MOULTRIE — A U.S. congressman seeking the Republican nomination for governor said he is concerned about state budget-cutting measures that would increase costs for local governments.

That holds especially true when it impacts law enforcement and courts, said U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, who stopped Monday in Moultrie.

Earlier this week the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced plans to close the Southwestern Regional Crime Laboratory in Moultrie and two other labs by March 31.

“Those would be devastating closings to have because it does shift costs back to your county,” said Deal, a former prosecutor and juvenile court judge who lives in Gainesville. “It causes backlogs. It truly is a cost-shift to local governments. I do think law enforcement is one of the priority areas for the state.”

Law enforcement agencies in the county have said the closing of the Moultrie lab will increase costs of fuel because of having to take evidence to Atlanta or Savannah, as well as the loss of manpower due to officers being out of town.

On the topic of jobs, Deal said his philosophy to attract industry to the state is to keep the state “business-friendly.”

“That means keeping taxes low and keeping regulations low,” he sad.

Deal said he favors improving guest-worker laws that would allow farmers who need immigrant labor to do so more efficiently, but he favors strictly enforcing immigration laws.

Most recently in Congress, Deal has lobbied to ensure that the Senate health care bill include language prohibiting the use of taxpayer money to benefit illegal aliens.

“I’m a strong proponent of immigration enforcement,” he said. “The problem is we have not been very good at the enforcement side of any of our immigration programs. People here illegally (shouldn’t) qualify for welfare, health care.”

Deal is one of seven Republican candidates who have announced their intentions to seek their party’s nomination for governor in the 2010 race.

The others are: Former Glynn County Commissioner Jeff Chapman, Secretary of State Karen Handel, State Senate President Eric Johnson, Ray McBerry, Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, and State Rep. Austin Scott of Tifton.

Deal has been elected to Congress nine times, the first time in 1992. He was elected to the Georgia Senate for the first of five terms in 1980.

His legal career includes assistant district attorney in the Northeast Judicial Circuit, Juvenile Court judge in Hall County and Hall County Commission attorney. He also served as a member of the Judge Advocate General Corps and attained the rank of captain in the Army.

Deal said his varied experiences, particularly serving in government at the state and national levels, make him a good choice.