Kemp targets ‘revolving door of criminal justice’

Gov. Brian Kemp promised to get tougher on crime and took aim during his State of the State address this past week at “the revolving door of criminal justice.”

It once again showed that Kemp is taking a harder line than his immediate predecessor in the governor’s office, Republican Nathan Deal, who undertook an overhaul of the state’s criminal justice system, diverting nonviolent offenders away from prison cells and into treatment centers.

Kemp outlined plans seeking tougher penalties for gang offenders who try to recruit children.

The governor’s advisers indicated he is reviewing legislation that could pressure prosecutors to act with urgency in targeting serious offenders. Kemp has also backed efforts to limit no-cash bail, stiffen human trafficking penalties and add more law enforcement officers.

State Rep. Sam Park, a Gwinnett County Democrat, said there’s broad bipartisan support for legislation that targets human trafficking and other problems.

But he warned that care must be taken “not to overcriminalize our communities.”

“The Democratic Party supports and fosters and will do everything to ensure bipartisan support for our law enforcement,” Park said. “But we also must ensure police accountability.”

The governor also:

■ Unveiled a Rural Workforce Housing Fund that the state could use to partner with local governments to develop home sites so more workers can live in “quality homes where they can raise a family in the same community where they work.”

■ Called attention to his plan to fully fund the state’s K-12 system and pump more money into the HOPE scholarship, reversing cuts to the popular program enacted in 2011.

■ Promoted a new $2,000 raise for teachers after obtaining $5,000 in pay increases for K-12 educators during his first term.

■ Reminded legislators of his proposal for $4.5 million in loan repayment programs to boost the number of health care workers in Georgia while also providing an additional $1.7 million to finance 102 new residency slots.

■ Backed legislation to allow pregnant women who qualify to receive benefits from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, commonly known as welfare.

Following Kemp’s speech, Democrats promoted measures to increase the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour, create a state child tax credit, hike teacher pay by $10,000 annually, give voters the opportunity through a ballot initiative to vote on abortion rights, and add gun restrictions.

Gov. Brian Kemp