Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a supply chain state of emergency, making him the first governor in the country to do so in response to a state’s supply chain problems.
Kemp’s executive order prohibits price gouging on goods and services such as diesel fuel and gasoline, and it will be in place until May 16. It enables trucks with a gross vehicle weight tractor, trailer, and freight of up to 95,000 pounds to operate on Georgia’s state and local roadways, with a maximum width of 10 feet. The current gross vehicle weight restriction in the state is 80,000 pounds, with a maximum width of 8 feet, 5 inches for a five-axle truck.
According to Kemp’s directive, vehicles with widths exceeding 8 feet, 6 inches and driving after daylight must be outfitted with escort or amber lights if traveling on a two-lane road, and a vehicle rear escort if traveling on a four-lane highway. The ruling also appears to give state safety inspectors the authority to grant oversize trucks special operating permits.
Late last year, an attempt was made in California to force Gov. Gavin Newsom to proclaim a state of emergency, but it failed. In October, Newsom signed an executive order to address the state’s supply chain issues, but he did not use the state’s emergency authorities to do so.
Former Senator David Perdue, who was defeated by Jon Ossoff in the 2020 general election, faces a difficult primary fight from Kemp. If Kemp prevails in that fight, he would very certainly face Stacey Abrams, the favorite Democratic gubernatorial candidate who nearly lost to Kemp in 2018.
