Tag Archives: Brian Kemp

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Gov. Brian Kemp said Wednesday that he’ll continue to roll back coronavirus restrictions as long as residents abide by safety guidelines, adding that his decision to allow more businesses to reopen is “reinvigorating” the state’s stalled economy. During a visit to a Macon hospital, Kemp said Georgia’s data “continue to look really good,” and he downplayed …

Atlanta’s NBC News affiliate reports: With doubts surrounding if the Republican National Convention can happen in North Carolina, Gov. Brian Kemp has offered Georgia as an alternative site. Right now, the RNC is scheduled to be held in Charlotte Aug. 24-27. But President Donald Trump tweeted the party “will be reluctantly forced” to find another site if Gov. Roy Cooper …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Gov. Brian Kemp extended some coronavirus restrictions Tuesday as he eased other limits imposed during the pandemic, setting the stage for summer camps to reopen and some state employees to return to offices within a week. The governor ordered bars, nightclubs and live performance venues to remain shuttered through the end of May, which he said …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: State health officials have confirmed an additional 1,000 cases of the new coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing Georgia’s total infections above 27,000. As of noon Thursday, the Georgia Department of Public Health was reporting just over 26,000 confirmed cases. That number now stands at 27,134, according to data released at 12:25 p.m. Friday. At …

“Our unprecedented battle with COVID-19 has proven the resolve of the people of Georgia to fight hard, come together, and do what is necessary to stop the spread of the virus. “While we cannot all be together right now, we can join with one another in prayer for our frontline healthcare workers, first responders, law enforcement, business owners, local leaders, …

Politico reports: Georgia Rep. Doug Collins on Thursday criticized Gov. Brian Kemp’s aggressive plan to reopen their state’s economy, accusing Kemp of “not communicating clearly” amid the coronavirus outbreak and failing to solicit input from local leaders. The GOP congressman’s harsh assessment represented a rebuke of his Republican governor and signaled Collins’ intention to instead side with President Donald Trump …

Yahoo News reports: Dr. Deborah Birx, one of the leading medical experts on President Trump’s coronavirus task force, tried to reconcile the controversial order by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp reopening some businesses across the state with the task force recommendations that call for continued social distancing. Among the businesses that Kemp, a Republican and a strong supporter of President Trump, …

Politico reports: Republican governors across the Southeast are teaming up to reopen the region’s economy, even as they lack the testing to know how rapidly the coronavirus is spreading. One health expert called the political decision a “perfect storm” for the virus to reassert itself. The newly formed coalition includes Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, a part …

The New York Post reports: South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday lauded his home state’s plan to reopen its economy during the coronavirus pandemic — but chided neighboring Georgia for “going too fast too soon.” “I support what South Carolina Governor @henrymcmaster announced yesterday — a small reopening of our state’s economy with a focus on social distancing. I …

NBC News reports: Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams on Tuesday denounced GOP Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to allow a number of businesses to reopen this week, one of the first governors to do so amid the coronavirus outbreak. “There’s nothing about this that makes sense,” Abrams said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “The mayors of Atlanta, Albany and Savannah …

Atlanta’s Fox News affiliate reports: Given the favorable data, Gov. Brian Kemp said that gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, beauty shops and salons, barbershops, body art studios, and more would be able to open Friday, April 24. Kemp said the reopening of these businesses “would not be business-as-usual” and would require companies to implement changes to ensure sanitation mandates and …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger [photo] on Thursday postponed Georgia’s primary election for three weeks, until June 9, as the coronavirus spreads, poll workers quit and voters worry about getting sick at precincts. The election must be rescheduled because of the health risk if early voting had begun later this month for the primary, previously scheduled …

Newsweek reports: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said he wasn’t aware that asymptomatic people could transmit coronavirus as he announced he was preparing to issue a state-wide shelter-in-place order. Kemp had resisted imposing tougher measures to tackle the pandemic, but on Wednesday he joined other Republican governors including the leaders of Florida and Mississippi in announcing he would sign a stay-at-home …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday said he is preparing a statewide shelter-in-place order across Georgia to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus, a turnabout after weeks of balking at taking more drastic steps to combat the pandemic. The new rules, which he will issue Thursday, are set to run from Friday through April 13. …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: About 309,000 names were set to be erased from Georgia’s list of registered voters Monday night, a mass cancellation that a federal judge allowed to move forward. By Tuesday morning, the number of registered voters in Georgia was set to shrink from 7.4 million to 7.1 million. A voting rights group, Fair Fight Action, said in …

Axios reports: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to name Kelly Loeffler as interim U.S. senator has generated lots of political buzz, due to some Trump loyalists claiming betrayal. The intra-GOP skirmish has obscured the big business story, in that Loeffler will become one of precious few senators with a working knowledge of technology and, in particular, blockchain technology. Loeffler is …

“They don’t even want to hear from a conservative or conservatives that without whose help Kemp doesn’t become the governor. I guess, I don’t know the way the president has weighed in but my sources have told me he’s apoplectic about it. “No experience, he’s like why are you bringing this person to meet me, one of my sources told …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Gov. Brian Kemp plans to tap financial executive Kelly Loeffler for a U.S. Senate seat next week as he pushes to expand the Georgia GOP’s appeal to women who have fled the party in recent years. The appointment would defy President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders who have repeatedly urged the governor to appoint U.S. …

Talking Points Memo: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal acolytes, threatened Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) with a primary challenger in 2022 should he not select Trump’s preferred candidate for a soon-to-be-open Senate seat. It is not clear from where Gaetz, a congressman from Florida, gets the authority to threaten the Georgia governor with a …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Former Health Secretary Tom Price entered the sweepstakes to be Georgia’s next U.S. Senator by submitting his resume with Gov. Brian Kemp’s office for the soon-to-be-vacated seat held by Johnny Isakson. Price, a former six-term congressman, confirmed to the AJC that he applied, making him the latest high-profile figure to formally seek the spot. Other applicants …