How Georgia is handling COVID-19

Darby Cox
5 min readMar 23, 2020

Georgia’s Historically Business-Friendly Stance puts it at Greater Risk

Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash

Georgia is in a very complicated position. There’s a press conference scheduled for 5pm today [3/23/2020] — but at this time, Governor Kemp has “no plans to issue statewide mandatory business closures at this time.” For those watching in New York or California, this seems highly irresponsible.

But you have to think back to who Georgia is. For Georgia, controlling businesses is distinctly anti-state. This makes it very difficult for Kemp & local government leaders to enforce any type of business shutdown or closures. States like California, for instance, are employee-friendly and lean towards policies that typically protect public good over corporate interest — so enacting forced business shutdown is much less of a stretch, it falls within the established guidelines of that community. It falls within what the people expect from their respective state government.

But, Georgia is, in fact, historically one of the most employer friendly states in our nation. Giving Georgia businesses almost complete authority on how to run and when to operate is the crux of business success here. This is something our state leadership is exceptionally proud of. In a direct quote by GA Governor Kemp last year [Sept. 2019];

“I am exceptionally proud that Georgia has once again been named the Top State for Business by Area Development,” Kemp said in a press release Tuesday morning. “This announcement serves as a powerful testament to what we all know to be true: Georgia is the best place to live, work, and raise a family. Our efforts to cut red tape and ensure our business environment leads the nation continue to lure world-class companies to the Peach State from every corner of the map.

“Our world-class workforce is a direct result of our top-ranking colleges and universities, and Georgia Quick Start, the best workforce development program in the nation. The state’s innovative and comprehensive logistics network makes Georgia a gateway to the global economy by land, air, and sea.
Read : Georgia Named “Top State for Business” for 6th Straight Year.

Because of Georgia’s employer friendly policies, small, medium and even large business is the lifeblood of Georgia. This is a state and people that…

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