(RALEIGH) -- Gov. Beverly Perdue presented some broad outlines to a Republican majority legislature in her State of the State address. Perdue said that North Carolina is bounding back from the recession.

"Two years ago we stood at the precipice of economic disaster. We in North Carolina did not give up and two years later North Carolina is winning at that game and the nation, my friends, is noticing," said Perdue.

Among the key points of the speech: reducing the corporate income tax to 4.9 percent and offering a program to give high school students two years of free college or career training. Two of the governor's "featured guests" mentioned in the speech were business owners.

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger offered the Republican response to the State of the State Address. He made it clear that one campaign promise in not negotiable. "Gov. Perdue promised the tax hikes passed two years ago would be temporary.  We will keep her promise, because the best economic stimulus we can provide is letting people and businesses keep more of their own money," said Berger.

Gov. Perdue plans to offer details of her budget proposal later this week.