Gov. Brian Kemp signed headline-grabbing bills this year to limit lawsuits, enshrine “religious liberty” in state law and safeguard in vitro fertilization.
But the flurry of quieter decisions on the last day of the bill-signing period Wednesday also helped reveal his political playbook. Here’s a closer look:
MAGA shift
After years of feuding, Kemp is inching ever closer with President Donald Trump. His vaunted political operation helped Trump recapture Georgia in last year’s presidential election, and the two recently met to unite behind a GOP challenger to U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.
In another sign of their growing alliance, Kemp approved a pair of bills Wednesday designed to boost Trump and his allies.
The first would allow Trump and other codefendants in Fulton County’s election-interference case to recoup millions in legal costs if the disqualification of District Attorney Fani Willis is upheld. Trump alone has spent at least $2.7 million to defend himself.
Credit: Screenshot, Georgia Senate
Credit: Screenshot, Georgia Senate
The second allows Georgia drivers to buy specialty license plates featuring Trump’s “America First” campaign theme, a measure that passed at the urging of MAGA state legislators trying to curry the president’s favor as they run for higher office.
Kemp didn’t comment about either bill. But his decision to sign the measure targeting Willis surprised even some supporters.
The bill’s sponsor is state Sen. Brandon Beach, the Alpharetta Republican who backed former U.S. Sen. David Perdue’s failed attempt to unseat Kemp and criticized the governor for refusing to overturn Trump’s 2020 defeat in Georgia.
Beach, who made clear he had Trump in mind when he sponsored the bill, recently resigned to become U.S. treasurer. He now oversees the U.S. Mint, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the gold reserves at Fort Knox.
For Kemp, the bill is another deposit into a relationship once thought politically bankrupt.
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Legislative power
He clearly wasn’t enthusiastic about it, but Kemp signed Senate Bill 255, a measure that dramatically expands the investigative powers of the Georgia Legislature.
The bill gives legislative committees the authority to subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and compel testimony — marking a significant shift in the balance between the legislative and executive branches.
In a statement, Kemp argued lawmakers already had investigative authority and that the bill “merely” formalizes the process. But he didn’t hide his unease, warning it could invite the kind of “politically motivated ‘investigations’” that have paralyzed Congress.
“I sincerely hope that in the future, Georgians do not similarly lament the General Assembly.”
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Rocking Rockdale
Republican-turned-Democrat JaNice VanNess won a heated race last year for County Commission chair in Rockdale County — the most powerful post in one of Georgia’s most liberal bastions. On Wednesday, Kemp stepped in to protect her power by vetoing Senate Bill 238.
Once a GOP rising star, VanNess is no favorite of local Democratic leaders, who saw her as a conservative Trojan horse. But she ousted a Democratic incumbent in a runoff by campaigning on transparency and reform.
Democrats fired back with SB 238 to expand the three-member County Commission to five seats and shorten VanNess’s term as chair. She and the other two commissioners urged Kemp to block the bill, which sailed through both chambers.
He did just that, calling the measure an attempt to “circumvent the will” of voters so soon after an election. The veto secures the top job for a former Republican in one of Georgia’s bluest counties.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Boot bill boost
State Sen. Josh McLaurin’s name doesn’t appear on Georgia’s new law regulating booting. But under the Gold Dome, there are no doubts about who helped launch the effort.
In the final days of the session, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor slipped a provision into a broader bill requiring booting companies to give motorists more notice — and more information — before locking down vehicles.
It was the latest chapter in McLaurin’s yearslong campaign to “ban the boot,” a cause that has fueled a steady stream of viral tweets, constituent stories and memes mocking the private companies that immobilize cars.
While Kemp signed the bill, he offered no public comment. Allies say he viewed the measure as a necessary check on a loosely regulated industry. For McLaurin, it’s a timely legislative win as he ramps up his bid for Georgia’s No. 2 job.
“There’s more work to be done,” he said, “but this is a great first step in limiting the abuses of the predatory booting industry.”
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