News-Record.com

Click here for today's newspaper story on Gov. Bev Perdue's State of the State address.

So was there actual, you know, news from the speech? A little.

First off, Perdue said she would be delivering her budget next week. Although the honorables have been getting briefings and meeting on the budget, it is the governor's budget message that officially kicks off the tax and spending dance.

Lawmakers I talked to last night all noted that Perdue's address was light on specifics and said they would look to her budget proposal for hard numbers.

Secondly, the word "furlough" in relation to state workers came up quite a bit after the speech last night. Perdue didn't use the F word herself, but both House Speaker Joe Hackney and Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger mentioned it as an option that would have to be considered.

Finally, the speech was notable for what you didn't hear. You didn't hear a lot of push-back afterward. Yes, the Republicans sought to lay blame for the current fiscal mess at the Democrats' feet, but didn't take issue with Perdue's calls for austerity or the fact she said deep budget cuts would be needed. And Democrats seemed content to take their medicine, reconciling them at least for the evening that whatever state spending plan is produce would likely hack off just about every constituency they had.

"I think we have our marching orders now," said Sen. Tony Rand, the majority leader in the Senate.

And during the speech, Perdue didn't offer up a round-robin nod to all the state's various industries and movers and shakers. You didn't hear, for example, the governor send love to farmers and when she mentioned the business community it was to admonish them to do more for education, not pay lip service to corporations on tax issues.

If Perdue's budget reflects her rhetoric, education leaders should be fairly happy, or at least not completely disappointed. Everyone else: that grinding sound you hear is her Excellency sharpening a pike to gore your particular ox.

Update: More on the SOTS festivities from the tavern and Dome.