Hours after the horrific 2024 school shooting in Winder, Georgia that left two students and two teachers dead, Kemp said: “Today is not the day for politics or policy,” and concluded that he was “praying for the safety of those in our classrooms.”

As the Atlanta Journal Constitution Editorial Board stated following the shooting, “prayers are not enough. Not when you’re governor.”  

Georgia has the 15th highest rate of gun violence in the country, climbing 41% between 2011 and 2020. Nonetheless, Brian Kemp campaigned passing a “guns everywhere” permitless carry law that loosened Georgia’s gun laws making it easier for individuals with a criminal history who purchased a gun through a private sale - which is not subject to a background check - to carry a weapon in our communities without any background check. 

Georgians don’t need thoughts and prayers. We need a leader who cares about protecting lives.