"Governor Deal's recommendation for $300 million over four years to fund reservoirs is a sign of strong leadership. We are proud of the strong stance he has taken, and we encourage the Legislature to pass this funding in its budget."
-- Sam A. Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber
“HOPE is critical, and I agree with the governor that we need to deal with that now and not next year or years from now. There is a lot on the plate.”
-- Rep. Tom Taylor, R-Dunwoody
“A lot of the Republicans who opposed HOPE are now the ones talking about saving it. We in the Legislature do not own that program.”
-- Sen. Robert Brown, D-Macon, who heads the state Senate Democrats
“I thought it was realistic but encouraging. He has acknowledged the difficulties, but he has given us a plan to get us through these tough times. It’s not going to be easy, as we know, but it’s a good plan. This is going to be tough, but it has to be done. I feel good about where we are going.”
-- House Ethics Chairman Joe Wilkinson, R-Atlanta
"While some of the decisions we face may not be easy, I look forward to working with Governor Deal, Speaker Ralston and our colleagues in the Legislature to make the wise choices that will move our state forward.”
-- Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle
"The majority of the new jobs in Georgia will come from small businesses -- LLCs and small businesses that will not qualify for the corporate tax breaks. We will not be
distracted by publicity stunts that do nothing to create new jobs."
-- House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, D-Atlanta
"Knowing the governor since 1969, being a friend, I’m sure he made the decisions he had to make. The governor will be very easily approachable and more open-minded to work with all of us."
-- Rep. Carl Rogers, R-Gainesville, vice chairman of Appropriations Committee
"GAE looks forward to working with Governor Deal and his staff on making his statements regarding k-12 public education an actual reality. We are obviously pleased to see that in his initial address he seemingly has placed a priority on k-12 public education and has stated that it is our No. 1 economic development tool. ... Keeping our children and teachers in school [no furloughs for a year] is paramount to our public education system providing the best opportunities for our children's future."
-- Calvine Rollins, president of the Georgia Association of Educators
“I’m incredibly concerned. We all are. We’re not talking about cutting fat. We’re cutting down to the bone.”
-- Corey Boone, president of the student body at Georgia Tech
"We are committed to improving our education system from strengthening HOPE to providing more choice; promoting job growth through attracting new businesses and supporting our current ones; and cutting spending by making sure we are spending the taxpayers' money on only those services necessary for our state. I stand with Governor Deal and his vision for smaller government and greater personal responsibility."
-- Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock
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-- Compiled by staff writers Aaron Gould Sheinin, April Hunt and Laura Diamond
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