As far as Secretary of State Brian Kemp is concerned, the state archives are still closing to the public Nov. 1.

After about 80 archives supporters visited Gov. Nathan Deal's office on Wednesday, Deal promised to keep the archives open. But Kemp, who spoke at an Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau breakfast today, said the governor hasn't said anything to him about how he plans to do it. "We're cautiously optimistic and waiting to see if there's another direction, but right now we're moving forward," he said.

Deal ordered state agencies earlier this year to trim their budgets 3 percent. Kemp said he was forced to turn to the archives because he couldn't make more cuts too divisions within his office that issue professional licenses, investigate fraud, register corporations and oversee elections. He's already cut administrative expenses 46 percent, and professional licenses are taking five weeks to process before applicants can go to work, he said. "It's really the least impactful thing I could do with the cuts," he said. "Look, nobody's more upset than me. It should be open to the public."

Kemp's plan calls for laying off seven of 10 archives employees—at one time, it had 90 employees—and requiring researchers to make appointments. Georgia would be the only state in the nation without archives with regular hours. The Jonesboro archives house documents dating back to 1733, including a copy of the Declaration of Independence. News of the closure triggered outrage among historians and genealogists.

Even if Deal finds a way to keep the archives open, Kemp warned that ongoing budget cuts will become more and more painful. "For the past two years, I've been telling the legislature this day is coming," he said. "This isn't something that snuck up on anybody. It's been going on for awhile." He stopped short of saying the legislature should raise taxes, though. Instead, government needs to focus on its core functions, he said.