speaker vos, speaker pro tem august, president ellis,

majority leader fitzgerald, minority leader larson, minority leader barca, members of the wisconsin supreme court, constitutional officers, tribal leaders, members of the cabinet, distinguished guests, members of the legislature, most importantly, fellow citizens of the great state of wisconsin, it is an honor to appear before you tonight. before we get started, i would like to introduce the first lady of wisconsin, my wife, tonette. [ applause ] also in the gallery are our sons, matt and alex, and my family; my parents, llew and pat, my brother, david, my sister-in-law, maria, and my nieces, isabella and eva. [ applause ]

next to my wife is major general don dunbar, our adjutant general. i want to thank him and the more than 10,000 members of the wisconsin national guard. thank you for being here. [ applause ] the state of our state is strong and improving every day. the economy is dramatically better and our finances are in great shape. still, there is more work to be done. you can clap from a that.

that is okay. [ applause ] thankfully, the days of double-digit tax increases, billion-dollar deficits, and major job loss are gone. we replaced them with massive tax cuts, growing budget surpluses, and significant job growth. [ applause ] wisconsin is going back to work. tonight, we have some really great news about the economy and our fiscal situation. the non-partisan legislative fiscal bureau recently verified that the state will have $911 million more than previously projected. [ applause ]

these new revenues are not a one-time windfall, or budget gimmick, but come from a strong economic recovery, where more people are working, more employers are hiring, and personal income is going up. they also come from good stewardship of the taxpayers' money. what do you do with a surplus? give it back to the people who earned it. it's your money. [ applause ] i propose that we deposit a portion of these new revenues in the state's rainy day fund and use the remainder to provide much needed tax relief to you-the hardworking taxpayers of wisconsin.

[ applause ] tonight, i will propose a blueprint for prosperity, which will continue to improve our economy, while preserving our strong fiscal standing. so how did we get these positive results? a true commitment to real structural reforms for state and local government budgets led to our long-term fiscal stability. meaningful tax cuts that keep more money in your pocket rather than requiring you to send it to madison, changes to laws and regulations that make sense if you're trying to start a business or find a job, and bipartisan investments in worker training are some of the driving forces behind the strong economic recovery. so, how do we measure the impact of the recovery? well, the unemployment rate in wisconsin is the lowest it has been since 2008.

[ applause ] initial unemployment insurance claims are at a 12-year low. [ applause ] private sector job creation between april and november was the best since 1994. mrausz the seasonally adjusted private sector job growth from november 2012 to november 2013 ranked wisconsin higher than minnesota, iowa, and illinois. [ applause ] according to the latest national report, personal income grew 4.4% over the year; faster than the u.s.

[ applause ] in fact, wisconsin ranked as the 4th best state in the country for personal income growth from the second quarter to the third quarter in 2013. [ applause ] after years of a stagnant market, a key component of the american dream, home sales are up by nearly 11% and housing permits are up 12.9%. and according to quarterly and monthly job reports, more than 100,000 jobs have been created over the past three years. [ applause ] let me introduce you some of the people hired since i took office: joann stephens from appleton is employed as a

quality engineer at surface mount technology. heyward gualandi from madison is employed as a sales supervisor at beechwood sales and services. ben lang from brookfield is employed as a design engineer at metcast service tech resources. dominic petri from cedarburg is employed as a design engineer at tlx technologies. lucas klemann from appleton is employed as a cnc operator at m & m tool and mold. bob stoffel from hartford is employed as a brake operator at steel craft corporation. patti sharer from new berlin is employed as an accounting specialist at hastings air energy control. scott grinder from reedsburg is employed as a maintenance technician at milwaukee valve. rick banach from oak creek is employed as a supervisor at rexnord. angela hayward from madison is employed as a nursing assistant at uw hospital and clinics. david sohl from madison is employed as an organ procurement

organization surgical recovery coordinator at uw hospital and clinics. and chris barber of two rivers, is employed as a welder at ariens company. [ applause ] as a candidate for governor, i

announced an aggressive jobs goal because i wanted people, like joann and heyward and patti and rick, to be able to find work. every time we help someone find a job, it makes for a stronger home, a stronger community, and a stronger state. [ applause ] each of these people were looking for a job, or a better opportunity, over the past three years. they represent the people and the families behind the numbers. these are the faces of an improving economy in our state. wisconsin is going back to work. [ applause ]

when i spoke about our jobs goal more than four years ago, i also made a pledge to help the people of wisconsin create 10,000 new businesses by 2015. tonight, i am proud to announce we exceeded that goal with nearly 13,000 new businesses created so far. [ applause ] this is a great sign for the future as thousands of new employers bring the potential of even more jobs. think about it, if each of these new ventures grew by 15 employees or more by next year, we would more than exceed our 250,000 jobs goal. new businesses, like 5-point fabrication in ashwaubenon and solomo technology in madison, will help us reach our goal.

others are helping, too. during the past week, i visited hartford finishing in hartford to announce 94 new jobs. embedtek in hartland committed to creating up to 72 more jobs on friday. a & b process systems in stratford hired 50 more people over the past year and greenheck in schofield added 209 jobs since 2011. these are just the employers i visited in the past few days. throughout the past year, we helped amazon.com expand and create up to 1,250 jobs here in wisconsin. emco chemical distributors moved up from illinois with about 187 jobs. hanna cylinders announced the same thing and brought 105 jobs to our state. all three of these companies moved into kenosha county. [ applause ]

these are just a small sample of the many good news stories showing wisconsin is going back to work. [ applause ] this is a stark contrast to the negative job outlook of the past. during my predecessor's last term, wisconsin lost more than 133,000 jobs and lost more than 27,000 businesses. in 2009, the unemployment rate peaked at 9.2%. during that same year, wisconsin's ranking in chief executive magazine's best and worst states for business was 43rd. in 2009, a survey of employers by the chamber of commerce showed just 4% thought our state was heading in the right direction. now, our ranking is up to 17th-one of the fastest jumps of

any state in the country. [ applause ] as of last month, 95% of the employers surveyed said wisconsin is headed in the right direction. that's right, ninety-five percent. [ applause ] another reason for our positive revenue numbers is our prudent fiscal management. three years ago, we inherited a state government with a $3.6 billion budget deficit. the state had past due bills to minnesota, owed more than $200 million to the patient compensation fund, and raided $1 billion from the segregated transportation fund. at the same time, they only had $1.7 million in the rainy day fund.

sure, we had to make some tough decisions, but they paid off. we ended our fiscal year in 2013 with a $759 million surplus; we paid back minnesota, filled the fund to help injured patients of medical malpractice, and restored funding for transportation. and the rainy day fund, well, it's now 165 times bigger than it was when we took office. [ applause ] we are turning things around. we are heading in the right direction. we are moving wisconsin forward.

[ applause ] a year ago, i laid out the priorities my administration would focus on to get our state working again. let me tell you a bit more about the positive things we are doing to continue to improve our economy, while maintaining a economy, while maintaining a balanced budget: manufacturing and agriculture are two of our core industries in wisconsin. thankfully, both are playing a big role in our economic recovery. in 2013, cnbc ranked us as one of the top states for new manufacturing jobs. from november 2012 to november 2013, we rank 7th highest in the country in manufacturing job growth. [ applause ] milk production went up at double the national rate over the past year. and agricultural exports grew by 6% through the first three quarters of 2013, while dairy exports grew by 34%.

[ applause ] to keep these positive trends going, we put in place the manufacturing and agriculture production tax credit last year. now, if you are an employer in one of these key industries, you should look at growing in wisconsin as this credit will eventually wipe out almost all of your taxable liability. that is a really big deal because it gives you the opportunity to invest the capital necessary to help create more jobs. this program is a game changer for employers in manufacturing and agriculture. [ applause ] argon industries in milwaukee and gro alliance in cuba city told us the credit was a factor in their decision to grow in wisconsin. others, like kenall

manufacturing, decided to move up to kenosha from illinois, and the manufacturing tax credit was a big part of their choice to relocate in wisconsin. in addition to the credit, we made major investments in agriculture this year. at the university of wisconsin, we are expanding the dairy resource center at babcock hall and building a new meat science and muscle biology laboratory. thank you to our industry partners for matching our investment. we have a similar partnership with dane county on improvements for the world dairy expo. we are proud to be america's dairyland, but we are also one of the top states for corn, soybeans, potatoes, cherries, and other foods. many may be surprised to know we are the number one producer of cranberries in the united states. and 95% of the ginseng exported to china comes from our state.

[ applause ] last april, we signed a ten-year agreement while on my trade mission in china worth between $150 and $200 million, and tom hack and butch weege from the ginseng board of wisconsin are with me here tonight. [ applause ] not only is asia a major market for our ginseng, many people now come to north central wisconsin to tour our ginseng operations. food- and beverage-related

tourism continues to grow. from tours of breweries, wineries, cheese factories, cranberry fests, and even spice operations, wisconsin is a great destination. overall, tourism continues to improve across our fine state. i was just at the world championship snowmobile derby in eagle river this weekend. the crowd was great and the snow was perfect. during the past summer, we made a strategic investment, which will boost wisconsin's $2.3 billion sport fishing industry; and in less than a year, we have already increased stocking more than four times over, putting 440,000 walleyes into our lakes. in the coming years, resorts, guides, bait dealers, marinas, and all of the other local businesses that depend on good fishing will benefit as wisconsin becomes the premiere destination for walleye fishing in the midwest. yet another reminder that wisconsin is fun in all four seasons. [ applause ]

since i took office, the economic impact of the tourism industry has grown by $2 billion to $16.8 billion. we have many great partners, including our 11 tribal governments across the state. after years of cuts to the tourism budget, we put more resources in for marketing in 2011 and, again, in 2013. it is paying off as people see the value for their money in wisconsin-as well as the incredible hospitality and, most importantly, the fun at tourism sites all across our great state. [ applause ]

thankfully, people will have more money to spend at those attractions because of our tax relief. since 2011, we have reduced the burden on the hard-working taxpayers in wisconsin by $1.5 billion. [ applause ] in the budget, we dropped the number of tax brackets and cut tax rates for everyone who pays income taxes in our state. on top of that, we passed $100 million worth of property tax relief this past fall. for the third year in a row, property taxes actually went down on a median-valued home in wisconsin. [ applause ]

in fact, with the tax controls we already put in place, property taxes on a typical home in december of 2014 will actually be lower than they were in december of 2010. [ applause ] what a difference a few years make. during the ten years before i took office, property taxes went up by 27%. if property taxes had continued to grow at the pace they did during governor doyle's final term in office, the typical homeowner would have paid $680 more by the end of this term. it seems like a long time ago, but taxes went up $1.7 billion in governor doyle's last budget in 2009. four years later, our budget lowered the tax burden by nearly

$1 billion. [ applause ] in addition to putting plenty of money back into the hands of consumers and employers in this state, we are doing more to get people the skills they need to work. as of last friday, jobscenterofwisconsin.com, had nearly 50,000 jobs listed on it. however, a significant number of the people looking for work today don't have the skills required for the jobs available. this is why we invested $100 million into worker training. we want to ensure everyone who wants a job can find a job. [ applause ]

specifically, we just kicked off wisconsin fast forward. this is a program to provide customized worker training in key areas, like manufacturing, construction, and customer service. and we increased support for our technical colleges, so they can expand courses in areas like health care, information technology, and advanced manufacturing. together with the university of wisconsin system, we created the new uw flexible option, so adults can reduce the amount of time and money needed to get a uw degree in important areas, like engineering and health care. and we funded new positions at the uw school of medicine and public health and at the medical college of wisconsin to increase the number of primary care doctors in rural and underserved areas of the state. we are also doing more to get skilled tradesmen and women into the workforce.

through november, the number of apprentices is up 34% from the previous year. [ applause ] filling all the positions available in the state, now and in the future, also requires us to think and act in new ways. tonight, i want to share with you the stories of some incredible people. a few might say these individuals have disabilities, but i want to talk about their unique abilities in the workplace. patrick young works at tailored label products in menomonee falls. about a year ago, he gave me a tour of where he works. patrick is here tonight with the coo of that company, jeff kerlin. [ applause ]

jeff told me that patrick adds tremendous value to his company - not only in morale but in productivity. like patrick, brady dockendorf and joe nueman love their jobs. both of them are employed at features sports bar and grille in holmen. [ applause ] they showed me where they work and their supervisor said they are both key players on their team. steven pils and i first met at

the piggly wiggly in lake geneva. his boss, mark stinebrink, is here with him tonight and lulet's give him a round of applause as well. [ applause ] and he says that people go out of their way to go through steven's checkout lane, just to talk to him. these are just a few of the many people all across the state who are sometimes defined as having a disability. thankfully, their employers took a closer look and saw their true abilities. similarly, project search is a year-long program for high school students with disabilities. one young woman i met has acute autism. through project search, she found a position sterilizing

surgical equipment. this was a way to use her unique abilities to do a job that few others could do as well as she does. they identified her ability instead of getting hung up on her disability. [ applause ] tonight, i am pleased to announce the start of a year-long initiative called a better bottom line-it's about employment opportunities for people with disabilities. it's an idea borrowed from a friend of mine-delaware governor jack markell-who used it as his agenda during his recent term as the chair of the national governors association. make no mistake, a better bottom

line is not about charity. a better bottom line means helping both the individual and the company do well. we are looking for ways to help employers hire people who will add value to their organizations. all throughout 2014, i will highlight employers, who find the unique abilities and hire people with disabilities, as well as organizations, which help people with disabilities grow their skills and find meaningful work. we will focus on companies, like walgreens. at one of their distribution centers, where more than 50% of the employees have disabilities, they experienced a 120% productivity increase. [ applause ] now, they are expanding that successful model to retail locations across the state and the country. as part of the blueprint for prosperity, which i will announce tonight, we will use the wisconsin fast forward program to expand project

search. currently, there are seven businesses in the program in wisconsin. we will fund an expansion of 20 more over the next three years. in addition, the state division of vocational rehabilitation currently serves more than 17,000 people. the recent law i signed at independent living resources in la crosse will help us serve an additional 6,000 individuals with disabilities. we will use the wisconsin fast forward program to provide training to people with disabilities to fill needs in key industries. [ applause ] all in all, we understand that

for an economic recovery to be real, we cannot leave anyone behind. we are looking for new ways to help connect people looking for work to the skills they need to fill available jobs across the state. in addition to our tech colleges and our worker training programs, this means investing more in our k-12 schools. we support dual enrollment academies, like the new one at wctc, that allows high school seniors from eight school districts to take courses in information technology, tool & die, and welding/fabrication for both high school and technical college credits. tonight, i want to introduce some of the students in the program, thomas putnam, justin cerny, jacob rosenthal, dale medved, alexander hoelke, samuel fex, tyler polaski, collin hodson, john davis, zachary rademan, micah kordik, and scott thom.

you guys look pretty sharp. i want to give them a big round of applause. [ applause ] we also enrolled more than 1,200 high school students in the wisconsin youth apprenticeship program. in december, i signed legislation at nicolet technical college to add at least 500 more high school students to the program. we created a $1,000 per pupil incentive for high schools to provide career and technical education programs. we created a scholarship for high school students, who excel

in technical education. to find out more about these and other programs, please visit prosperity.wi.gov. employers tell us they have tremendous needs for it professionals, yet most states do not allow computer science courses to complete math or science requirements for high school graduation. working with state school superintendent dr. tony evers, we changed the law with the hope that more young people will pursue careers in computer science-related fields. [ applause ] students in other countries have great success identifying skills and interests early in school, so they can take right courses for a career path. in the state budget, we funded academic and career plans for our schools to help kids as early as sixth grade start preparing for their career.

so many employers tell us they would take on more work and create more jobs, if they could only fill the positions they have open today, particularly in manufacturing. we need to remind our young people about the valuable careers available in our skilled trades. [ applause ] many students, as well as parents, and even high school guidance counselors, don't know that manufacturing jobs pay 25% more than the average job in wisconsin, and are more likely to have benefits. we need to recognize the manufacturing advantage we have here in wisconsin. it means valuing our sons and daughters, who are high skilled welders and machinists and tool and die operators, as much those who are doctors and lawyers.

[ applause ] overall, our reforms help improve the quality of education for all of our students in wisconsin. a recent report by the wisconsin taxpayers alliance showed the reforms we put into place in 2011 gave schools the tools to more than make up for the budget adjustments. plus, schools can hire and fire based on merit, they can pay based on performance, which means we can put the best and brightest in our classrooms and pay to keep them there.

every child, regardless of where they live or what their parents do for a living deserves a chance to have a great education at the public school, charter school, choice school, virtual school, or home school environment right for them. with this in mind, we increased funding for our traditional public schools by $387 million and expanded the choice program for other families across the state. we are proud of our positive reforms in education. act scores continue to be higher than the national average, graduation rates are better than when i took office, and also, third grade reading scores are up. we are also working to make college more affordable for

students and their families. as the father of two sons who are in college, i can relate. after years of 5.5% average tuition increases, we now have a two-year tuition freeze, for the first time in the history of the uw system. last year, i met anastasia mccain at uw-green bay. she is pretty impressive. she goes to school full-time and works three jobs to cover the costs of her textbooks, supplies, and housing. she told me that our tuition freeze is taking weight off her parents, as they work to send three kids to college, and

allowing her to save money toward her goal: law school. along with her tonight are hannah bresson and stephanie johnson from uw-la crosse. i met hannah and stephanie at their school when i announced our tuition freeze. and they, like students at campuses across the state, appreciate the break on their tuition. thanks for being here. in addition to improving education, reforming government also helps create jobs. many of the employers moving from illinois to wisconsin mention our stable fiscal situation, as well as our improving economic climate, as reasons for their move north. unlike illinois, our pension fund is the only one in the country that is fully funded.

[applause] wisconsin's per capita pension and debt level is one of the lowest in the country. stability at both the state and local level is good for employers, who want to grow, and for those who want to come to wisconsin. our unemployment insurance reforms save employers tens of millions of dollars, while protecting the unemployed as they seek work. we are trying to make it easier to create jobs. most importantly, we are helping people transition from government dependence to true independence. we are helping people live the american dream, which comes, not from the heavy hand of the government, but from the dignity that comes from work. our

reforms offer people more freedom, more opportunity, and, ultimately, more prosperity. our reforms are based on common sense. we ask those receiving unemployment checks to seek work four or more times a week instead of two. we ask adults without children seeking food stamps to enroll in employment training. we're not making it harder to get government assistance; we're making it easier to get a job. we are putting in place similar reforms for medicaid, too. years ago, under governor doyle, eligibility for badgercare plus went up, but not enough funds were budgeted, so many people

living in poverty were put on a waiting list. this year, for the first time in wisconsin history, everyone living in poverty will be able to access health care under medicaid. [applause] for those living above poverty, we transition them into the marketplace. i believe medicaid is for those living in poverty, and our goal should be to help lift more and more people out of the depths of economic despair. [applause] our wisconsin plan is unique as we are able to cover everyone living in poverty, reduce the number of uninsured, and still not expose wisconsin taxpayers to the uncertain potential cost of the federal medicaid expansion.

helping more people transition from government dependence to true independence is not only good for the taxpayers, it is good for employers, too, as more and more jobs are created in our growing economy and employers need more skilled workers to fill those positions. most importantly, it is good for the people, who can now control their own lives and their own destinies. yet another way to improve the economy is to put people to work building and maintaining our infrastructure. after my predecessor raided more than $1 billion from the state transportation fund, we reversed that trend. in our current budget, we invest $6.4 billion into the state transportation system.

[applause] this is welcome news for all those who work so hard to build and maintain our roads and bridges. people like the crew with me tonight, who helped open the leo frigo memorial bridge in green bay ahead of schedule and on budget. [applause] with us are dean schmitz, matthew gehrman, brian firari and travis schreiner from zenith tech, and scott nachreiner and joseph quist from lunda. we are also joined by some of our hard-working folks from department of transportation; will dorsey, robert arndorfer, dale weber, randy asman, tom buchholz, and brian roper. thank you all for your hard work [applause]

thank you all for your hard work and thank you to secretary mark gottlieb for your leadership in completing this project so quickly. [applause] good roads and bridges and freight rail and ports and transit and airports are important to more than just construction workers, they are vital to a thriving economy. [applause] all sorts of industries rely on a strong transportation system:

manufacturers, farmers, miners, loggers, retailers, and many others. overall, this is just a summary of all of the good work we are doing to improve the economy and to strengthen our fiscal standing. tonight, i thank our partners in the private sector, as well as my staff, our cabinet, and our state employees for their hard work over the past few years to meet these objectives. [applause] i also thank you, the members of the state legislature, for your partnership. our work together to enact meaningful reforms is a sharp contrast to the dysfunction often on display in our nation's capital. since taking office, more than 97% of the bills i have signed into law have had bipartisan support.

[applause] we do more than talk, we get positive things done for the people of our state and i want to thank you for working with me to do just that. [applause] we've made tremendous progress on the priorities i outlined a year ago, and now, we're seeing positive results. looking ahead, we have the opportunity to do even more good work for the people of wisconsin. again, i ask for your help and support. tonight, i propose a blueprint for prosperity to help provide more opportunities for the citizens of wisconsin. specifically, i ask you to work with me over the next few weeks to return the vast majority of the new surplus directly to the hard-working taxpayers of wisconsin and to add more than-

[applause]-- $100 million to the state's rainy day fund. as it has over the past few years, lowering the tax burden will contribute to a stronger economy and a better fiscal situation in the future. our blueprint for prosperity will put more than $800 million back into the hands of the hard-working taxpayers all across the state through tax cuts and withholding changes. once passed, the total tax relief provided since i took office will be roughly $2 billion. [applause]

first, we will reduce property taxes by $406 million. [applause] this is more than four times larger than the property tax relief we passed last year, and it is vitally important to protect working families, senior citizens, farmers, and small businesses. the typical homeowner will see an actual reduction of $101 dollars on their next property tax bill. [applause] second, we will reduce income taxes by $98.6 million. to to ensure we don't leave anyone behind in our economic recovery, we will target this tax relief to the lowest income tax

bracket. if you're a family of four making $40,000, your savings will be $58. no one will get a bigger savings than that. third, earlier today, i directed revenue secretary rick chandler to adjust withholding for state income taxes by $322.6 million, so you can keep more of your hard-earned paycheck. [applause] this will put more money in the hands of consumers and will continue to stimulate the economy. starting in april, a typical working family of four will see $57.90 more in their paychecks

each month. [applause] by the end of this year, that's more than $520 dollars. [applause] for everyone watching from home, go to prosperity.wi.gov to see how much you will save under our plan, and then contact your legislator to offer your support. [applause] in addition, our blueprint for prosperity will increase the wisconsin fast forward program by $35 million to focus on three new areas: first, investment in our technical colleges to eliminate waiting list in high demand fields, like manufacturing, agriculture and information technology; [applause]

second, help high school students get training in high demand jobs through dual enrollment programs between our high schools and technical colleges; and third, support programs helping people with disabilities enter the workforce, as i outlined in our year of a better bottom line initiative. [applause] i ask that the funds already set aside in the joint finance committee from the surplus at the wisconsin economic development corporation be used for the expansion of wisconsin fast forward. tonight, i'm calling on you, the members of the legislature to pass this blueprint for prosperity and return this money to the people of the state. tomorrow, i will call for a special session to move forward

with legislation to return this surplus to the taxpayers and to invest in our technical colleges, train workers for high-demand jobs, and support employment opportunities for people with disabilities. [applause] when i ran for governor, wisconsin faced big economic and fiscal crises. as i travelled the state then, i saw the impact that job losses had on so many individuals and families. i saw the stress on the faces of people all across the state as so many worried about making the mortgage each month or paying to put food on the table. it was then and there that i set a big goal to make up for the jobs lost in the past and to aim high for a recovery that did not leave anyone behind. to take on the economic and fiscal crises of the past, we came in and made some pretty bold moves. now, three years later, we see a dramatic turnaround in our

state. these are historic times. the $911 million budget surplus shows that the economy is coming back strong as more people are working, more employers are hiring and personal income is up. [applause] our reforms are helping the people of wisconsin create more jobs and more opportunity and these reforms are helping restore fiscal sanity to state and local governments. tonight, i call on the members of the legislature to continue to build on these positive reforms by passing our blueprint for prosperity. some might say that we should keep more of this surplus in madison. i disagree. when i travel the state, people don't tell me that they want to keep sending more money to madison. they don't tell me that taxes are too low or even that taxes

are just right. overwhelmingly, people across the state tell me that one of the best ways to fuel the economic recovery is to reduce their tax burden. the best way to prepare for the future is by continuing to grow our economy, not by keeping more money in madison. with a rainy day fund seven times larger than we had ever had before i took office, now is the time to send your money back to you, the hard working taxpayers of wisconsin.

now is the time to add to the many faces of the economic recovery that you saw earlier. now is the time to ensure that budget surpluses, like the one we celebrate here tonight - continue in the future. now is the time, once again, to put the power back in to the hands of the people. now is the time to pass our blueprint for prosperity, and help move wisconsin forward. thank you, god bless you, and may god bless the great state of wisconsin by recent action on

the assembly to move forward with the tax proposal that governor walker laid out. it passed in the committee. the senate is continuing discussion behind close doors. they write republicans control the senate and assembly the leaders are bickering on how to settle the funds. ...

[applause] >> governor, welcome to the chamber. >> lt. governor, president pro

members of the one letter in seven general assembly. members of the cabinet, members of the judiciary, carla, and the people of delaware. thank you for inviting me to address you today. i also want to a knowledge family members who were here by district duty. brother-in-law and my niece. [applause] now, i know it was not necessary, but i just want to assure the members of the general assembly that secretary bat was ready to personally pile each of your drive voice to facilitate your travel here. now, in all seriousness i would like to take a moment to acknowledge our terrific state

employees, day and. -- [applause] day in and day out to provide critical services to the citizens are state. we all experienced the benefit of their work and commitment during their recent snowstorms. our public safety, transportation, health care, facilities, other staff trillions for the call. and we owe a continual debt of gratitude to our state employees for being there when their neighbors and fellow citizens needed in. [applause] let me also thank the members of our military, friends from the dover air force base, the armed forces and members of the delaware national guard. we had more members of the guard

deployed last year than ever. two of our afghanistan veterans are with us today, and i ask you to join me in thanking. [applause] [applause] please accept our appreciation for all that you and your colleagues have done for us. in this past year one of delaware's own made the ultimate sacrifice. warrant officer sean mullen gave his life serving in afghanistan,

and i ask that we all pause for a moment of silence to honor his memory. [silence] >> thank you. veterans like captain malloy and chief gordon and warrant officer mullen protect what makes america great. our freedoms, liberty, and the promise that any child in america can grow up to be whether they want to be. and that, of course, is the essence of the american dream. everyone in this state wants a piece of it, and that learning defines who we are as a people. and while it is not our job to guarantee success for every

citizen, it is our job to empower them to make their dreams real. and through several difficult years in this country's worst recession generation we have made progress in securing the promise. the state of our state is charted a then on and dressed you a year ago. our job growth has outpaced the nation highlighted by a driving financial sector and technological innovation from companies large and small whether it is the parts manufactured at miller metal, the new pharmaceutical developed in insight, the software made in step one or the cutting edge fuel cells made by bloom energy. our schools are implementing higher standards while thanks to legislation passed by this general assembly we are better preparing her teachers. in the companies that will hire our students are dealing with fewer and clearer government regulations.

so we have made progress, but to paraphrase will rogers, even if we are on the right track we will get run over if we just sit here. we have so much more to do. and if you have the right skills and live in the right communities good paying jobs are available. for too many people, that is not reality. everyone has something to contribute if given a chance. we need to make sure that they have that chance. as governor i paid repeated visits to the school. the young men often require incentives, rehabilitation. four years ago during the visit to a plus a.m. man who i will call ryan gave me a drawing he made. about a year later a confident young man approached me at the

habitat for humanity and that delivering a firm handshake and testify remembered u.s. i could not quite pleasant. i'm brian, he said. i give you the during. a bit stunned best if he was working for habitat for humanity he was not. he was just volunteering in his free time while studying to be a nurse, and he was positively glowing. at the about him whenever i see is drying hanging in my office. it reminds me of the potential in every delawarean. unleashing that potential is one of the most important things that we can do. unrealized potential as always been a human tragedy. and now it is also an economic calamity because the premium in

today's economy is on the human factored, the creativity, the talent, and the drive in every one of us in a society that squanders the potential of its people as a society that lets its features the boy. a bright future belongs to the state in the nation that empowers all of their citizens, transforming those who learn there resources into contributors to our community, and that bright future belongs to places where people like brenda trained and find good jobs and build better tomorrows, and that future will belong to us if we commit to unleash the potential in every delawarean. how we do that is what i want to talk about today. first and foremost unleashing the potential requires that delawareans have the up the chimney to work. before the end of the decade

60 percent of our jobs will require training beyond high school and yet only 20 percent of our kids graduate from high school ready for college or a career. the path to middle-class security is not what it was 30 years ago. our approach career preparation cannot be either. let's ensure that we are on a path to realizing their full potential whether they choose to pursue a degree or take an accelerated career path. first of many to make sure that every student to can succeed in college that's off to a great start. leslie guest book and an event today announced a new commitments. because of our commitment to the first in the nation working to expand college aborigines delaware was the only state to be recognized.

[applause] thanks to our partnership with the college board we are identifying students with the potential to private college but you would likely not apply, often because of financial concerns. they receive letters from some of the nation's top colleges, including those from dell or institution encouraging them to apply, waving their application fees and offering financial support. they are students like one man who was born in nigeria to present to the parents are never dreamed of going to college. [applause] after receiving the information she applied and has been accepted to six institutions, including the honors program at

the university of delaware. congratulations. [applause] we have won dozens since in delaware who are capable of succeeding in college but who do not intend to, and we can get that number to zero. we know that students are challenged and high school with college level material often rise to the occasion. studies show that when these students could a taste of college academics there twice as likely to enroll and persist to a second year in college. i propose a scholarship program so that all low income delaware students with college potential can take credit bearing courses during they're senior high-school. [applause]

and as we send more of our students entire education we need to make sure that they have a road map from the classroom to employment and that our major employers are working with universities so that our youth are prepared for the work force. i am pleased to announce today that dupont has agreed to partner with our colleges on this effort. there will work to identify skills that are needed for entry-level positions and match the skills with courses offered by our colleges and provide internships. by completing these identified courses and by practical experience they will put the students on a fast track for opportunities, including full-time jobs, and we look forward to other employers joining dupont on this initiative. though they also ensure that those students to choose an accelerated career path, one that does not involve a degree. we will allow a new two-year

comprehensive program and manufacturing technology for high school juniors and seniors. the problem will focus on mechanical, electrical and computer engineering and lead to national and recognize manufacturing certificates. modeled after a partnership between delaware tech which allows students to attend classes at their own school while augmenting what they learned by providing access to manufacturing equipment and to lower tech. no, to make our new program even more meaningful it also must include real-world experience, and that is where a new public-private partnership comes into play. the delaware manufacturing association and the manufacturing extension partnership are working with us to identify members willing to offer real world and opportunities during the summer between junior and senior year. whether it takes the form of hands-on work, job shadowing,

direct exposure to the workplace is crucial. several manufacturers have already answered this call to action, including siemens, cbs, and ppg. [applause] now, matching skilled workers with the available jobs is critical. thanks to our new javelin capability it is easier than ever for employers to search our database for employees with the skills they need. in the last year hundreds of employers have taken advantage of new tools to find employees, and those inquiries led to hundreds of new hires at places such as cabals, bechtel, and brailling inches to cut industries. all of our efforts will be most successful when delaware businesses collaborate with the lower educational the institutions.

i propose creating a competitive grant program to fund public-private partnerships between employers and our schools and colleges that will develop the skills needed by tomorrow's work force. finally, to many working delawareans struggle to care for their families and put food on the table. i am glad that the general assembly is poised to increase the minimum wage. thank you for helping so many working delawareans. [applause] now, our ability to put delawareans to work depends in part on whether we build on our legacy of innovation. we have a rich history of invention in delaware, and it is time to write a new chapter. from the ashes of the old chrysler plant is rising in the center of innovation that promises to do just that,

science, technology, and advanced research. the start kent represents the potential of university -based innovation to transform the industry and spawn new companies academic research in delaware contributed to the technologies that led the smart phones and tablets, work done by nobel laureates and richard heck the mechanical processes used in pharmaceuticals, energy, and electronics i ask that you invest in innovation by creating a $2 million matching grant program that will leverage federal dollars in support of research to create the jobs of tomorrow. one of the most promising areas for research that will have an impact on our economy is cyber security. from the financial information held by dollars many banks to the technologies being developed by area science companies cut

our economy is only as secure as the networks that old our personal data in intellectual property. as customers of target and many other companies know packed -- hacking in cyber attacks represent a huge threat. staying end of this challenge is something we in our employers need to do to protect our citizens and customers, and it is good for our economy. hundreds of unfilled jobs exist in delaware today. our institutions of higher education of positioning themselves to take a role in this area. i employ you to join with them to watch the delaware cyber initiative located on the start campus. this initiative will be a public-private partnerships to lower tech and the private sector. it will feature a collaborative learning and research network dedicated to such renovation.

and i am proud to say that it will tap into the resources of the one under 66 network work warfare squadron of the national guard. [applause] unleashing the potential of our economy boss of the men's world class and researcher. the ability to move goods and services officially to connect to cutting its emission technology infrastructure and access cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable energy is essential to every industry in our state. for years delawareans tried to avoid the interchange of by-95 and route one. our investment in new severance has alleviated congestion, shortly commute, shipping times, and trips. we are making similar improvements.

that exit ramp was a notorious chokepoint, but improvements have cut the average number of hours of slowing traffic from six to less than one anyone. sinn beginning construction. in suffolk county, widening state route 26 and the crustal or a new and improved by pesach improving air quality of life. infrastructure investments create high-paying middle-class jobs today and lay the foundation for future prosperity i think it is time we stopped complaining about the sorry shape of our transportation trust fund and fix the underlying issues. i propose that we invest $1 billion over five years. $500 million increase over our current. [applause]

let's improve our transportation network for generations to come and put thousands of delawareans to work. we need to invest beyond our roads. as speaker shorts, and senator simpson know full well, investments in our parks, wildlife areas, beaches, and other amenities help attract millions of tourists who, in turn, spends hundreds of millions of dollars to support thousands of jobs and restaurants, motels and retail shops across our state. look specifically at our waterways. water is the foundation of our tourism industry. it is vital to agriculture, manufacturing, and everything that we do. yet a century of pollution as impaired nearly every waterway in our state. well we have some definitely reduced air pollution far too many strings remain unsafe. we cannot eat our fish.

because when into many parts of the and then they. though results are laced with toxic pollutants. this is embarrassing. unacceptable, and we must change it. [applause] this will not be easy or cheap, but it is achievable. we have to upgrade waste water and drinking water plants and improve storm water infrastructure, use cutting its technologies to remove toxic substances thanks to the strong advocacy of senator bush will. to work toward these goals i will propose the clean water for delaware future initiative. the goal of this initiative is to clean up our waterways and

generation. some much faster than. in our time this will create jobs. in our kids times will revitalize communities across our state. he of future generations clearwater. it is that simple. we all agree a quality education is essential for anyone seeking to unleashes are potential hellenist begins at a very early age. teachers tell us that the number one barrier to academic success is when kids don't come to school ready to learn. six years ago senator bill leavens improve the quality of children's early money experience as the prime sponsor of the legislation that created

the stars quality rating system. the stars' program has provided the critical days for the investment we have made all the lists of lawyers. the amazing if in progress. last year alone the number of low-income children attending a high quality program increased by 50%. that means 2,202,200 more children are getting better opportunities to be prepared for success. i am grateful to the center and all the members of the general assembly for your support of release child of the education and opportunities for low-income delawareans. but our work on behalf of our most vulnerable children is not an. we can do more to support the national mayors family partnership program to which nurses, low income and teach them how to care for newborns. the results around the country

have been stunning including better economic performance, juvenile delinquency, and better overall child health. as our next above propose that we more than double the number of first-time mothers who will serve in delaware by this proven which would give us a higher percentage of eligible mothers who are benefiting from this program than in any other state in america. [applause] and i want to thank the clinton cabinet for championing this proposal. mayor making significant strides in a school's thanks to this general assembly including education shares, representative scott and thanks to so many talented educators across the state. the world language immersion program now has 850 students in

ten schools spending half a school days learning in nine chinese are spanish. the parents of the students have been thrilled with the result telling is that these programs have enriched their children's education. our professional learning communities in the implementation of higher standards are producing higher results. two-thirds are educators say they're improved professional development is having a positive impact on the questions. we are particularly focused on supporting our teachers of science, technology, engineering , and math. many jobs of the future will be in these. we have trouble recruiting and retaining talented it stemmed teachers to have more lucrative options. today and delighted to announce that this fall the delaware state council in partnerships will be giving awards to support our best teachers so that they can share effective teaching strategies.

[applause] no, the magic of education happens with our teachers. does not happen to legislation or in my office. if you look at the way we fund education you would think the politicians have all the answers . state government sets rigid funding formulas that determine how many assistant principals reading instructors and the minister of assistance the school have. back now we have one of the most rigid funding systems in the country. those who know our students best to innovate, creative vision, and pursue. is tied to give these people more ability to make a

difference. starting a handful of districts have propose that we give school leavers the ability to expand some portion of their state resources in implementing there of school improvement plans. we should attractive choices, measure the results and see how we can best provide greater flexibility to more schools. [applause] i thank the representative for technology of this issue now unleashing every student's potential demands that we make it more attractive or our best teachers to continue to do with a love, to teach. and since last year and my administration has been listening to educators about how we might set up a compensation system that attracts and retains great teachers.

our best teachers deserve a pat to receive additional compensation for pursuing of virginities or remaining in the classroom. we also must write the names that are starting salaries and not competitive with the names. no one to think the delaware state education association and the teachers who were working with this on an improved approach to educating compensation the real pleased with the progress we have made, but there is still more work to do now we will be in a position to introduce legislation. [applause] much of our success as a state will depend upon whether our cities are safe and vibrant an important part of making our streets safe and and we can

replicate the success of other communities and strengthening neighborhoods while also harnessing the migrant and towns for talented young people and innovative small businesses. to do so i propose that we create downtown development districts, a small number of did it -- designated areas in our city that will qualify for development incentives and a host of other benefits and housing and transportation. those looking to make investments in these districts would receive grants for a percentage of their investments. i proposed designated $7 million to resist a project which will leverage tens of million dollars more important in this program can improve our housing site and revitalize their downtowns. [applause]

them making our downtown more vibrant and save, wilmington is the business capitol of the state and our cultural center. violent crime has and built neighborhoods and taken many lives. and people don't feel safe in their communities the los matters. there is no quick fix. a significant test them, but it will take all is doing a part. all levels of government, a neighbor of leaders, communities, businesses, all of the. secretary, attorney general, new castle county executive and others of standard to help address the problems in wellington and beyond. far too often gun violence is committed by shearson in a million guns. his critical than we do a better job tracing these weapons back to their sources.

we must redouble our efforts to confront the gun trafficking that has escalated the cad wars. to do so i am proposing a new division a special investigation within the department of safety in homeland security the will focus on gun trafficking. .. too often our solution is to throw the drug user in prison but many of these individuals need treatment more than a prison guard. for many addicts it's possible to deal with their disease

successfully and to go on to live happy productive lives. there are stories like the young man recovering from a life-threatening addiction to heroin and becoming a business owner. where a teenage girl who lasts into drug and alcohol use following her father's suicide and landing in jail but with the assistance of a drug court trevor and she overcame her addiction. she got a college education. we all know people with addictions who with the right intervention could live fulfilling lives and it's time for us to put into practice what we are the no, addiction is a disease that can and must be treated. representatives kealy and barbara maroni along with senators henry and how long are reviewing the addiction treatment needs of our state and the resources available. later this year i will propose changes to better align our

resources to fill the gaps of our drug treatment system and i look forward to working with you to fill those gaps. [applause] we can't meet the potential of our great state and our great country if we give up on a great number of our people. today american ex--- america incarcerates more than 2 million people and each year we release more than 700,000 inmates. 25 years ago the total number of people incarcerated with 700,000 for release inmates their criminal record makes it difficult for -- to be productive members of society. it is worth every penny that we spend to keep them there are but

when a person has served their time it is up to them and to us to make sure that the transition effectively, achieve their potential and contribute to society. in 2014 i adapted an initiative to help offenders prepare for their eventual release. by giving them some of what they need to return to our communities, identification, access to medical care, a transition plan, job training opportunities and five years of experience has taught up with that those little things make a big difference but for many offenders there is one thing we can't give them, a driver's license. this penalty is just one more

punishment that prevents them from seeking employment in accessing job training. this should change and i ask you to eliminate the arbitrary loss of driver's license for crimes that have nothing to do with automobiles. [applause] too many of the inmates that we release in the going back to prison and one of the best predictors of whether a person will commit another crime is whether they have a job. if we know that employing ex-offenders helps make our communities safer why are we putting so many hurdles in the way of job opportunities? we need to start by looking at employment discrimination

against people who have repaid their debt to society. here's an example. if there is one employer in delaware that should be able to decide whether hiring an ex-offender makes sense is the department of corrections that the department is prohibited from hiring anyone with a record even on a part-time basis. as representative jj johnson has suggested we can do better. many communities have started to expand the job applications by eliminating the box that says check here if you have been convicted of a crime. i believe that we should ban the box for state government hires this year. [applause] let's stop denying ex-offenders their first interview in let's be a model for the private sector because marginalizing ex-offenders helps none of us. delaware's incarceration rate is

higher than the national average in a country whose average is higher than the rest of the world. that is not a point at right. it's incredibly expensive and it has not worked. we lock up too many people for not making de la not appearing at hearings. 40% of the women incarcerated at a later our pretrial detainees, many charged with nonviolent offenses. based on guidance from commissioner coupe i propose that we pilot in the city of wilmington a program of pretrial supervision for nonviolent offenses. based on a model from new york this pilot program will allow the department of corrections and social service providers to help get offenders to hearings and avoid trouble while awaiting trial. by supervising better we can keep him out of prison in the first place and link them with services for addiction or mental

health concerns in the community and not a prison cell. in addition to filling our prisons with pretrial detainees, we also impose longer sentences than other states do. one reason is that we are the only state in the country that forces our judges without exception to impose consecutive rather than concurrent sentences for multiple offenses. that has not made us any safer and it contributes to overcrowding in our prisons. i ask you to join me in giving judges greater discretion when it comes to concurrent and consecutive sentencing. [applause] and lastly we need to change the trajectory of kids who enter the criminal justice system at a young age. many of these kids are bright and full of potential. it after living in a facility

with structure, education and medical care, they have the same goals and determination as any of our kids. but here's the reality. as well as those kids do while they are in a secure facility, when they leave our care they often return to the same exact circumstances that led them to us in the first place, only now they are returning with the burden of a juvenile record. many of them will not complete their education. of 184 kids in custody at our falkland rd. campus last year only 11 were back in traditional schools six months later. many of these kids dropped out where there are real incarcerated. this is our failure. we have seen the progress that many of them made while under

our care so we must do better when we transition away from our building. i am asking you to fund community-based advocates to work with these families and kids after they leave the custody of the kids department. a 15-year-old doesn't know how to access mental health services or to re-enroll in school and get on the path to success. these advocates can make that happen. we also need to break the cycle of incarceration by getting these kids back into school and i'm asking secretary rongji to lead a task force to focus on how to get these children into an educational environment that is sensitive to their unique challenges and experiences. one of my favorite parts about being governor is that i get to meet delawarians from every walk of life. the budding entrepreneur, the ex-con trying to get back on

his feet, the first-generation college student and her generation farmer, the excited new mother, the hopeful immigrant. and you know what? we all want the same thing. we want to give life our best shot and make the most of our talents that god has given us. much as been written in recent months about inequality in america about a lack of academic mobility declining incomes for working families with a shrinking middle class about a lack of opportunity for people born in difficult circumstances or who make a poor decision early in life. but there is promise in the american dream that while we are not year in teen people outcomes weird earring teeing equal opportunities to achieve our potential. that is why in recent years we have focused so much on strengthening our schools,

creating good-paying jobs and enhancing our quality of life. that is why with the help of representative melanie smith and senator gregg lavelle we passed the justice reinvestment act to rehabilitate and not just incarcerate. that is why we have passed new laws to make it clear that delaware is a welcoming state no matter who you love. we do all of this because of our core value, our shared belief that we all stand to gain when everyone gets a fair shot. isn't that why we are all here? years from now after the roads have been built, after today's kindergartners have retired from jobs we helped create, after our cities thrive in our waters run clean, the people of delaware may not remember us by name or know about the laws we pass toward the bills we debated. but in the end that is not

what's important. what they will know is that we were here for them and that our focus was to unleash the potential of every delawareans now and help ensure that future generations will be able to go further than we could ever have dreamed. i know we have the resolve to do our part to realize the promise of our great state of delaware. thank you. god bless you and all the people of delaware. [applause] [applause]

next mississippi governor phil bryant giving his annual state of the state address at the n. jackson. governor bryant's mississippi 64th governor having served in the position since 2012. his address is 30 minutes.

[applause] >> thank you. [applause] thank you. i'm going to stand here until you stop. what an honor it is to be here with you tonight. thank you mr. lieutenant governor and thank you mr. speaker. if you could just a moment give these two leaders at hand for our appreciation. [applause] it is a privilege to be here with all of you this evening. standing shoulder-to-shoulder as we reflect on our accomplishments and set our

goals for the work yet to be done. to each member of the mississippi legislature what an honor it is to serve the people of mississippi, to serve with you at this special time. in just two short years we have worked together to bring about positive change in our state and i thank you for your service, for your diligence and for your dedication. to mississippi's first lady, mississippi's first lady and mine i want to thank you for putting up with all of us, the early mornings in the late nights, through storm and sunshine she is always there. to help blair batson hospital or susan g. koman or smith bill or read cross mississippi. she is always there. she is the wind beneath mississippi's wings and mine and she is forever my first lady.

[applause] as i began writing this address some weeks ago i reflected upon psalm 1:26 which says the lord hath done great things for us, wherever we are glad. tonight let us see why we should be glad. two years ago we began our journey together. our goal was simple. we would accomplish great things for all mississipians. in those two years my administration has endeavored to work with you to advance the common good. realizing that all power held by the governed come solely from the authority of the governor and the mississippi constitution says all political power invested in and drive from the people originates with the people founded upon there will

only and is instituted solely for the good of the whole. this unwavering acceptance of this doctrine provides an environment that although should rise together. we understood that the vision without action is just an illusion. we set about with four -- fundamental beliefs regarding our future. first we believe every mississippi and should have the opportunity to be gainfully employed right here at home. second, every mississippi and should have the opportunity to learn from the best educational system we can offer. third, we believe every mississippi and must -- deserve to be born into a mature two-parent family and finally we believe that every mississippi and should leave that his or her tax dollars are being put to proper use. i believed then as i do tonight that these four goals achieved together will create a mississippi of limitless opportunity.

let us see how the plan has worked thus far. i have often said we can make mississippi the most job friendly state in america. when a mississippi and has a job it changes everything. a mississippi and with the job is less likely to need public assistance and more likely to contribute taxes to the state treasury, is a strong example of responsibility to his or her children and is more likely to vote to participate in the community and to avoid crying. each day as governor i make it my job to ensure more mississipians have the job of their own. you and i have helped create an economy where the unemployment rate has dropped from 9.4% when we took office to 8.3% today and is going down. [applause] into two years years since we began our work mississippi has

added nearly 9000 jobs through our economic development efforts. last year at this address i went through a list of new companies that have moved to mississippi as well as those existing industries that had expanded. i thought about doing the same thing again this year but 2013 with so successful for economic development in mississippi that if i had listed all of the achievements you probably will could not make it to dinner on time. instead i will let you know what outside experts have been saying about economic development in mississippi. area development magazine, a national publication that focuses on site selection, rates mississippi is the number nine state in america for doing business, the number two state for competitive utility costs and permitting speed and among the top five for overall cost of doing business. cnn business news reports that mississippi is the fifth best

state in america for entrepreneurial success. the expansion saluja's magazine has named our state among the top five for advanced manufacturing excellence, the top five and the frazier institute says mississippi is the second-best place in the world to invest in oil and gas industry. [applause] now perhaps the greatest indicator of our success is the state's gross domestic ruddock. the sum of all financial production and growth in our economy. for the first time in mississippi's history, our state has reached 100 billion dollars in gdp. the american legislative exchange counsel ranked mississippi among the top 10 most successful states for economic development outlook and area development banking scene

says mississippi is on an economic role. i could not agree more. [applause] now certainly we can always do better but these standings indicate we are trending upward in the world has taken notice. we are very proud of the companies who have traversed the globe to make mississippi home. one we are particularly proud to welcome to our state is the yokohama tire company that will provide thousands of jobs to clay county. i'm honored to have as our guest tonight sitting in the northern balcony the president of yokohama tire manufacturing in mississippi, mr. yamamoto. [applause]

[applause] yokohama tire could have placed its new plant anywhere in the world. every state in the nation would have been honored to have this great company and its new facility. the site selector looked at over 1000 possibilities and settled on the very best, mississippi. mr. yamamoto i thank you for your confidence in our state and i look forward to deepening our friendship and our business ties. i wish your company many years of success in our mississippi. in order to offer yokohama and our existing industries the world's very best workforce, we must continue to make career training programs all they can be. to make certain of the success i

have asked mr. j. koman executive director of the mississippi manufactures association to lead the state workforce investment boards and along with a great community colleges make our work for second to none. abraham lincoln is credited as having said give me six hours to chop down a tree and i will spend the first four sharpening the ax. we must prepare our workforce for the advanced skills needed in today's economy. nothing is more critical to our success. let us set about sharpening our acts together. [applause] very soon with the assistance of the mississippi department of employment security, the state worked for sin does not board and the state longitudinal data system we will unveil a

state-of-the-art system matching job seekers with employers. the system along with its app will be unlike any in the nation it will put job seekers and employers they away from success. finding a job or a qualified employee in mississippi will be easier and more effective than ever. the mississippi works web site will add this important feature very soon. and i will just say standby to be amazed. and i assure you our web site works. [applause] i am also very pleased ,-com,-com ma i am very pleased to announce a revolutionary health care effort and -- right here in mississippi. through partnership at with the university of mississippi medical center ge health care, north sunflower medical center

and c spier are launching the mississippi diabetes telehealth initiative. this groundbreaking pilot program will use telehealth technology to peer resources from the university medical center with health care providers and 200 of the most complex diabetes patients in the mississippi delta. this coordinated care of roche will improve disease management and health outcomes for generations to come. finally, and let me remind you and we were talking earlier that 2014 has been designated as the year of the creative economy a mississippi homecoming. this year we will focus on that segment of the economy which provides some 60,000 jobs and generates an enormous economic impact in our state.

2014 will see hundreds of creative events from concerts to plays to movie premieres all across mississippi. we are asking artists to come home for one special event, to share their talent live with their fellow mississipians. we aim to show the world that mississippi is the birthplace of america's music but we also cook and write and act and paint and bands and direct. this will bring thousands of events. let us have a homecoming. and let us invite the world. [applause] one of mississimississi ppi's creative artists is with us tonight. bruce livingstone a young man from the delta, funny how that

happens, began to play the piano at age four and has become a leading figure in american music because of his immense talent some of them world's most prominent composers have written works for him to premiere. he has played in venues as diverse as carnegie hall, the united nations, the lincoln center in the power aipac school here in jackson. he has been hailed by "the new york times" as one of today's most adventurous musicians. ladies and gentlemen my friend and fellow mississipians bruce livingstone. bruce, welcome tonight. [applause] last year we enacted the most transformational public education reform in 30 years. we came to this action because

we recognized that serious problems exist within our state education system. when we set about to develop our education works agenda we found troubling evidence of the struggles in mississippi classrooms. just two weeks ago education week released its quality counts ratings that placed mississippi as number 51 for k-12 student achievement. we can all agree this is unacceptable. political posturing and finger-pointing do nothing to help these children so we have worked together in these past two years to offer solutions. not through some arbitrary formula for standards dictated by the federal government but by common sense priorities. our education work reform will help prepare children for lifelong learning by improving literacy skills and ending status quo social promotion.

in one eventful year we implemented the third grade gate to require reading proficiency. we launched a merit pay program and raise standards for teacher training programs and created scholarships for bright young students who want to teach. we established a collaborative wiki learning program and funded mississippi building blocks and we created a public charter school system. what a year. what a measure of success or education. with these priorities we have increased our targeted education spending by $18.6 million and also directed $22.6 million to the national ward certified teacher program and $6 million to teach for america. the total appropriation for k-12 education for fiscal year 2014 exceeded $2.3 billion. this is more funding for

education than has been appropriated in the past four years. with the legislature's help we will increase this funding for the upcoming budget cycle. by fiscal year 2015 executive budget recommendation includes an additional $22 million for education spending in k-12. this includes our existing education works priorities as well as a $16 million for a new school repair fund administered by the department of finance and administration. placing these capital expense dollars aside specifically for k-12 will go a long way towards repairing leaking roofs in our classrooms without contributing to the rising tide of costs in the administration building. even with these successes, our work in education is far from finished.