Kemp Won’t Hold Session to Redraw Districts or Limit Powers

Gov. Brian Kemp announced Wednesday that he would not call state legislators back for a special session to redraw district lines or limit Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms’ powers as she prepares to take office.

In a statement made to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday, Kemp said, “The voters of our state have spoken.”

“As long as I’m governor, we will always respect the results of secure, accessible, and fair elections, and also abide by the laws and constitution of our state.”

“I will not be calling a special session of the Georgia General Assembly in order to curtail executive branch powers or debate redistricting changes.”

This comes after the call from the governor for a special session this summer to redraw district lines and boundaries for the 2028 election following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared drawing congressional districts on the basis of race unconstitutional.

There was some speculation that Republican officials would revisit redistricting following the midterm elections, but Kemp’s announcement halted such speculation.

Despite Kemp’s announcement that his office would not pursue such measures, he did hint in the statement that there are “budgetary issues that may need to be addressed before the convening of the regular session in January.”

Some have speculated as to what “budgetary issues” may need addressing. Danny Kanso, vice president of public policy for the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, told the Georgia Recorder about the income tax slash package that the state Legislature previously ratified.

Along with other changes, this measure slashed the state’s income tax rate to 4.99% in 2026, from its previous 5.19%. It is expected to decrease slowly to 3.99% if specific economic factors are met.

The leader of Kemp’s Office of Planning and Budget said this May that the legislation made a $1.3 billion gap in the state’s budget, and Kemp later made nearly $300 million in cuts to help bridge the gap.

However, despite the current gaps in the state’s budget, Georgia has $8.7 billion in extra funds, an October yearly report from the State Accounting Office shows.

Kemp also said, “My office will continue to monitor and evaluate this situation and keep our partners in the General Assembly apprised of the state’s fiscal outlook in the days to come.”

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