ATLANTA — On Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp will address a joint session of the General Assembly for his first State of the State address.
He's expected to echo many of his comments from Wednesday morning's annual Eggs and Issues Breakfast before the Georgia Chamber in Atlanta.
"It's a great time to be a Georgian, but not time to grow complacent," Kemp said.
In Wednesday's address, Kemp hinted at what he called "historic" pay raises for teachers amid significant changes for the state's schools.
During the campaign, Kemp has pointed out that while the state has remained competitive among states in the South with an annual teacher's salary of $55,532, that figure lags behind the national average pay for teachers of $59,660.
"To ensure a bright future in our state, we must invest in those who educate, inspire and lead our students," Kemp said Wednesday morning. "As I've said many times, approximately 44 percent of our teachers leave the profession before five years."
Kemp said he'll be announcing what he called a "historic" pay raise for the state's teachers. During the campaign, he promised to raise teacher salaries by $5,000 annually.
Along with salaries, Kemp has talked repeatedly about school safety and security as a major part of his campaign structure. He has insisted that the rampant violence evidenced by school shootings in other parts of the nation need to be considered and addressed with a commensurate increase in security.
"The classroom should be a safe haven for students, not a hunting ground for school shooters," Kemp said. "In the amended budget for 2019, I have included $69 million in one-time funds for school security grants. All 2,294 public schools in our state will receive $30,000 for the implementation of security measures by local school administrators, local school boards, teachers, parents, and students."
Along with an increase in security measures in the schools, Kemp said there should be a major concentration on mental health awareness in schools across the state.
"To keep schools safe, we must also address mental health in the classroom. Many of these issues lead to school violence," Kemp said.
The governor said he plans to have mental health counselors added to the schools.
"These mental health professionals will engage with students and help provide the resources needed to help prevent disruptive, aggressive and potentially violent behavior," Kemp said.
Along with education, Kemp said he plans to move forward with plans geared toward helping small business.
"Wages are rising and the unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in 18 years," Kemp said.
In touting Georgia's strong business environment, Kemp emphasizes its role as the new filmmaker for the nation and its increasing role in business around the world.
"Georgia is Hollywood of the South and soon to be the cyber-capitol of the world. We are -- as you know -- the top state for business, six years in a row," Kemp said. "A leader in logistics, stem-tech, agriculture, and aerospace. And through criminal justice reform, we have reduced crime, saved millions and strengthened our communities."
Kemp's speech will take place in the House Chamber on Thursday at 11 a.m.. 11Alive.com plans to stream the address live.