Four takeaways from Deal’s speech:
Education: The governor only hinted about his top policy goal for this session, a constitutional amendment to give the state broad new powers to take over failing schools, in the vaguest of terms. He praised Utopian Academy for the Arts, a charter school he has visited several times, as an example of the power of alternative schools.
MLK statue: The Liberty Plaza, on the east side of the Capitol, will open later this week with a formal dedication. Deal said the statehouse grounds is about to add another feature in the form of a new statue of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that was promised last year. There is a portrait of the civil rights icon, but no statue.
Criminal justice: Deal renewed a campaign pledge to smooth the transition of inmates released into the real world, saying he intends for "Georgia to continue leading the nation with meaningful justice reform."
What wasn't said: He skated over most of the nitty-gritty policy and budget debates likely to eat up his attention this session, but the most noticeable absence was any mention of the coming fight over transportation funding. The governor said afterward that he supports the effort to raise more revenue for improvements, but he hasn't said how he wants to raise the money.
Gov. Nathan Deal ushered in his second term in office Monday with a call for Georgians to unite over common political ground and embark on consensus-driven changes rooted in his first term in office.
Deal used his platform to focus on a theme of a “new term, a new vision, a new mandate.” He made no mention of the partisan debate over President Barack Obama’s health care expansion or the brewing fight over whether to raise taxes to fund transportation improvements. Instead, the governor promised to put a statue of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the statehouse grounds and pledged new criminal justice changes.
“I intend for Georgia to continue leading the nation with meaningful justice reform,” he said to cheers in the packed chambers of the Georgia House.
If the message of bipartisanship sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Deal and other Republicans have long used landmark speeches to promise a more conciliatory approach, just as Democrats did when they ruled Georgia. It’s a stark contrast from the bruising election-year rhetoric that dominated during last year’s campaign.
But it also underscores a strategic imperative for Deal and other Republicans: Although Republicans swept every statewide office, they’ll need Democratic help to succeed with their top legislative priorities this year. And plenty of it.
A polarizing debate is brewing over how to raise new revenue to repair and expand Georgia’s flagging transportation network. Deal and other GOP leaders back the effort, but many tea party types and other Republicans could resist arm-twisting because they campaigned on a pledge not to raise taxes. That means it could take Democrats to bridge the divide.
Democrats could also seal the fate of Deal’s other top priority, a press to give the state broad new powers to take over failing schools. That would require a constitutional amendment — and mustering a two-thirds majority of support in both chambers. While Republicans hover near that threshold in both the House and Senate, some conservatives could reject Deal’s school policy as an intrusion on local control of education.
In his inaugural speech, Deal didn’t bring up transportation and only made vague remarks about the need for new education alternatives. But he renewed a campaign promise to build in more job training for inmates to help smooth their transitions to the outside world when they are released.
“Our prisons have always been schools. In the past, the inmates have learned how to become better criminals,” he said. “Now they are taking steps to earn diplomas and gain job skills that will lead to employment after they serve their sentences.”
He added: “I am here to tell you, an ex-con with no hope of gainful employment is a danger to us all. This is why we must work to get these individuals into a job.”
The elaborate inauguration ceremony, complete with a military band and a stirring performance by a charter school choir, was held in the statehouse instead of a just-completed Liberty Plaza due to foggy weather. The plaza, across the street from the Gold Dome, will be a new gathering place for protests, speeches and demonstrations at the statehouse.
Deal’s swearing-in ceremony capped off days of events commemorating his re-election victory over Democrat Jason Carter. He attended two volunteer drives Saturday and an emotional prayer service Monday morning where his Gainesville pastor prayed for Deal’s well-being while his fraternity brothers helped seat guests as ushers. It will end Thursday when country singer Alan Jackson headlines the governor’s inaugural bash.
But a hectic schedule continues, as Deal and other GOP leaders plan to carve out more policy specifics in a string of speeches this week. The pace reflects the desire of Deal and his aides to seize the momentum of the November victory before another election arrives — and his political capital starts to drain.
Deal wasn’t alone in his bipartisan outreach. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle spoke of the need for lawmakers to “work together while charting a new bold course.” And most House Democrats voted to elect David Ralston, a Republican, as the chamber’s speaker once again.
State Rep. Carolyn Hugley, one of the chamber’s Democratic leaders, said the party recognizes it could play a pivotal role this legislative session. Her caucus’ plan will become clearer this week when it reveals its legislative priorities, some of which could be used as a bargaining chip in exchange for support for GOP agenda items.
“This year, it looks like we can forge necessary partnerships to help do what’s best for Georgia,” said Hugley, D-Columbus. “The devil is in the details, though, and we’re waiting to see what some of those details may be.”
House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams also spoke optimistically about finding common ground this session, and she said she has had frequent conversations with Deal driven by the issues and not politics. But she cautioned that her caucus had yet to decide its course on the two debates, and she hinted at concerns with the education proposal.
“The conversation has to be about what a failing school looks like,” he said. “If it’s failing because it’s being underfunded, that’s a different debate than if it’s failing because it has to do with poor leadership.”
Deal said he believes he can persuade Democrats to cross party lines and vote for the initiative. He also predicted this session won’t be marred by partisan bickering that defined past sessions.
“These next four years are about building upon the foundation we have laid. While we have accomplished much, we have much left to do,” Deal said. “It begins today.”
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