Kemp, Abrams unveil dueling economic agendas

Rivals outlie plans for surplus money

Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams

Georgia’s candidates for governor have spent the last week debating over how they plan to use billions of dollars in surplus money if they win in November.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams have both unveiled sweeping economic agendas as inflation and the economy continue to dominate news headlines.

While his economic agenda was not very thorough, the centerpiece of Kemp’s plan is to offer more tax rebates if he is re-elected, and Republican legislators were quick to sign on to the idea. This comes after $1.1 billion in rebates were approved this year. This new round of payments would return about $1,000 to taxpayers.

He also plans to revive a decades-old property tax break that could save homeowners up to $300.

The governor also will seek to revive a property tax break that succumbed in 2009 amid the state budget crisis caused by the Great Recession, the official said in previewing Kemp's announcement. The tax break, created by Democrat Roy Barnes in 1999, cost the state $428 million in its last year in 2008, saving homeowners $200 to $300 on tax bills.

Gov. Kemp has suspended the state gas tax for most of the year to combat record-high prices at the pump. His current suspension is set to expire next month.

His Democratic rival is also highlighting her economic agenda. Stacey Abrams delivered a highly publicized address last week to contrast her economic agenda against an incumbent whom she is narrowly trailing in the polls. In a highly publicized address last week, the Democrat outlined how she plans to use surplus money.

She says that she would like to use the money to expand Medicaid and help small business. While she has echoed Kemp’s calls for a second round of tax rebates, she has said that she would like for checks to go out to all but the wealthiest Georgians.

But the biggest part of her agenda is a plan to legalize casino gambling, a position that many top Georgia leaders have been hesitant to take since the HOPE Scholarship was created. The move is part of her broader plan to expand the popular scholarship program, which is currently funded by lottery sales.

Both Abrams and Kemp hammered one another for their dueling economic plans. Abrams is arguing that decades of Republican state leadership and controversial legislation such as abortion bans and voting restrictions are taking an economic toll on our state.

Kemp says that he is trying to help Georgians who are struggling to keep up with rising inflation and high gas prices. He says that an Abrams victory will lead to the same economic policies that are hurting Georgian’s wallets.