and comcast. partring with 1000 community center so that students from low income families can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. along withthese other telesion providers giving you a front row seat to democracy. the japanese prime minister will address congress and meet with president biden at the white house. that joint meeting begins live thursday at 11:00 a.m. eastern on cspan. also online at cspan.org. if you ever miss any of cspan's coverage, you can find it any time, online, at cspan.org.

featuring markers that guide you to newsworthy highlights. these markers appear on the right-hand side of your screen when you hit play on select videos. the timeline tool makes it easy to get an idea of what was debated and decided in washington. scroll through and spend a few moments on the cspan points of interest. iowa governor kim reynolds now from the capital in des moines. she addressed to the perry iowa mass shooting. she outlines several legislative proposals including lowering the income tax rate and increasing teachers starting salaries. this is about 50 minutes. .

>> thank you. thank you. madam president, mr. speaker, lieutenant governor, legislative leaders and members, justices and judges, my fellow iowans. last week, the unthinkable happened in iowa when charts were fired in the halls of perry high school, taking the life of 11-year-old -- and injuring seven others. our hearts are still heavy in our prayers continue for the victims and their families and for the entire perry community. it is impossible to understand why things like this happen. the senselessness of it shakes us to our very core. yet even in the darkest hour, light and hope breakthrough.

this was certainly the case on that day. the principal was nearby when the shooting began. despite the danger, he put himself in harms way, risking his life to protect his students. he sustained multiple gunshot wounds at close range. his unflinching bravery save lives that morning. he is a hero and we pray that he is back where he belongs soon with the students that are so lucky to have him. i also want to recognize the courageous actions of the local law enforcement officers first responders, and state and federal agents that were on the scene that day. the first officers arrived just minutes after the shooting began and immediately entered the building. within 30 minutes of that schools call for help, and

arming of more than 150 officers and first responders from across the metro and surrounding communities arrived on the scene to assist. officers who heard the dispatch remarked how, everyone sounded, how focused they were. how well they worked together in the midst of such a tragedy. this is who iowans are and what we do. whether in person or in spirit, iowans showed up that day in perry and they will be there every day through their recovery. please join me in expressing our gratitude to the brave men and women who created -- courageously served that day. [applause]

i was law enforcement officers, first responders and perry service members live up to their oath to protect their communities and citizens every day. these jobs deman i was law enforcement officers,e first responders and military service members live up to their oath to protect our communities and citizens every day. these jobs demand service above self and great personal sacrifice. this past year, officer kevin kram of the police department and tony hoffman, a firefighter gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. please join me in a moment of silence to honor these two

fallen heroes and their families as well as all of those affected by the tragic events in perry. e i have addressed this body to report on the condition of the state. the first time the thank you.or this is the seventh time i have addressed this body to address the condition of the state. in 2018 workforce was one of the top issues. at that time, 50% of iowans had education or training beyond high school. the result was thousands of high-quality jobs going unfilled and thousands of iowans missing out on a rewarding career. together, we set out to increase that number to 70% by

2025. i introduced the future ready iowa act and a few months later, it passed the legislature with unanimous support. tonight, i am happy to say, we have reached our ambitious goal and we did it ahead of schedule. now, i want to be clear, this is not mission accomplished. the work of connecting iowa's employers with skilled workers will continue this session. reaching this milestone serves as a powerful lesson in how real change happens. future ready iowa was born in this building with an executive order and bipartisan legislation. we set the vision and laid the foundation and elected leaders are not the ones who got it done. it was the people of iowa, teachers, administrators, business owners, community colleges, and countless students and adult learners. they are the ones that created a new culture, merging the

worlds of work and education like never before, creating apprenticeship programs and bringing the workplace into the classroom, they meant toward young iowans and encouraged their friends to go back to school and supported their loved ones dreams. iowans took the tools we gave them, and build something extraordinary. to those who have contributed, thank you. you are one of the many reasons that i can stand before you tonight and confidently say, the condition of our state is strong. [applause] everything that we do in this building should follow that same pattern. set a vision, build the

infrastructure and turn it over to the people of i -- iowa for what they do best. school choice is yet another. last year we made it our top everything we do in this building should follow that vision. we should turn it over to the people of iowa to do what they do best. future ready iowa is one example. school choice is another. last year, we made in our top priority to give all children a quality education that meets their needs. that meant giving families a choice. that is exactly what we did. in the face of intense pressure to keep the status quo, we passed one of the boldest school choice programs in the country, kicking off a national revolution. we laid the foundation and now iowa parents, regardless of their income, can decide what is best for their children. one semester in, this new educational freedom is already changing lives. just recently i heard from a

family whose autistic son is thriving in a catholic school that welcomed him with open arms. he feels like his boys now have a true shot on the american dream. the change we are seeing is not just limited to those who choose private schools. educational freedom is not about public versus private. it is about what is best for each individual child. it is about understanding that there is not just one way to educate our kids. that is why i'm so happy to announce that this month, the state board of education will vote on eight new public charter school applications including schools that focus on career training and at risk youth. public school districts are also stepping up their efforts to attract and retain students. in des moines, the district's

efforts delivered an educational project that attracts students and parents to stay with us or come back. the public schools sign net gain of students this year from private schools. they have created grand great things they are doing. it goes to show that a rising tide of competition and choice really can lift all votes. education policies are working because together, we stood firm and passed a law that puts iowans in charge of their children's future. [applause]

by locking in educational freedom, a system however long-standing we must be guided in the same vegetables. by logging in educational freedom we signed a powerful message, when our children are concerned, no system, however long-standing is above reform. in this session, we must be guided by that same principle once again. there is a group of students being left behind. and another long-standing system in need of reform. special education is overseen by what we call the area education agencies. these nine regional entities that operate without oversight were created in the 70s to

provide special education support for school districts. this regional system makes sense and it is not unique to iowa. what is unique to iowa is that our school districts are forced to give special education funding to the aea's. this mandate leaves little room for accountability. over the last year, in dozens of conversations with parents, teachers, school administrators and aea staff, it has become clear that while some aea's are doing great work, some are underperforming. we have superintendents that will not use their services that are required to pay for them. aea's have grown beyond the core mission of making top- heavy organizations with high administrative expenses. the results are troubling. iowa students with disabilities are performing below the national average.

in the last five years, they have ranked 30th or worse on nine out of 12 national assessments and iowa spends $5300 more per pupil on special education than the national average. that is unacceptable. tonight, i am announcing legislation to change it. under my proposal, aea's will focus on students with disabilities as they should. independent oversight will move to the department of education and most importantly, school districts will now control their special education funds. meaning there will no longer be mandated to send these funds to the aea's. if the school likes the service, they can continue to use them. if they want to use a neighboring aea instead, they can do that.

or they can go outside the aea system, contract with a private company or partner with other districts to share a speech or behavioral therapist. or they can spend more on special education teachers and put the dollars right into the classroom. in short, each school will decide how best to meet the needs of their students. i know there are a lot of parents of students with disabilities who have been told that we are planning to end the aea's or cut services that their families depend on. let me speak directly to you. this claim is categorically false. in fact, we are not reducing special education funding by one dime. we are giving control of the funding to those who work directly with your child on a

daily basis and taking special education off of autopilot where it has been stuck for far too long. once again, let's drive transformational change and do what's right for our children. being read as a key component is a key to every child success. being able to read is a key component of every child's success. reading scores have held steady over the last few years because

unlike so many other states, we kept our kids in school throughout the pandemic. holding steady is not good enough, especially when reading is the foundation of learning. children who cannot read by third-grader four times more likely to drop out of high school which dramatically increases their chances of being arrested, using illegal drugs, and having poor health. 35% of iowa's third-graders are not reading proficiently. again, it is better than most states. 60% of california third-graders do not meet that mark. something is clearly not working. we are the only state in the country that does not require competency in early literacy instruction for teacher licensure. the only state and over the last few decades, the way that we teach reading has changed from what we know works,

sounding out letters, phonics has fallen out of fashion. many educators are not letting phonics because a thing of the past. she teaches reading to high school students who do not speak english as their primary language. what a difficult job and she has done amazing things. using evidence base instruction grounded in the science of reading, anne has helped increase the reading proficiency of her students by 25%. as she herself puts it, she is giving these students one of the most fundamental human rights in education. i agree. in recognition of her success, anne has been named the 2024

iowa teacher of the year. she is here with us tonight. please join me in recognizing her outstanding efforts. would you spread what she's doing to every school in our state to make teaching techniques are grounded. i want to spread what anne is doing at hoover to every classroom in the state. i'm proud to announce we are well on our way. through a partnership with alexia learning, the state is providing a no charge a pro --

program to elementary school teachers. this helped improve reading scores in other states and i am confident he will do the same here. already, 2000 teachers and administrators have started training or are registered to start soon. we will also require as every other state does that our teachers pass a nationally recognized test and we will hold colleges and universities accountable by making the foundation of reading assessment a requirement for education majors to graduate. like their students, our students educators will meet high expectations when they have the support that they need. i hope every legislator in this room will join me in making literacy a top priority in every iowa classroom. system, l

always depend on great teachers. aside from parents, teachers are some of the most influential figures. whatever improvements we make to the education system, the success of our kids will always depend on great teachers. aside from parents, teachers are some of the most influential figures in a child's life. they push them to be their best, set them on a path to success, and impact and impart a love of learning that can change their lives for the better. we want younger iowans to look at the teaching profession as something to aspire to. one of the highest callings one can have. let's make sure that teacher pay send that message. tonight, i am asking the legislature to invest $96 million in new money to

increase starting pay by 50% to $50,000 and set the minimum salary of 62,000 for teachers with 12 years of experience. in addition, i am allocating $10 million to a merit-based grant program that will reward teachers that have gone above and beyond to help their students succeed. these investments will put iowa in the top five states for starting pay and help recruit more of the best and brightest to join the teaching profession.

a rare special session a lot of fetal heartbeat bill for the first time. as an act in a rare and historic session we voted to pass the fetal heart book -- heartbeat bill. i was more than an ordinary vote. an act of courage and conviction that will save precious lives. i want to thank you for putting iowa firmly on the side of life. bypassing the heartbeat bill, we affirmed the essential truth, every iowa in counts. to continue with a robust quality of life, we need to ensure that those that are struggling have what they need

to have the care they need. i am proposing to propose that coverage to 12 months for new moms that make less than $42,000 per year. let's do more to help moms, babies, and their families get off to a good start. critical for families working to get back on their feet the government support is the first step on the road self-sufficient programs like medicaid are critical for families working to get back on their feet. government support is the first

step to lasting self- sufficiency. support from inside the community is just as important. the good news is that many of these resources already exist across our state. from faith communities to nonprofits and so many other wonderful organizations, they are doing life-changing work every single day. the government's role is not to replace these grassroots efforts but to amplify and facilitate them. i am thrilled to announce thrive iowa. a new initiative that will leverage faith-based organizations and private sector networks to collect individuals to support outside of government assistance. whatever the challenge, thrive iowa will be there with dedicated navigators to help those in iowa to gain independence and life will change for the better. media

in the aftermath of covid with the influence of social media and a breakdown of the family, mental health remains a real challenge for many iowans. we have made significant progress over the last several years investing millions in behavioral health providers, creating the states first mental health system and funding numerous projects around the state. one of those projects will soon mark a pivotable no for iowa's youth.

a youth centered nonprofit will open emory recovery campus. a new facility offering 70 behavioral health beds and is focused on emergency shelter, crisis stabilization and addiction treatment. this project, the first of its kind in iowa, represents the largest private, public investment in children's behavioral health in our history. it is truly a model for our state and the country. with us tonight is the ceo andrew allen and we are especially proud to have carly and andrew, siblings who recently graduated from the addiction treatment program. they are shared battle against substance use disorder is all too familiar to families struggling through the ovoid

epidemic. in the midst of desperation, there is hope for recovery. please join me in recognizing them and congratulating them. [applause] there's so more work to be done. in iowa there is little to no coordination for mental health in 19 substance use. it's a problem because over there is still more work to be

done, in iowa, there is little to no coordination between the 13 mental health and 19 substance use regions and that is a problem because over 25% of adults with serious mental health challenges also suffer from substance use. our state is filled with capable professionals that care about giving iowans the support that they need. their talent and dedication is part of a fractured system. to better serve iowans, i am proposing that we combine the 32 different substance abuse and mental health regions together into seven new unified behavioral health districts. i am also proposing to increase support for behavioral health services with a portion of i was opioid settlement. the results will be a greater investment on the ground and

improved connectivity between providers, districts and the state. and most important, treatment delivered to iowans when and where they need it. better customer service for iowans was at the goal of the bill last year. i am proud to say that we have already begun to deliver. we have reduced the approval time for licensors from 65 days to three. we have created a new building and construction division to

consolidate permitting building code standards and inspections into a single front door and the transitioning, more than 80 state agency websites onto a single platform to improve the user experience for all iowans. we made these improvements while reducing the size of government. we removed 620 open positions and saved millions of dollars in just the first year. alignment is about more than just members. joseph laying was a motor vehicle enforcement officer with the department of transportation before moving 100 officers to dps. as part of the standard training for state troopers, he

underwent a tactical medical course. joe was one of the first to arrive on the scene. high school last week. because of his role, he was outfitted with medical supplies and training for the situation. when he entered the building, he was directed to a critically injured victim and treated wounds exactly as trained. he saved a life. trooper link is here with us this evening. let us stand to recognize him.

while we've made a lot of progress, there's one more area, boards and commissions. the alignment passed last year with representation from the legislature to while we have made a lot of progress, there is one more area in need of alignment, boards and commissions. the bill plus last year reviewed all 200 and 56 boards and commissions. after four public meetings, engagement with the boards, and a review of 1300 public comments, the committee submitted their final report in september. my proposal would implement their recommendations of eliminating 111 obsolete boards which is a decrease of 43% while streamlining those that

remain. this is the first comprehensive boards and commissions review that we have done in our 175 year history. that seems a little long. this bill also requires that we evaluate each board at least every five years to ensure that they are actually meeting the needs of iowans. iowans elected us to carry out policies that execute their will. while many boards and commissions will continue to play a very important role, the democratic process is the best way to preserve iowans engagement in their government. this bill empowers us to carry out the kind of oversight that the people of iowa expect.

government in a way that helps them meet long-term goals. that's why we turned our as alignment shows, efficient government is about delivering service to iowans in a way that helps them meet their own long- term goals. we turned the unemployment system into a re-employment system and it is having the intended effect. the unemployment rate is low. we have the sixth highest labor force participation rate in the country and iowans are now spending on average less than 10 weeks on unemployment. that is the lowest rate in 56

years. it turns out that good things happen when we promote work. aa paycheck instead of governmentaa check, unemployment is full. we can because so many iowans are getting a paycheck instead of a government check, the unemployment trust fund is full. to the point where we can reduce the unemployment insurance payments that employers make by half. the result will be significant savings for employers of all sizes. saving more than $800 million

over five years. instead of paying money into the government, these businesses can create more jobs, increase salaries, or reinvest into their communities. in short, this will create greater prosperity throughout our state. states are generally focused on domestic policies, what is happening here in our communities. over the last few years, states have been forced to deal with foreign threats. sometimes because the federal government has refused to carry out its constitutional duty.

the crisis at the southern border is at the top of that list. thankfully, men and women in uniform continue to answer the call. to step in where their national leaders have failed. in august and september, 109 iowa national guard soldiers and 31 state troopers and special agents from the department of public safety were deployed to the u.s. southern border to support operation lone star. they worked alongside the texas national guard and highway patrol combating criminal activity along the 1200 mile stretch of the rio grande. they manned illegal points of entry, worked human smuggling cases and apprehended 3000 illegal migrants. i have had the opportunity to visit the border during the

gourds -- guards deployment. operation lone star had given him the greatest sense of service to his country that he has ever known. because they believed so strongly in the mission, every soldier and officer who served at the border, did so voluntarily. many of them are here with us tonight. please stand and join me in expressing our heartfelt gratitude for what they do, each and every day. [applause] , the crisis on the southern

border isn't the only threat was states of the player role. china continues to grow more and buying american land is one of the many ways in this new the crisis on the southern border is not the only threat where states have had to play a role. china grows more aggressive and buying american land has been one of the many ways that they have waged this new battle. fortunately, iowa has some of the strongest laws in the country on foreign ownership of land. in fact, other states have looked to us as a model for their own policies. as china's threat adapts, our laws should too. we cannot let foreign governments undermine the agricultural dominance that we have that farmers have worked

so hard to build. to that end, working in conduction, the attorney general bert, we have developed a bill to further protect our farmland from foreign interest. the legislation will enhance reporting and enforcement and increase penalties and provide more transparency on what the land is currently under foreign ownership. let's continue to lead the nation. let's make sure that americans oil remains in american hands. you know what wouldn't be a condition of the state without

talking about your money. the government called taxes. when we started this journ well, you know it would not be a condition of the state address without me talking about your money. or as the government calls it, taxes. when we started this journey in 2018, the income tax rate was the sixth highest in the nation at a .98% and it was clear that we needed to make a change. we passed legislation that finally cut rates and even more important, established an approach that would guide us over the next five years. that approach is to find, above all, by a sense of responsibility to the people of iowa. they deserve a government that exercises the discipline and restraint to live within its means. as well as the humility to collect only what it needs

while turning the last to them. this approach has served us well, since 2018, we have delivered two more major tax reform packages that cut interest rates and made our code more friendly to farm families. we did so while continuing to make strategic investments in key priorities. our most recent income tax bill established a flat rate of 3.9%, set to phase-in gradually until finally taking effect in 2026. as always, it was an aggressive growth oriented policy on a responsible and conservative timeline. leading iowans keep more of their money would break the

government. one group called it a recipe for disaster. well, that was wrong. two years later, it is clear, we are well-positioned to go further, faster. even with tax cuts we have already delivered state revenue continues to grow. ending the year with a $1.83 billion surplus. and more than $900 million in reserve funds. let me be absolutely clear, the surplus does not mean that we are not spending enough. it means that we are still taking too much of iowa was hard earned money. . [applause] .

so tonight, i am proposing a bill that reduces the income tax rate to a flat 3.65% while allowing it to take effect this year. retroactive to january 1st. the following year, in 2025, the rate will fall again to a flat 3.5%. this bill represents a total savings of almost $3.8 billion for taxpayers over the next five years. it gets there by cutting taxes for every iowan that pays them.

the average family of four with an income of $78,000 will see a tax savings of over 25%. a single mother of two making $47,000 would see a greater savings of 42%. there will be no waiting. the cuts will start to show up in paychex this year. let's not hesitate. let's stick to the approach we established in 2018 and allow iowans to keep more of their money. look back the last year

when i look back on what we have done over the last year and really over the last six, i am so proud of what we have accomplished together. there are those that said we did too much too fast. that change was not necessary or it would make us worse off. when i look at the results of our hard work, i know we have made a difference. it drives me to do it again and work even harder this session. you know why? i what is on the rise. as the world descends on our state over the next week, they are going to see it. they are going to see one of the most livable, most affordable states in the country. a state that is number one for retirement and number one for young professional homeownership

and you will see what it's like to be in a state that saves more than it spends. cuts taxes and rewards economic growth and innovation. an education system for students and parents and where family comes first and community runs deep. they will see a place that despite no mountains or oceans has been recognized as one of the best states in the country period. in this nation, i will d

out with prosperity and i will d stability as a reminder that remarkable people always be trusted to bui iowa stands out as a fixed point of prosperity and stability. as a reminder that remarkable people can always be trusted to build remarkable things, it is because of them and because of iowans that the condition of our state is truly strong and our future is truly bright. thank you, god bless you, and god bless the great state of iowa. god bless you.

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