Kemp Touts Tax Cuts and Economic Growth at Cobb Chamber
Jake Busch | April 15, 2024
CUMBERLAND — Next door to Truist Park Monday, Gov. Brian Kemp did his own victory lap in a speech to the Cobb Chamber of Commerce recapping the legislative session.
Before a packed room at the Coca-Cola Roxy, Kemp reflected on the 2024 legislative session by highlighting everything from income tax cuts to the MLB All-Star Game and FIFA World Cup coming to the area – the All-Star Game will be played at Truist Park – in 2025 and 2026, respectively.
On that last point, Kemp called Georgia "the global hub for athletics and sports events," adding that the state is soon to be the home of the U.S. Soccer headquarters in Fayette County, and that Atlanta will once again host the College Football Playoff National Championship next year.
Honing in on economic development in Cobb, Kemp praised the success of Truist Park and the Battery Atlanta while noting that the state has worked with Cobb on 28 economic development projects in the last five years, accounting for nearly 4,500 jobs and more than $345 million in investment.
These projects have been paired with efforts at "putting money back in the hardworking pockets of our taxpayers" – notably, accelerating income tax cuts this legislative session that Kemp said will represent $3 billion in annual savings for taxpayers in the coming decade.
That's in addition to $5 billion the state has returned to taxpayers through property tax exemptions and other tax cuts under Kemp's leadership, he said.
Kemp gave a litany of other projects he's pursued as governor, including pay raises totaling $9,500 for teachers, as well as raises for other public employees; $250 million in water and sewer loans to improve infrastructure, and more than $1.5 billion to the state's transportation department for a range of improvement projects, to name a few.
He also said his tenure as governor has been one focused on school safety, and with the support of the Georgia General Assembly, he included more than $100 million in the state budget for school safety improvements, with each Georgia public school eligible to get more than $45,000 in funding.
After his speech, state Rep. Teri Anulewicz, D-Smyrna, chair of the Cobb Legislative Delegation, said the school safety funding can only do so much without more focus from Kemp on gun safety in Georgia.
Anulewicz also criticized Kemp for not pushing for full Medicaid expansion, and noted another omission from his speech that she called notable for where the event took place.
"It's very interesting, we are here at Truist Park, we are here at the Battery, and sports betting didn't come up," she said.
As she has previously told the MDJ, sports betting was something Anulewicz hoped would have gained more traction under the Gold Dome this year. By not mentioning that hot-button item, Anulewicz said, the governor also did not address what revenue from sports betting could fund in Georgia. She said that revenue could go toward need-based HOPE scholarship funding, for example, to keep high-achieving Georgia students who are unable to afford the part of HOPE not covered by the merit scholarship from seeking better opportunities out-of-state.
Cobb Chamber Chairman Mike Plant, president and CEO of the Braves Development Company, praised Kemp's leadership in his introduction of the governor.
"He continues to lead our state and combat high inflation, strengthen public safety, support teachers and education initiatives by putting students and parents first," Plant said.
In comments after Kemp's speech, Cobb Chairwoman Lisa Cupid did not address any specific items he mentioned, though she did say Cobb's fate is intertwined with Georgia's success.
"Anything that's good for the state of Georgia helps Cobb, and we appreciate those efforts and those that are specific to Cobb County in particular when it comes to economic development," Cupid said.
Piggybacking on Kemp's praise for Cobb's growth, Cupid said she expects Cobb's continued growth to be the case.
"We're the third-largest county (in Georgia), and we're continuing moving forward, so it's no surprise to see Cobb continue to be a state leader and beyond," Cupid said.