Georgia

Governor Kemp announced the DREAMS Scholarship — a $325 million endowment creating Georgia's first need-based scholarship — alongside celebrating a cumulative $9,500 teacher pay raise (28% increase in starting salary). He highlighted full QBE funding seven years running, over $511 million allocated to school safety, tuition increases held to just 5% since 2019, and record investments in medical residency slots and CTE programs.

Governor Kemp detailed investments of $40.7 million for healthcare education facilities and medical workforce training, plus $2.1 million more for medical residency slots, bringing total residency positions to 2,523. He highlighted the state's investments in combating human trafficking and gang activity as public health and safety measures.

Governor Kemp reported over 219,700 new jobs and $118 billion in investment since 2019, with 64% of jobs and 75% of investment going outside metro Atlanta. Georgia has been named the number one state for business for an unprecedented 12 consecutive years. He proposed the DREAMS Scholarship with $325 million to create need-based scholarships, and highlighted workforce investments including raising teacher pay by $9,500 and fully funding the HOPE Scholarship.

Governor Kemp noted investing over $6 billion in water, sewer, and transportation projects across the state while cash-funding $4.1 billion in capital projects to save $3.3 billion in interest payments. He emphasized reducing outstanding state debt by over 20% in three years and bringing the debt service ratio to just 3% — the lowest since the state began issuing bonds in the 1970s.

Governor Kemp highlighted extensive anti-gang efforts through the GBI Anti-Gang Taskforce (over 1,800 gang-related cases, nearly 2,500 offenders arrested, $95 million in drugs and illegal items seized) and the Attorney General's Gang Prosecution Unit (120+ convictions in 19 counties). He announced the Crime Suppression Unit's fifth year of operation and a proposed enhanced retirement plan for state law enforcement officers that would double the state's contribution. He also highlighted the GRACE Commission's work on human trafficking, noting 70+ convictions and over 200 children rescued.

Governor Kemp briefly mentioned energy in the context of economic development, noting that Georgia's future prosperity requires "abundant and affordable energy" and highlighting the PowerSC working group, the SC Nexus consortium, and the state's leadership in nuclear energy with over half its electricity from nuclear power and seven operating reactors. He declared South Carolina will lead the nation's nuclear renaissance.

Governor Kemp did not make housing a central focus of his address, instead emphasizing economic development, education investments, and public safety.

Governor Kemp proposed a fourth one-time $1 billion tax rebate ($250 per filer, $500 per couple) and a further 20-basis-point reduction in the income tax rate to 4.99%, three years ahead of schedule. He highlighted $9.7 billion in total tax relief since 2021, state reserves exceeding $10 billion, cash-funding $4.1 billion in capital projects saving $3.3 billion in interest, and reducing outstanding debt by over 20%. He also proposed a $325 million endowment for the DREAMS need-based scholarship program.

Governor Kemp celebrated La Regina, an Italian food production company in Alma that employs 110 people and purchases local produce from over 100 Georgia farmers, including more than 40,000 pounds of onions per week. He emphasized that 64% of new jobs and 75% of investment dollars are going to communities outside metro Atlanta, including agricultural regions.

Governor Kemp proposed an enhanced retirement plan for state law enforcement officers, increasing the state's 401(k) match to 15%, and emphasized Georgia's commitment to public safety personnel. While not solely veteran-focused, his address referenced military traditions and service as foundational to Georgia's identity.

Governor Kemp emphasized reducing state employee turnover by over 25% while keeping full-time state workforce at 2019 levels, and cash-funding $4.1 billion in capital projects to save $3.3 billion in interest payments. He highlighted reducing outstanding debt by over 20% in three years and achieving the lowest debt-service-to-revenue ratio since the 1970s, while proposing a one-time $2,000 pay supplement for all state employees.

Governor Kemp announced a $325 million investment in the DREAMS Scholarship program, the first need-based scholarship in Georgia history, to complement the HOPE Scholarship. He proposed a one-time $1 billion tax rebate and highlighted fully funding QBE education seven times. He also noted the GRACE Commission's work on anti-human trafficking, with over 70 convictions and 200 children rescued through the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

Governor Kemp made cost of living the centerpiece of his address, proposing a fourth $1 billion one-time tax rebate ($250 per filer, $500 per couple) and a further 20-basis-point income tax reduction to 4.99%, fulfilling his campaign promise three years early. He noted the state has returned nearly $9.7 billion in tax relief since 2021 including property tax relief, motor fuel tax suspensions, and permanent income tax savings. He framed these as essential because "everyday costs are still too high."