Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp
Brian Kemp’s Morning ReportThe Hill – Biden changes in obstruction Liberals think Biden just made it easier to get rid of obstruction Warnock visits Georgia State Rep. Cannon in prison after his arrest: ‘She didn’t deserve it’ MORE (R) on Friday rejected President Biden demonstration calling a new voting law “Jim Crow in the 21st century”, arguing “it’s obvious that neither” the president “nor did their handlers actually read the bill.
Kemp, in a statement shared with The Hill, said the legislation he signed on Thursday “expands access to voting, streamlines vote counting procedures and ensures electoral integrity”.
“There is nothing ‘Jim Crow’ about requiring a state-issued photo or ID to vote by absent vote – every voter in Georgia must already do so when voting in person,” he continued.
He went on to say: “President Biden, the left and the national media are determined to destroy the sanctity and security of the ballot box” and that “it is obvious that neither President Biden nor his aides actually read” the new law.
Kemp served as secretary of state before he was elected governor in 2018, after a dispute against Stacey Abrams, who sought to advance voting rights in Georgia since his defeat for the Republican.
“As Secretary of State, I have consistently led the fight to protect the Georgia elections against power-hungry party activists,” Kemp said in the statement. “As a governor, I will not give up on keeping Georgia’s elections safe, accessible and fair.”
The law enacted on Thursday night, it imposes radical changes in voting in the state, including reducing the number of ballot boxes, requiring photo identification to participate in the absent vote and reducing the deadline for the second round.
The new law also gives state legislators new powers over elections and also allows the secretary of state to be removed from the election oversight function if the State Electoral Council determines that a vote needs review.
On Friday, Biden issued a statement calling for the new law “a flagrant attack on the Constitution and good conscience. ”
“This is Jim Crow in the 21st century,” he added. “It must end. We have a moral and constitutional obligation to act. ”
The bill also generated strong criticism from other Democrats. They argue that this will only make it more difficult for certain segments of the population to vote, particularly those in low-income or minority communities.
Several, like Biden, compared the law to Jim Crow-era electoral restrictions in black communities in the South, as it could impact African-American voters who turned out in record numbers in the last elections to guarantee electoral victories for Democrats, including Biden.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), who together with Kemp faced repeated pressures from ex- President Trump
Donald Trump’s Morning ReportThe Hill – Biden changes in obstruction Republican party tries to squeeze Biden, Democrats on the border Elaine Luria endorses McAuliffe for governor in Virginia’s Democratic primaries MORE to overturn the results of the 2020 elections in the state, also issued a statement Friday in response to Biden’s comments, claiming, “There is no rational argument against the state identification requirement – provided free of charge to those without a driver’s license – for absentee votes. “
“The left said that photo identification for in-person voting would suppress votes. You didn’t do that, ”he argued. “Registration and attendance at the polls skyrocketed, breaking new records with each electoral cycle.”
“His cataclysmic predictions about the effects of this law are simply unfounded,” Raffensperger argued.