State Sen. Blake Tillery of Vidalia, Ga. kicked off his campaign for lieutenant governor in Augusta, Monday morning, greeting a host of local supporters at Daniel Field Airport.
Columbia County Commissioners Doug Duncan, Alison Couch and Trey Allen, alongside several Augusta area GOP leaders, were gathered outside the terminal of Daniel Field Airport, Tillery’s first stop of a seven-city tour throughout the state to announce his bid to replace current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.
Tillery, who has served from the Georgia State Senate’s 19th District since 2017, touted several conservative bona fides at the brief media conference.
Among these were his sponsoring of State Bill 39, which cuts funding for gender-affirming care from state employees’ health insurance. SB 21, which strengthens penalties for and removes protections from local governments that don’t comply with state immigration policies; and proposing SB 57, a bill aimed at banks which sets out to prohibit discrimination by withholding essential services based on one’s “social credit score,” or expression of personal political, religious or other beliefs.
Marty Daniel, founder and former CEO of Savannah gun maker Daniel Defense, testified on behalf of the latter bill, called the Freedom of Speech and Belief Act, saying two banks dropped his company, costing him some $2 million.
“I’m keenly aware that we don’t spend Georgia money. We spend Georgia taxpayer money, and the way we get that money is by taking out of your pockets,” said Tillery on Monday morning. “And the less money we can take out of your pockets, the better you can support your families. I am absolutely dedicated to that.”
Two key issues Tillery is campaigning on, however, are eliminating Georgia’s income tax, and expanding broadband, calling the former a relatively “universal” position among Georgians.
“It’s accepted by conservatives and those who may not be as conservative,” said Tillery, whose pledge to support removing income tax comes with a possibility of a 5% raise for state residents. “While we’re obviously talking to a conservative audience in a primary, I don’t know any Georgia families that are clamoring for more taxes.”
Regarding broadband, Tillery, who chairs the senate’s Appropriations Committee, highlighted the more than $400 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds awarded to make high-speed broadband internet available to more rural areas throughout the state.
“Georgia, and me on the Appropriations side, made a concerted effort to invest in something that we thought would continue to give back to Georgia families for decades to come,” he said. “We rolled that money into broadband expenditures.”
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
