Brian Kemp, governor of Georgia, during a Bloomberg Television interview on day two of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. (Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has told lawmakers that he will emphasize relief efforts for Hurricane Helene and attempts to limit lawsuit verdicts in the state legislative session that begins Jan. 13.
The second-term Republican provided no details of his plan in a speech to members of the General Assembly gathered in Athens at the University of Georgia on Tuesday, but he did say he would propose both legal changes and new spending to address Helene, which cut a swath through eastern Georgia in September, killing 34 people in the state and causing billions in damage.
"With a path that was hundreds of miles wide, responding to the impacts of Hurricane Helene and providing relief to those most affected must be our top priority," Kemp told lawmakers.
House Speaker Jon Burns, a Newington Republican, said he expected much of the package would look like what lawmakers agreed to after Hurricane Michael hit the state in 2018. That year, Georgia allocated $470 million. That included $200 million in income tax credits for timber and pecan farmers to replant trees and $69 million to help state and local agencies cover emergency response costs, $55 million to assist farmers suffering crop losses and $20 million for cleanup efforts on timberland.
MORE: Buford man starts 'North Carolina Santa Project' to restore normalcy for young hurricane victims
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More hurricane aid requested
Gov. Kemp and two U.S. senators are pushing for more federal funds to help those who were impacted by the recent hurricane that hit Georgia.
Burns, whose family owns timber property, said wildfires would be a risk to all members of the public by next summer "if we don’t do something about helping those landowners clean up some of those disaster areas."
State officials have already approved a plan for $100 million in loans to affected farmers and timber owners.
Kemp and Burns both urged members of Congress to act on federal aid for affected states. Kemp has asked Congress to allot $12.2 billion for Georgia, which the state government would mostly disburse. Most members of Georgia’s congressional delegation have also been outspoken about the need for Congress to act quickly.
"We will not let up when it comes to demanding the feds do right by our fellow Georgians," Kemp said. "I would ask you all to help us at every opportunity to continue to reinforce this message in a bipartisan way. We are not willing to wait on Washington to get its act together, however, to give Georgians relief."
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Giving gifts to those impacted by Hurricane Helene
After seeing Hurricane Helene in North Carolina firsthand. A local man started a drive to get gifts to kids in some of the hardest hit areas. He's calling it the Western North Carolina Santa Project.
The governor also reiterated his pledge to limit lawsuit verdicts after delaying action for a year, saying solutions needed more study. He argues such verdicts are driving up costs and hampering business.
"We will take another step on an issue that we have worked on for multiple years and that both chambers agree we need to take action on — civil action litigation," Kemp said without giving any details of his proposal.
Most Republicans say they’re ready to support the proposal but want to hear Kemp’s plan.
Members of the General Assembly gathered from Sunday through Tuesday at the university’s Biennial Institute to learn about issues and network following November elections that returned a 100-80 Republican majority in the state House and a 33-23 Republican majority in the state Senate.