On Wednesday, Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a series of bills aimed at supporting public safety and cracking down on criminal activity throughout the state.
Among the bills signed was SB 44, a key part of Kemp’s plan to combat gang violence, which “increases penalties for criminal gang activities, especially for those who recruit children. It also codifies judicial best practices and cuts down on the revolving door of criminal justice by ensuring judges consider an offenders’ criminal record and history of returning to court before issuing a bond that frees an offender on their own recognizance,” according to a press release from Kemp’s office.
“I’m proud to sign SB 44 into law today and send a clear message to gangs in our state: come after our children, and we will come after you,” said Kemp. “This bill will help us stop the spread of gangs, hold offenders accountable, and keep our communities safe. I want to thank Sen. Bo Hatchett, President Pro Tem John Kennedy, Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, Senate Majority Whip Randy Robertson, Sen. Lee Anderson, Rep. Soo Hong, Rep. Brian Strickland, Rep. Tyler Paul Smith, the Prosecuting Attorneys Council, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the General Assembly for their leadership on this issue. I also want to thank Lt. Governor Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr for contributing to this important legislation.”
In addition to SB 44, Kemp also signed several other bills, including HB 139, which “eliminates the requirement that prosecutors disclose the home addresses and other personal information of non-sworn employees of law enforcement agencies who are called to testify at criminal trials,” and HB 268, which “creates a grant program at the CJCC for local law enforcement agencies and multi-jurisdiction taskforces for the prevention, reduction, investigation, and prosecution of motor vehicle crimes.”
HB 268 also creates the Georgia Motor Crime Prevention Advisory Board which will focus on reducing motor vehicle crimes.
