Gov. Brian Kemp is planning to name a judge Monday for the new statewide business court.

Kemp's communications team said Sunday he will introduce the new judge and reveal other plans in a news conference at 3:30 p.m. Monday in the governor's ceremonial office in the State Capitol. Current judges and “special guests” are expected.

Former Gov. Nathan Deal backed plans for the business court. Georgia voters approved it in the 2018 election. The General Assembly approved 22 pages of enabling legislation for it this year in the form of House Bill 239.

The bill does not preclude a superior court from creating or continuing an existing business court division for its circuit. The new court's jurisdiction will be limited to claims greater than $500,000—except for commercial real estate, for which the floor will be $1 million.

The bill provides for the governor to appoint a judge and a clerk for the business court, both subject to approval by a majority vote of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary within three months or by the end of the year. The judge will appoint law assistants and staff for the court. The court's venue is to be Atlanta, Macon or other locations as deemed appropriate.

The constitutional amendment question approved on the ballot in 2018 was: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to create a state-wide business court, authorize superior court business court divisions, and allow for the appointment process for state-wide business court judges in order to lower costs, improve the efficiency of all courts, and promote predictability of judicial outcomes in certain complex business disputes for the benefit of all citizens of this state?”