Brian Kemp

Force in Play

Declared emergency, mobilized 500 National Guard troops

Winter Storm Fern ranks among the deadliest recent U.S. winter events with over 150 confirmed fatalities across multiple states as of early February 2026, following 106 deaths reported on January 28. The storm brought crippling ice and heavy snow across a 2,000-mile path from Texas to Maine, leading President Trump to approve federal emergency declarations for at least 10 states amid over 1 million peak power outages, 14,000+ flight cancellations—the worst aviation disruption since COVID-19—and wind chills to minus 50°F. Fatalities included hypothermia, traffic accidents, and ice-related incidents, with Tennessee reporting 29 deaths, Mississippi 28, and others in states like Louisiana (8), New York City (8 frozen outdoors), Kentucky, and Texas (3 boys drowning after falling through pond ice).

Updated Feb 5

Force in Play

Proposing $600M emergency corrections funding

Georgia recorded seven prison homicides in 2018. In 2024, inmates killed 66 of their fellow prisoners—a nearly tenfold increase in six years. On January 12, 2026, a gang-affiliated fight at Washington State Prison left three more dead, including Jimmy Trammell, who was 72 hours from completing his 10-year sentence. Bloodied inmates breached a visitation area while a single officer tried to maintain control at a facility operating with 72% of its correctional officer positions vacant.

Updated Jan 17

Rule Changes

Term-limited, serving final year; cool to full income tax elimination

A Georgia Senate committee voted 6-3 along party lines to eliminate the state's income tax by 2032, starting with exempting the first $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for couples in January 2027. The move would immediately blow a $3 billion hole in the state budget mid-fiscal year, eventually eliminating a $16 billion revenue stream that funds schools, healthcare, and infrastructure.

Updated Jan 13