Gov. Brian P. Kemp urges 20‑basis‑point income tax cut, comprehensive tort reform and expanded disaster relief in State of the State

Governor Brian P. Kemp told a joint session of the Georgia General Assembly that he will propose a 20‑basis‑point reduction in the state individual income tax rate and introduce a comprehensive tort‑reform package, while calling for continued state and federal support for communities damaged by Hurricane Helene.

Kemp said the move to cut the income tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19% would save Georgians an estimated $7.5 billion over the next 10 years and repeated his administration’s case for conservative budgeting and returning money to taxpayers. He also said his office will introduce legislation aimed at stabilizing insurance costs and reducing litigation burdens that, he said, threaten small businesses, hospitals and other employers.

The speech outlined why those proposals matter to Georgians still recovering from Hurricane Helene and to small businesses facing rising costs. "Tough times don't last, but tough people do," Kemp said. He described the storm's impacts — including a reported $5.5 billion in damage to farmers and timber producers and what he called the worst storm Georgia Power had seen — and said the state repurposed $100 million to the Georgia Development Authority last November to provide direct support for farmers and timber producers.

Kemp pressed for federal action as well, praising the U.S. Congress for disaster relief measures and saying the state and congressional delegation urged the Biden administration to fast‑track block grants to Georgia. He said, "The elected leaders under this gold dome will stand with [affected Georgians] for as long as necessary to make sure every Georgian can recover and come back stronger than before." The governor said 34 of the storm's fatalities occurred in Georgia and that communities statewide experienced widespread damage.

On tort reform, Kemp described roundtables his office hosted with small businesses, health‑care providers and major employers, and said premiums and liability costs in some cases have risen dramatically. He cited examples from the roundtables — including a childcare operator reporting a 100% increase in insurance costs since 2018 and a hospital system reporting a 115% increase in liability premiums in a single year — and argued that reforms are needed to preserve access to care and to keep businesses operating. "There will be no room for excuses, half measures, or failure," he said of the effort to pass meaningful tort reform.

Kemp also proposed additional spending to strengthen school and campus safety. He said the state has allocated $294,000,000 for campus safety to date and that his budget would include a further $159,000,000. He thanked lawmakers who helped make recurring funding for campus security part of the base budget and recognized law enforcement officers credited with responding to recent school violence.

The governor described health‑care access initiatives the administration supports, citing the state's work on Georgia Access and Georgia Pathways and the Patient's First Act of 2019. He said those programs together are covering more than 1.5 million Georgians and that the administration has seen provider rate increases through traditional Medicaid.

Kemp framed many of the proposals as bipartisan issues and asked lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to work together on tort reform, anti‑hate crimes legislation, repeal of the citizen's‑arrest statute and measures to support trafficking victims. He said his office’s forthcoming tort‑reform bill “can and should have bipartisan support,” and urged lawmakers to move quickly to avoid further business closures and service reductions.

The governor closed by citing state job and investment figures — saying Georgia has attracted roughly 193,000 private‑sector jobs and $90 billion in investment during his tenure — and urged the legislature to pursue policies he described as pro‑growth. "That's your money, not the government's," Kemp said of his tax proposals.

Kemp did not introduce specific bill text during the speech; he said his office will file legislation in the coming days. Lawmakers responded with applause and later dissolved the joint session by voice vote before returning to their separate chambers to continue business.