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