the state of georgia where governor kemp highlighted achievements in education, tax cuts in healthcare during his state of the state address in atlanta. he also talks about public safety, job creation and pay raises for law enforcement. he's been in office since 2019 and his address is 35 minutes.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. [applause] thank you all very much. thank you all very much. thank you, mr. speaker, for those kind words. i appreciate the recognition and it's an honor to be here. lieutenant governor groans, speaker burns, president pro tem kennedy, speaker jones, members of the general assembly, constitutional officers, members of the public service commission, members of the judiciary, members of the core

and my fellows. later this year the people of the to occupy these seeds of service and they will determine what course america takes in the years to come. as they have in years past when they go to the ballot box they will see a stark difference between georgia and the nation's capital. they will see what we have achieved together at the state level to make georgia an even greater place to live, work and raise a family and they will see the hardships washington, d.c. has brought into every home and placed on every kitchen table across the state. congress has become synonymous with runaway spending, bloated budgets, job killing regulations, gridlock and partisanship and elected representative in both parties more interested in getting famous on cable news then delivering results for the

american people. all the while across the nation, over 60% of households are living paycheck to paycheck. overre 8.4 million americans are working two jobs to make ends meet. a mortgage rates remain higher than i've seen in a generation and while the rate of inflatione may have fallen, high prices on everything from groceries to rent have not. in fact it caused americans over $11,000 more per year to maintain the same quality of life that they had a few short years ago. for the hard-working men and women of this country, paying $11,000 per year isn't a choice between the luxury of life. for too many people it is a decision between putting food on the table for their family, making their car payment, buying clothes for their kids were going further into debt.

for recent graduates whether you can afford to get your own place and pay off your student loans. for aa single mom is a decision about taking a job, a new job and career that pays better but it doesn't offer childcare. for a family of four you can make ends meet and also saving for their kids college and trying to pay, their mortgage. seniors are they able to stretch a fixed income to meet their basic needs. these are the people that washington, d.c. has left behind because for every challenge the nation faces, the federal response is to spend more, regulate more, tax more and come up with another government program. instead of empowering hard-working americans to innovate, create and see greater prosperity, their answer is

simply more government. the good news is we have chosen a different path because we realize the success of the state does not rely on the actions of government, but the prosperity of our people. washington, d.c. forgot a long time ago that it's not the brilliance of politicians or the good intentions of a new program that make the nation great. it is the resolve, the ingenuity of the american people. those were the hard-working georgians we heard from on the campaign trail. as a family, we heard their stories, their struggles and their hope for a brighter future. as you all know, that was true and i want to find marty, jared,

lucy and amy for being here every step of the way thank you all. [applause] public safety and health care but also to keep the government efficient, responsible and accountable. the federal government may have abandoned those principles, but here in georgia thanks to the partnership between my administration and of the general assembly, we have delivered a real results for the people of the state. nothanks to a strong economy the conservative fiscal management haveate revenues, we

provided nearly $5 billion of direct relief to taxpayers in tax refund us, tax homestead taxes and more. [applause] you all were a big part of that. despite unprecedented challenges we have maintained a aaa bond rating while celebratingf the creation of more than 171,000 new jobs and $74.5 million of investments in every corner over the last five years. unlike a lot of blue states, these are private sector jobs and we are not done yet. last month, i joined thejo lieutenant governor jones, speaker burns and others to

announce a plan to speed up implementation of the largest state tax cut in history. with your support i look forward to signing legislation that decreases the state income tax to 5.39% starting this year. [applause] this matters because it represents a savings of $3 billion for georgia taxpayers the next ten years. mr. speaker, lieutenant governor, while president biden hires tens of thousands of new v agents, my vote is we just keep cutting taxes. [applause] [cheering]

the path that georgia has taken the past years has led to record job growth. historic investment in the communities $5 billion of tax relief and enough funds saved to operate the state government for months in an emergency, not days. that's the choice and i feel confident they will vote to keep georgia moving in the right direction once o again. so, to answer the question, the state of the state is strong, growing and prosperous because we trust our citizens more than we trust the government. [applause]

georgia is succeeding because we have charted our own path, rejected the failed policies of washington, d.c. and worked together to put our citizens first. but i believe the worst thing we can do is call through another election year. we have accomplished so much over the last five years despite the unprecedented times and challenges because we haven't gotten distracted from doing the job that we were sent here to do. like i mentioned four years ago my second estate of the state address, we stay true to the example, committed to our great work and now we are seeing the results. it's no secret that georgia has grown and is a top state for business for the record to ten years in a row. new jobs are headed our way almost on a daily basis. businesses are looking to expand and companies from all over the

world looking to the state to locate their next headquarters. but with growth comes the need for more trained workers to buildmors a good paying job in a rapidly changing labor environment. that's why i was proud to unveil the program and last year's workforce summit the largest program in the nation georgia has already done an incredible job linking the upcoming generation with the schools that meet their needs. as of today, over 10,000 students have already met their match. we will keep working to reach every high school senior in georgia so that they know there is a higher education path open to them right here in the peach state, no matter the circumstances. [applause]

speaking of education, in the 2025 budget proposal doubled down on the continued and historic support on k-12 education with $1.4 billion of additional funds allocated to make a total of $12.8 million. republicans and democrats alike have supported this record investment and i want to take a moment to thank you all for that strong bipartisan achievement. it's also important for us to remember that increased funding does not achieve greater success. as a small business owner for almost 40 years now, i believe like manyn of you the competitin and the free market drives innovation. at the end of the day it may result in a better product for

the consumer. when it comes to education the same principles hold true. over y the last few years, thers been a great deal of debate around different proposals to expand options for students and families when ites comes to finding the education that best fits theirrs individual needs. many members in both chambers have worked hard on this important issue and i want to thank and applaud them for their efforts. some prefer the term school choice for educational freedom. some call them vouchers. in my opinion, each of the terms or slogans fails to mention the child. [applause] at the end of the day the consideration should be the future of the student. our job is not to decide for

every family but to support them and make the best choice for their child. this week as we begin the second year of another biennial of the general assembly, i believe that we have run out of next year's. i firmly believe we can take in all of the above approach to education, whether it's public, private, homeschooling, charter or otherwise. it's time for all parties to get around the table and agree on the best path forward to provide our kids the best educational opportunities that we can because that is what we were elected to do. [applause] to that end, we look forward to working with of the members in the leadership of both chambers to get a bill passed and signed into the law of this session. finally the students and teachers deserve to have a safe

learningng environment, no mattr their zip code. since i took office i've had the opportunity to hold more than 30 roundtable discussions with educators and superintendents from all over the state. we heard frequently thed schools were in need of additional resources to enhance security. that's why since 2019, we've provided more than $185 million to all of our schools to help secure the safety and well-being of our students and our teachers. this year i'm proposing that we continue those efforts by makiny the school security funding permanent. in my budget proposal i've included the request for dollars to go directly to school districts for school safety enhancements. schools will determine how to best usese this money whether fr personal like the school resource officers were physical or technology improvements that make the places of learningre me secure. this investment is more

significant as it will enable schools and administrators to plan accordingly knowing that this money is headed their way for this specific purpose. i hope to see strong bipartisan support for this budget item to keep our kids and our schools safe. [applause] since being sworn in as your 83rd governor, the top priority of my administration has been ensuring the safety and security of the communities. there is no doubt that we have made great progress from the task force and the department of public safety crime suppression unit to the first ladies commission and the attorney

general prosecution unit in the school security measures i just mentioned. we have not wavered in our commitment to strengthening public safety, but the state cannot do it alone. thankfully over the last two years, we've had a strong partners who worked alongside the state law enforcement to make the capital city safer. two of these gentlemen are here with us today and i want to take a moment and the mayor for their partnership. we appreciate you all. [applause] while they come from different political parties and don't agree on everything, we do agree on the importance of reducing

crime and keeping our citizens safe. bipartisan majorities in both chambers, the mayor and myself all agree on the critical need for the completion of the atlanta public safety training center. this facility -- [applause] this facility will provide our law enforcement officers, firefighters and additional first responders the critical tools and knowledge as well as the skills needed to keep themselves and our communities safe. one of our public safety

officers is here with us this morning. exactly a year ago this week the dedicated trooper was shot and severely wounded near the side of thehe training center. he spent weeks in the hospital fighting for his life. he endured multiple surgeries and spent the better part of a year in recovery while his families strong beside him. we were honored to spend time with him while in the hospital and i was honored when he gave me one of my most prized possessions, the challenge coin bearing his badge number. he had it on him when he was shot to that horrible day and it's a constant reminder for the price paid by men and women like him all over the state who keep our children, our homes, our businesses and our streets safe. and thank you for your great service. [applause]

the entire family for your service, your bravery and the sacrifices you have made in the past year for us. we are also joined in the gallery by some brave men who rendered lifesaving aid on site

and they represent some of the finest from the department of public safety, department of natural resources and our ems. would you all please stand and let us thank you for your bravery on that day. [applause] we are so grateful for you all. i don't claim to speak for anyone else in the chamber today, but this decision is a a very simple for me and my family. as long as i'm your governor there will be no gray area. we will support our law enforcement officers and we will support our firefighters and first responders in the atlanta

public safety training center that needs to be built, period. article one, section one, paragraph two of the georgia constitution states protection to person and property is the fair amount that shall be impartial and incomplete. we must do more than show support for law enforcement in words. we have to show it through action. that is why last year thanks to the work of the general assembly, i was proud to sign a budget that included a $6,000 pay raise for the state bluta ad local enforcement officers. the pay raise was a recognition

of the contributions these brave men and women make as they put their lives on the line day in and day out. this year i look forward to working with each of you to provide another pay raise for the state law enforcement. [applause] the budget proposal has an additional $3,000 per state $3,e patrol officers like the true prepares as well as our correctional officers and other state law enforcement agencies. these investments will not only serve as a renewal of our commitment to the law enforcement officers but also support our ongoing retention and recruitment efforts. i'm also urging the general assembly to complete what we started last year and get final

passage to the officer alone repayment programs because despite what some may say, we need more police officers not fewer. [applause] this year we will be continuing efforts to combat human trafficking in our state thanks to the leadership of the greatest first lady in the country. [applause] thanks to her work members of both chambers georgia has gone from being known as a human trafficking destination to being known as the leader going after traffickers and supporting the victims. under the first lady's

leadership and with overwhelming support from both chambers, we have passed and signed into law eight pieces of legislation that go after those that work in the enterprise also supporting the victims. our efforts have enabled the unit to investigate 369 cases of human trafficking since its creation. the attorney general human trafficking prosecution unit to secure 32 convictions while assisting the rescue of over 129 victims sincee it launched. [applause] but we still have work to do and we are both looking forward to working with each k of you to kp

up that fight. five years into my administration when it comes to healthcare, we have made strides in lowering cost, expanding access and incentivizing more healthcare providers to give care. we began the work with the passage of the first act in 2019 and since then we have seen stronger results. in 2019, no counties had more than two health insurance carriers. today, 87% of the georgia counties c have three or more carriers. and thanks to the george access and the reinsurance program and rolling in the private sector has changed over the past five years has gone from just under 460,000 to over 1.2 million. joint access is also saving working families more in their wallets. and the produced premiums by an average of 11% across the state. that represents an average annual premium reduction of

almost 929 a year. in rural counties where the premium places were the least affordable when i took office, georgia access reduced the premium payments by an average of 29% and while some refuse to acknowledge this existence and the significant progress, we will continue to support the policies that work for w georgi, because the fact is that for individuals and families struggling to make ends meet, lower insurance cost and more choices lead to better care than they can actually afford. [applause] because we've made the sound policy choices and budgeted, prioritized innovation and

efficiency we are now able to make other important investments in the health and well-being of hard-working georgians. that includes the efforts of mental health. two years ago as you know i was proud to sign into law the mental health act, a capstone to the lead speaker with his years of service in the chamber and one that leads a lasting legacy. one of the most visible examples of the legacy is the crisis hotline campaign conducted by the department of behavioral health and developmental disabilities last year. thanks to the commissioner and his team, more georgians than ever before for accessing the services that help them when

they a need to turn their lives around for a better. to enhance the program further, the budget proposal calls for an increase of $205 million and other entities that address mental health. this new funding will enable to expand services for those struggling with mental illness and it will increase the number of price throughout the state. it will burn through the resources in all communities and improve the quality of mental health services overall. once past, we will be spending $1.6 billion on mental health more than ever before. [applause] i am proud of what these and other agencies are doing to help fellow georgians and the best places lived and worked to raise a family. as we speak there are men and women working hard to keep the

neighborhood safe with new jobs and industries to the communities in need and teaching a whole generation that will one day occupy these rules and much more. they have remained committed and hard-working during unprecedented challenges in thea last five years. and i'm so proud of everything they've accomplished for our citizens. it is no secret that most state government jobs pay less than the private sector opportunities to do the same lineic of work. but many of our employees do it because they feel a sense of public service and they want the state to succeed. but for the state government to stay efficient and ahead of the continued growth, we must be able to attract and retain employees who perform these vitally important jobs. that is why my budget proposal provides a pay increase for all state employees including our teachers. [applause]

this will build on the phrases we provide for educators over recent years and will increase every state workers pay by 4%. my proposal also rewards those who gave decades of their lives and careers to serving others by allocating $500 million to short off the state retiring fund, ensuring the state -- [applause] this will and sure the state

keeps its promises for our retirees and saves on solid financial footing. instead of expanding to the size and scope of government, we are putting state dollars apu w to n targeting efficient ways to recruit, maintain and thank thinkemployees and vital roles m correctional officers and caseworkers. by doing so we are continuing our efforts to use every penny taxpayers send us from state agency personnel to our schools, public safety in healthcare marketplace. as we look across america, there is no doubt that we are at a crossroads, crushing inflation in washington to the crisis at the southern border and unrest overseas, these are indeed trying times. but i believe we have an opportunity here in georgia, an opportunity to highlight a different path.

one of the brilliant principles is the role of the states for them to be the laboratories of democracy to protect the liberties and freedoms of their citizens to carry out the will ofwo the people our founders didn't believe the states should always look to the federal government for answers and judging by the current comparison, i don't think we would have much to learn. in georgia -- [applause] in georgia, we balanced our budget and spend less then we take in. we cut taxes instead of raising them and return money back rather than justifying new government programs. we back the little blue and crack down on violent crime and put the safety of the communities ahead of the partisan political agendas. we celebrate the free market

instead of using the heavy hand of government. we work together across party lines on more issues than not. and most importantly, we put our people first. in an election year i don't expect all of us to agree on every u issue, every district represented is different and since each of you here have unique issues to address. over the next 36 legislative days, there will be passionate debate, there will be disagreements, there will be tough votes, there will be long nights and maybe even some short tempers. but in the middle of allie thati ask that we also remember

georgia is different for a reason. our success is not an accident, but the result of a resilient people that elected their leaders to keep the statete, government b efficient, responsible and accountable. in georgia, we believe the american dream will always provide our people greater prosperity than the government. the state of the state is strong, growing and full of opportunity. let's use this session to keep it that way. thank you all and may god bless you and continue to bless the great state of georgia. [applause]

in his state of the commonwealth address, andy bashir spoke of the 28 billion in private sector investments and the states recovering from recent floods and tornadoes and the policy objectives from the upcoming year. he was first elected in 2019 that came four years after his father sanded serving. from the state capital in frankfurt, about 40 minutes.