Deal Becomes Georgia's 82nd Governor

By Charles Edwards

Atlanta, GA – Nathan Deal today took the oath of office and became Georgia 82nd Governor.

In a special joint session of the State House and Senate, Deal talked about public safety, education, transportation and the role of state government. However, the state's money, or lack thereof, was a consistent theme.

Deal's son, Jason, a Hall County Superior Court Judge, administered the oath to his father. After pledging to faithfully execute the office, Governor Deal spoke to a crowd of Georgia politicians packed inside the State House.

Despite at least two months of revenue growth, Deal's speech comes as the state faces at least a $1 billion deficit. Deal appears keen on plugging the budget hole by shrinking government.

"We must justify every cent that government extracts from our economy," said Deal.

These types of comments helped Deal win over Tea Party supporters who champion zero-based budgeting. In his inauguration speech, Deal did not mention specifics. However, he called on Georgians not to rely on taxpayer services.

"State government cannot and should not be expected to provide for us what we can provide for ourselves," said Deal.

With his speech, Deal is preparing lawmakers and state residents for major budget cuts. The Governor could announce recommendations as early as Wednesday. As he combs over the state's financial problems, Deal pointed to the state's prison system as a money drain. He said 1 out of 13 Georgians are under state control.

"It costs about $3 million per day to operate our department of corrections," said Deal. "As a state, we cannot afford to have so many of our citizens waste their lives because of addictions. It is draining our state treasury and it is depleting our workforce."

While lawmakers listened attentively to talk of state finances, it was Deal's comments about the HOPE scholarship which received applause from the legislature.

The number of students eligible for the college scholarship outpaces the lottery revenues used to fund the program. Deal said he and lawmakers will have to "tailor" HOPE to keep it afloat.

"I was not elected to make easy decisions but difficult ones. In this legislative session, we will save HOPE for future generations," said Deal.

Deal also touched on transportation. As he has in the past, Deal said solutions differ based on where you live. For metro Atlanta, he said easing congestion is the answer. For Savannah, Deal back the deepening of Savannah's port. He said both of those initiatives would be good for Georgia business and spur job growth.

The state legislature returns Wednesday. It will be closed Tuesday because of weather.