited private, “Zuckerbucks”-like donations from going directly to counties by routing them first through the State Election Board for distribution.

However, a vote on the bill was blocked by Duncan on Monday, the last day of the 2022 legislative session.

Trump Seeks Revenge Against Republican Enemies in 2022 Midterms

April 6, 2022April 5, 2022 Peter D'Abrosca

Former President Donald Trump is on a mission to rid the party of some of his most fervent opponents at the state and federal levels.

“UPTON QUITS! 4 down and 6 to go. Others losing badly, who’s next?” Trump said in a statement, referring to Representative Fred Upton (R-MI-04).

Georgia, 23 Other States File Lawsuit Against Head Start Vaccination, Mask Mandate

December 23, 2021 The Center Square

Georgia is again pushing back against the Biden administration’s COVID-19 mandates.

Georgia and 23 other states are asking the court to block the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Administration for Children and Families from requiring Head Start program staff, certain contractors and volunteers to wear masks and be fully vaccinated by Jan. 31.

Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr announced the court challenge against the Head Start vaccination and mask mandate Tuesday.

Jury in Georgia Finds Three Men Guilty in Arbery Killing

November 25, 2021 The Center Square

A jury convicted three Georgia men of felony murder Wednesday for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery in a case that led to historic legislative reform in the state.

Travis McMichael, who was seen on viral video wrestling with Arbery over his shotgun before Arbery was killed, was found guilty on nine charges that range from malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony.

Georgia Gov. Kemp, Others Criticize IRS Monitoring Plan as ‘Invasion of Privacy’

October 11, 2021October 10, 2021 The Center Square

Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia’s business and banking community are pushing back against a federal proposal that would allow the IRS to monitor bank accounts with more than $600.

The plan is part of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion spending bill currently being considered in Congress. Kemp and leaders of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Bankers Association said it violates most Georgians’ privacy.

Georgia Gov. Kemp, Others Bash IRS Monitoring Plan as ‘Invasion of Privacy’

October 10, 2021October 9, 2021 The Center Square

Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia’s business and banking community are pushing back against a federal proposal that would allow the IRS to monitor bank accounts with more than $600.

Georgia Audit Documents Expose Significant Election Failures in State’s Largest County

June 17, 2021June 16, 2021 Admin

Documents that Georgia’s largest county submitted to state officials as part of a post-election audit highlight significant irregularities in the Atlanta area during last November’s voting, ranging from identical vote tallies repeated multiple times to large batches of absentee ballots that appear to be missing from the official ballot-scanning records.

Conservative Clergy of Color ‘Correct Lies’ Biden, Abrams Telling About Georgia’s New Election Law

April 13, 2021April 20, 2021 Florida Capital Star Staff

The Conservative Clergy of Color — a group of black pastors, priests and ministers — is running a full-page ad in the Atlanta Constitution Journal newspaper saying it’s “correcting the lies” President Biden and Georgia Democratic politician Stacey Abrams have told about the state’s new voting law.

“There’s nothing ‘racist’ about the Election Integrity Act, and it’s certainly not ‘Jim Crow 2.0.’ Your lies are now devastating minority small businesses in Atlanta following the MLB’s decision to move its All-Star Game to Denver, resulting in the loss of $100 million in business,” reads the ad. “Enough is enough.”

Georgia to Lift All COVID-19 Restrictions

April 11, 2021April 20, 2021 Florida Capital Star Staff

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) announced on Wednesday that Georgia is lifting all COVID-19 restrictions.

“We know hard-working Georgians cannot endure another year like that last. That is why beginning tomorrow we are loosening the remaining restrictions on our economy here in Georgia,” Kemp said in a video statement Wednesday.

Starting from Thursday, Georgia businesses will no longer be required to enforce social distancing, the ban on gatherings will be eliminated and the ability for authorities to shut down businesses that violate restrictions will be taken away, according to The Hill.

Commentary: Don’t Believe the Left’s False Narrative About Georgia’s New Election Law

April 10, 2021April 20, 2021 Florida Capital Star Staff

They’re lying about the new voting legislation in Georgia. The only question is whether they will get away with it.

For now, the center is holding. Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, is proud of the work the legislature did to address corruption complaints from both sides. He is willing to tolerate the loss of the MLB All-Star Game and baseball’s amateur draft and has pushed back on remarks by the chairman of Coca-Cola and of Merck and others.

Commentary: Don’t Believe the Left’s False Narrative About Georgia’s New Election Law

April 10, 2021April 20, 2021 Florida Capital Star Staff

They’re lying about the new voting legislation in Georgia. The only question is whether they will get away with it.

Report: Georgia Lt. Gov. Not Expected to Run for Reelection, Will Fight Trump GOP

April 10, 2021April 20, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

According to several reports, Georgia’s Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) is not expected to run for reelection, and is instead expected to focus his efforts on moving the Republican Party away from former President Donald J. Trump.

“Duncan has signaled for months that he would not seek reelection after he’s repeatedly criticized former President Donald Trump, but he’s declined to say publicly whether he will stand for another term,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said Thursday. “Duncan’s chief of staff, John Porter, said the lieutenant governor was not planning a 2022 bid, though he added the decision hasn’t been finalized.”

Georgia’s Cobb County Says it Will Lose $100 Million From MLB Moving All Star Game

April 6, 2021April 5, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

The Cobb County Travel and Tourism Bureau said that it estimates it will miss out on $100 million in revenue, after Major League Baseball (MLB) was brow-beaten by political activists into moving its 2021 All-Star game from Atlanta.

“This event would have directly impacted our county and the state, as visitors spend their dollars on local accommodations, transportation, entertainment and recreation, food and retail throughout the county,” the bureau said. “This would have been a big boost to Cobb businesses and help with recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Funding for Georgia Charter Schools Boost Heads to Gov. Kemp

April 5, 2021April 4, 2021 The Center Square

A bill to increase state funding for Georgia charter schools was passed by the General Assembly and awaits approval by Gov. Brian Kemp.

Senate Bill 59 increases charter school allocations by about $100 per student. It also secures an equal portion of federal funding for local charter schools and gives teachers and staff more access to the State Health Plan.

The General Assembly approved the bill with limited debate in both chambers this week before its legislative session ended. The House gave SB 59 its final approval, 113-51, on Wednesday after it cleared the Senate, 40-11, on Tuesday.

Georgia Dem Rep Arrested After Banging on Gov. Kemp’s Door

March 27, 2021March 26, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

A Georgia House Democrat was arrested Thursday night after repeatedly banging on Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s office door.

Rep. Park Cannon (D-GA-58) was banging on the door in protest of an election integrity bill signed into law Thursday. Democrats contend that the bill constitutes “voter suppression.”

First Battlefront Drawn in Georgia in Epic Fight over Future of American Elections

March 26, 2021June 14, 2021 Florida Capital Star Staff

Over just a few hours Thursday, Georgia’s Legislature and Gov. Brian Kemp drew the first battle line in the high-stakes struggle to decide how American voters will cast ballots in the future after the pandemic-ridden election of 2020.

The Republican-controlled state put itself firmly in the camp of voter ID requirements, limited drop boxes and expanded weekend voting. And depending on the eye of the beholder, it was either a win for election integrity or a return to the era of Jim Crow voter suppression.

$27 Billion State Budget Plan Advances in Georgia Senate

March 23, 2021March 22, 2021 The Center Square

The Georgia Senate Appropriations Committee passed a $27.2 billion state spending plan Monday for fiscal year 2022.

The proposal for state spending from July 1 to June 30, 2022, reflects a 5.3% increase in expenditures over the current fiscal year’s original spending plan.

Georgia to Use $277M in Federal Coronavirus Aid on Transportation Projects

March 17, 2021March 16, 2021 The Center Square

Georgia will use $277 million in federal coronavirus relief for local transportation projects, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office said Monday.

Kemp’s office said the money was set aside for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to offset projected COVID-19-related revenue gaps.

“I am thankful for these one-time federal resources that will help keep Georgians working while also keeping our economy on the road to recovery,” Kemp said.

Georgia’s Net Tax Collections Total Nearly $2B in February

March 15, 2021March 14, 2021 The Center Square

Georgia’s decision to delay processing tax year 2020 individual returns helped lead to a net tax collection of nearly $2 billion in February.

Georgia followed the Internal Revenue Service’s guidance of not accepting and processing 2020 returns until Feb. 12. The deferment led to a delay in tax refunds, which resulted in higher than usual individual income tax collections, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office said in a news release.

Georgia Gov. Kemp Says He’d Back Trump in 2024 Despite Election Tiffs

March 5, 2021March 4, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto Wednesday night that he will support former president Donald J. Trump in 2024, if Trump decides to run for president again and becomes the Republican Party nominee.

“Absolutely, I’m going to support the nominee,” Kemp said. “As I said, again, I worked very hard for the president. I think his ideas … will be part of our party for a long time in the future. And Republicans, we need to have a big tent. I mean, there’s a lot of great ideas out there.”

Georgia Launches COVID Vaccine Registration Website

February 20, 2021February 19, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca

This week, Georgia rolled out a COVID-19 vaccination registration website, as the state gears up to begin vaccinating more residents.

“COVID-19 vaccines continue to arrive in Georgia in extremely limited supply,” the site’s homepage says. “As we await additional vaccine supply from the Federal Government, we urge currently eligible Georgia residents to pre-register today.”

Georgia Legislature Approves $650M Spending Increase in Amended State Budget

February 14, 2021February 13, 2021 The Center Square

The Georgia General Assembly approved a more than $650 million increase in spending for fiscal year 2021 on Thursday after lawmakers in the Senate and House came to agreement on an amended budget.

Lawmakers approved a plan that restores 60% of K-12 school funding and adds spending for public health, state employee raises, broadband internet expansion, higher education and state vehicles. The bill now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp for final approval.

Georgia Department of Labor Refutes Claim It Jeopardized State’s Financial Rating

February 5, 2021February 4, 2021 The Center Square

Georgia Department of Labor officials said claims the agency caused a delay that could harm the state’s financial rating are inaccurate.

Sen. Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, said the state could be at risk of losing its AAA rating if the state auditor doesn’t receive additional documents from the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) to complete the state’s end-of-year comprehensive financial report.