Gov. Deal's State of the State: Patch Will Cover It Live to See if You Agree

Jobs, jobs, jobs. That's what many hope Gov. Nathan Deal will make his main focus during the State of the State address he'll be making at 7 p.m. today in the House chamber.

No matter what the governor says, Patch will Cover It Live to let you give your views on what he says, find reactions to it from across the state and add our own analysis. Visit Patch just before 7 p.m. on Jan. 10 to join the discussion, or use the Cover It Live app on your iPhone or Android device.

The State of the State address will showcase the governor’s building blocks for economic prosperity in Georgia, according to a release from his office. He will make announcements on:

• Education,
• Transportation,
• Health care,
• Criminal justice,
• Government efficiency.

Georgia Public Broadcasting plans to air the address live statewide on TV and on radio, and also stream it live on the GPB web site.

This will be Deal's second speech today. At the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs and Issues breakfast this morning, Deal proposed:

• The removal of the sales tax on energy used in manufacturing. The state takes in $137 million annually with the tax, but opponents–including members of the Public Service Commission–say it costs the state $1 billion in investment in manufacturing plants because of high energy costs.
• Sales and use tax exemptions for construction materials used in projects of regional significance.
• Modernize Job Tax Credits and Quality Jobs Tax Credit program, lowering the quality jobs threshold from 50 down to 15.

Deal's budget for next year includes $46.7 million in bonds to continue deepening the Savannah Port harbor. It also includes $45.7 million for reservoirs, the second installment in a four-year plan. Local governments can apply for the low-interest loans in the program.

The governor also emphasized the need for ratifying the TSPLOST, the regional transportation sales tax, across the state this summer.