criminals behind bars and had no regrets about doing so in necessary pear family has experienced a violent crime that resulted in the loss of a loved one. i've attended funerals and memorials of slain officers and witness firsthand the pain of the mothers and the wives and families. i have no sympathy for violent criminals and i believe that any modification to the correctional system should put the victims first. [applause] they plan to expand the creation of such things as veteran treatment courts. veterans courts to aid our servicemen and weapon who have made mistakes to get back on track. i believe leo are veterans of special attention because they more than most have earned a second chance for their country. as you know i have long been an advocate of drug courts and i

hope you will follow the guidance in my budget recommendation and fully fund this effort. these courts provide a valuable service that helps get mississipians on the right path again. to combat serious crime in our state i have asked that you fund a violent crime strike force to impose a state federal and local law enforcement at -- officers these elite forces will respond to specific crime areas and hit gangs in drug dealers where they live. [applause] if you will give law enforcement the authority and the resources they need, they will get the job done. [applause] your mississippi department of public safety has done a remarkable job this year. with us tonight in the gallery as i find it apple ample of the

selfless bravery of our troopers. trooper first class kerpen stewart was recognized in 2012 as trooper of the year. while off duty and traveling to alabama troopers steward came upon a fiery crash. despite the risk to himself troopers steward pulled the driver from his vehicle, extinguish the fire that was engulfing him and saved a man's life. a 20 year veteran of the united states army trooper stewart is just one example of the dedication of the fine men and women of our highway patrol. trooper, thank you for your service and your sacrifice. [applause] [applause]

the men and women who wear the blue and gray of the mississippi highway patrol remain the best of the best that they now need your help. the last trooper school added 51 officers to a patrol that remains nearly 150 below its necessary number. this shortage puts not only the motoring public lives at risk but also those of our troopers. now let me assure you, without more troopers on the road, people will die. please help us fund a trooper school this year. [applause] of all the things that make mississippi great, perhaps none is more valuable than our ability to persevere and achieve great things together.

mississipians as a whole are without a doubt the most resilient, the most passionate and the most capable people in the nation. time and time again history proves that when we fix our focus on a goal be at repairing the damage brought by natural disasters are launching an entire new industry we are bold enough to do whatever it takes to achieve success. as governor i am honored and thankful for the opportunity to chart the course in some small way forward for hours eight. our hard work is already yielding rewards and we are equipping ourselves with the tools to take advantage of the next opportunities that will surely come our way. i thank all of you for your help and your discernment. even your opposition makes us better as we consider every new idea under the intensity of your gaze. but in the end, in the end it is

the moving forward that keeps us together. it is the challenge of achieving the peoples will now and for the future. before we leave tonight, i want to ask you one more thing. i want to ask that you join me in remembering the men and women of our armed forces project every our national guard for defending the freedoms that allow us to gather freely together here in this place. [applause] [applause] thank you for your hard work. together we can do great things. god bless each of you, god bless mississippi and god bless the

united states of america. [applause] now to honolulu hawaii for the state of the state address from democratic governor neil abercrombie of the state's seventh governor having been elected in 2010 after serving nine years in the u.s. house. his address is half an hour. [applause]

[applause] >> thank you everybody. you are very kind. thank you very much. you are very kind. i felt like jay leno saying hello to jimmy kimmel. thank you very much but before i begin can we have a big hand for our congressional delegation that are smart enough to be here rather than a shinki and where it's snowing afoot right now. [applause] madam president, mr. speaker, members of the hawaii state legislature former governors, distinguished justices of the court's mayors representatives

congressional delegations and other elected officials, honored guest family and friends, aloha. as we began our session i asked that we set aside our political preoccupations for a moment and reflect on the privilege we have to serve in the responsibility to look to horizons beyond their own concerns. i asked that we begin today with a moment of silence to honor hawaii national guard sergeant drew scobee who died earlier this month in afghanistan. he was 25 years old. he leaves behind his wife and his 4-year-old son and another child yet to be born. our hearts and best thoughts are with his family during this time. on march 25, the legislature will hold its joint session for

the wide medal of honor ceremony to recognize fallen soldiers with hawaii ties. i think everyone here want to work for the day when we have no more fallen to recognize for their ultimate sacrifice, no more families to consult for their loss. until that day i asked for us to join in a moment of silence and reflection in honor of sergeant scobee and his family. if those that are able to rise would do so and at the time may we have a moment of silence. on behalf of sergeant scobee and his family. thank you very much.

when i entered office we issued a call for a new day in hawaii. we presented and implemented a plan that has guided this administration and our state over the last three years through very difficult times. we faced hard choices and had to make tough decisions. i'm grateful for this legislature's collaboration as we navigated through these troubled waters. the question before us then is what direction shall we now set our sights? where do we see our hawaii, our people, our islands, our businesses in the future? to enter the core question we need to look no further than our island values. we must be trustees with a duty not just in the present but to the long-term future of our islands. we must be stewards with a responsibility to protect their identity are precious human and natural resources to become more self-sufficient.

for three years we have strategically manage our resources into her chair sacrifices, made fiscally prudent decisions and have seen our economy regularly improved. this has resulted in a general fund balance of $844 million for fiscal year 2013 and historically unprecedented figure that represents a turnaround of more than $1 billion since 2010. i want to extend my appreciation to all of you in this legislature for helping to make some of those tough decisions in our public sector employees who made stuff sacrifices and the people and businesses of hawaii hugh faith and patience made this effort possible. i'm able to report to you today our state governments financial house now stands on solid ground ground -- solid ground. [applause]

we are entering a new phase. the administration's supplemental budget does not rely on any new taxes or fees. on the contrary, as you will see i believe we may be able to reduce taxes in key areas. we have the resources to deliver services to the people of hawaii while living within our means. and what is most important my administration's budget philosophy insurers are budget is sustainable. our financial plan accommodates any fluctuations in revenue projections in the years to come. we are stabilizing future costs and expenditures. we are concluding collective bargaining agreement several of which are for multiple years. we have taken affirmative action in addressing our states unfunded liabilities for medical benefits for retirees and pensions, salvaging both from fiscal disaster. we are committed to strengthening the finances of

the state with a plan that will their state reserves up to 10% of general fund revenues. these reserves will allow us to whether possible future economic downturns and to guard against the public service cup acts of the recent past. financial rating agencies recognize our efforts and have improved their outlook assessment of us from negative to stable to positive. what then of the future? i shall outline a few central elements for your attention this morning and i will address other issues in more detail such as housing agriculture energy etc. through messages to you in the days immediately following this address. first there is no more critical issue before us in early childhood development and education. i look forward to strengthening relationships with the private and nonprofit sectors by the passage of a constitutional amendment to provide for partnerships and early education.

i appreciate the legislature's support last session for our expansion of the preschool open doors program. administrative rules are nearly complete. the program envisions providing assistance to over 1200 families of 4-year-old children that will no longer be eligible to attend kindergarten as of august 1 of this year. however this modest approach is not enough. some five dollars and, 4-year-olds will be affected by this change in the age requirement. some families have the financial capacity to afford the average preschool rate of over $8000 per year. many middle income families will struggle and have to make difficult choices. most lesser income families will be precluded from the option of make any choices. we know that the early years of the child's development are crucial in setting the foundation for a child's behavior and lifelong learning.

from birth to age five more than 85% of a person's brain development takes place. an alarming number of our children are injuring school without the basics needed to succeed in school. one in three. learning how to be -- behave within a group, a lesson we can all take for ourselves. investing in our children's early years will pay dividends down the road in the form of healthy and contributing adults, reduced crime and incarceration are less dependency on social services. we invest in our cells by investing in early childhood education. our plan is to build and strengthen hawaii's next delivery early learning programs. community-based preschools are now and will be a key component. to expand access for 4-year-olds we are proposing direct services in 32 classrooms across the state, half of which are on neighbor islands.

we are seeking additional resources for family child interaction learning programs. we are proposing support for families who participate in the preschool open doors. these requests total approximately $8 million. our plan is targeted, aimed at helping those who otherwise have little or no options. these initial investments will serve an additional 1040 children and their families. i realize this is an election year. political agendas and ambitions are being formulated but let us take children out of the equation. let us resolve, all of us to be champions of children. you have my pledge in my word on that. [applause] our unemployment has improved to the fifth lowest in the nation. three years ago the unemployment

compensation trust fund was practically bankrupt. our progress over the last three years has allowed us to reduce the unemployment insurance tax rates for 2014 by 35%. employers will pay $130 million less in taxes or $300 less per employee on average for 2014. a hard-working sector in our community has gone seven years without seeing their wages rise. therefore i will be proposing a bill to increase the minimum wage by $1.50 to at least $8.75 starting in january 2015. [applause] average weekly earnings have increased 16% since 2007. for minimum-wage workers, it's

zero. currently 21 other states plus the district of columbia have higher minimum wage rates than hawaii while our minimum-wage earners are confronteconfronted by much higher living costs. it is a myth that increases to the minimum-wage just benefits entry-level workers, mostly teenagers. in hawaii 85% of minimum-wage workers are 21 years old or older. the last four times the minimum wage was raised on average the number of jobs increased by 2.2% over the following 12 months. 20% of our children under six years of age, over 22,000 children live in low-income working families, low income working families. i'm aware that the issue of the hospitality and restaurant service was on the stumbling block last year. i am prepared to accept a

reasonable accommodation. employees waiting tables at chuck's steakhouse have the opportunity to add to their income. minimum wage earners cannot offset any development. let's move quickly and resolutely on this issue. [applause] ..

by giving support for the housing first program, chronically homeless and disability. housing first is an evidence based program currently being used in denver, seattle, and you tell which is established in providing housing and support services and saving taxpayers money. when i took office many serve the sentences out of state. the alternative program. in addition, it often decrease the chances of rehabilitation of

prisoners who were away from their family. no plans of commitment to to do otherwise. nearly two dozen primer's to the prisoners. we reduce that number by 600. suddenness to live more prisoners will be coming home. thank you. but clearly we need additional facilities. most of our current structures are deteriorated over capacity and poorly designed. they have procured a comprehensive plan to build facilities with sufficient capacity to keep prisoners to present a danger to our community properly incarcerated and to provide give him programmatic options will keep

pair communities safe. a personal note of gratitude permian alive. implementing a domestic workers bill of rights. the second such law in our nation. headlines mar around the world as recently have a picture of exploitation and degradation. we'll also strengthened laws against domestic violence and human trafficking. thanks to all of you the intense work of the attorney general's office, the department of labor and industry relations, civil rights commission, and the office of community services, these crimes against our common humanity will not be tolerated.

now there are times for planning in times for action. no is the time to preserve open space. expansive joy out for decades. permitting. whether the cause is permitting proceedings in the national community, this issue has been divisive and destructive. a conservation movement of more than 600 acres. it guarantees these lands will remain open and free of development and open to public access and perpetuity. [applause]

similarly i am requesting general obligation bonds to and it will cease to work with the renewal will energy company to purchase agricultural and a conservative conservation lands currently owned. nearly 20,000 acres of open space and the north shore of oahu. need to make this investments so that they do not become a plantation for development and organization. moreover, this purchase will ensure a combination of energy production and contemporary farming. we look to the best place on the planet to observe the universe. it is without fear. eleven countries and over a billion dollars in infrastructure.

one project will solidify the position of why on the world's premier astronomy center. the $1 billion telescope. a catalyst for the development of high-tech and high-paying jobs. half presently partner in with the institute of astronomy work force initiative to train local college students for technical fields it also is investing $1 million every year to education so that our children can reach for the stars. our state must support and ensure the tremendous opporunity that comes to fruition. [applause] this leads us to the reality of climate change which is becoming more and more evidence.

especially vulnerable and they cannot wait to act. in the fall i was appointed by president obama to serve on the state, local, and travel leader task force on climate preparedness and resilience. and our first meeting governors, mayors, and tribal leaders from around our country discuss the effects of climate change. our geographic, topographic, and community differences. warning bells signaling the necessity for prepared this now. we emphasize that the hawaiian islands are a learning laboratory for scalable integrated meditations and techniques that provide a model of local and regional collaboration. the state office of planning has been instrumental in coordinating efforts to update our ocean resources management plan.

stay sustainability coordinator with the story to work across department lines. the senate and house majority includes the hawaii climate annotation initiative which supports research, planning, and coordination. the interagency climate council plays a key role in this initiative. i will be convening to engage stakeholders, native hawaiian organizations, natural resources management, tourism officials, agricultural representatives, researchers and government at all levels. creating a climate change road maps for why. [applause]

protection of our environment from invasive species must be a top priority. we are experiencing a biological crisis and deadly threat to our isolated ecosystem. natural resources and economy. a multitude of invaders such as the fire and that can blind animals, the cocoanut rhinoceroses and parasites attacking coffee crops to illustrate the seriousness of this issue. the work of the interagency hawaii invasive species was tasked with combating this. your legislative initiatives imposing of the $5 million to meet operating costs of invasive species. this session, my administrative package will include an administrative assess the strategy to include clean energy development, local food

production, natural resource management, waste reduction, smart grove and housing for the working middle-class. this includes funding to support watershed protection, farming infrastructure, invasive species management, clean waste recycling, a transportation planning, and creating jobs associated. early in my remarks -- [applause] thank you. early in my remarks i commented on the necessity of providing preschool education as a foundation for the future of our children. that observation needs to be booked in it by consideration of ways to promote security and dignity on the other end. those of us like myself experiencing senior years, not only do we need to protect seniors from fraud and abuse and

assist with issues, i believe we can provide tax relief measures that will have practical and immediate benefits for seniors. i will be asking the legislation to look at the way we tax seniors in order to provide more equity and fairness for those on fixed incomes to see that more money remains in their pocketbooks. [applause] the web we look and tax retirement income, i understand the message on pension income in taxation. if you have an employer sponsored pension it is exempt from income tax, and that will not change. everyone may not be aware that other pensions not employer based of being taxed right now. thousands of seniors are paying income tax even on low and middle income benefits.

i propose to exempt any income from all sources that taxpayers age 65 and older with an adjusted gross income of $25,000 adjusted gross income of $35,000 for heads of household and then adjusted gross income of $45,000. [applause] the seniors will not have the retirement income tax. this will affect as many as 25,000 or more seniors. and also proposed to double the current food excise tax for taxpayers 65 years older who ag i is less than 50,000. a direct payment to the senior taxpayer which will affect as many as 110,000 seniors or more.

[applause] i am also requesting the increase of four and a half million dollars. this program enables seniors to receive care in their home and is an investment that will pay big dividends as our senior population ages and lives longer. [applause] these proposals, my friends, address the practical everyday reality. across the board fairness and application and can take effect immediately and fit comfortably in the to our long-term plans. i began my remarks today in sad recognition of the sacrifice.

i have spoken of other sacrifices we have made or need to make an analogy your responsibility into a trance the common good of gasol. please allow me to conclude my thoughts today with reflection on the passing. it is difficult even now more than a month from bath to accept the finality because of the vitality of our presence. i also know that she would remind us of the biblical admonition that life is for the living, the duty to carry on, to offer help and encouragement to others. i would like to thank the university of hawaii foundation first setting of the memorial scholarship, health, human, and public services which will

provide a lasting legacy, those who are committed to pursuing a career in health and public and human services. lifelong supporter of public-health measures, lifelong advocate for families and children. she set the standard for helping those in dire need of services and promoted their health and well-being. i am requesting additional funding for the early intervention services. the program provides critical services to children with developmental delays. the program provides positive intervention in the crucial areas of cognitive and physical function, social and emotional well-being and adaptive skills. there are, of course, several budget request, all of which are important early intervention

services. there will be lasting benefits for families and children. they should love. none of us knows with any certainty how much time will be given, but we do know that the time given us as public servants is a public trust. we justify that only by the public interest. the financial stability we have achieved a will with our long-term plan presents us with the opportunity to act both with confidence and wisdom. public trust in the public interest can be joined.

>> endo "-- local news outlets reported on the comments. credit for the state public the surplus should be shared. in reaction to the governor not calling for new taxes. he suggested a tax credit for the state's senior citizens.

[applause] >> they cue for that introduction this is a fantastic forward-looking university, and we are grateful for your support as we are for hosting us in this magnificence base. less than two years ago this was a cauldron of excitement.

i had a seat. i only use the edge. for me the best thing about the index was not the winning but the red, white, and blue. was this summer that patriotism came out of the shadows and came into the sun. everyone is cheering as one. i want to talk about today, our united kingdom. last year that date of the scottish referendum was fixed, the countdown set. today we have just over seven months until at about. centuries of history in the balance. a question mark hangs over the

future of our united kingdom. people vote yes in september this government will become an independent country. it will be no going back. as i have made clear this is a decision that is squarely for those in scotland to make. i believe passionately that it is in their interest to stay in the united kingdom. that waste, and as the space to take decisions of still having the security it comes with being part of something bigger. they can decide what happens in every hospital, school, police stations, and then the united kingdom. part of a major global plan. those are the arguments that we will keep on putting until september 18th. it is their choice, their votes to.

by argument today, while only 4 million people can vote in this referendum 603 million of us are profoundly affected. 63 million of us can wake up on september the 19th in a different country with the different future head of us. that is why this beach is addressed not so much the people of scotland but to the people of england, wales, northern ireland within these countries there are the whole range of different use there are those that i would call the quite patriots, people who love the united kingdom, love our flag in their history but think there is nothing much that they can do to encourage this government this day in the u.k. they stay at of the debate. then there are additional new shares, people who have

ambivalence hitting this does not matter much. error view is that if someone left the u.k. and that would be sad, but we could just wave in a wishful goodbye and carry on as normal. and then there are those, only a few who think we would be better off his government did leave the u.k. the marriage of nations has run its course and needs a divorce. today i want to take on all of these use, the eddy that we would be better off and this makes no difference to the rest of the u.k. and the idea that however much we might care we can have a voice in this debate because we don't have a vote. all of the above are wrong. we would be deeply diminished without scotland.

this matters to all of our futures. everyone in the u.k. can of the voice. i want to make this case by putting forward a for compelling reasons why the united kingdom is stronger with scotland within it. first, in our connections with each other over three centuries we have lived together, worked together, and frankly getting married, having children, moving back and forth across our borders. such is the fusion of about one the piggyback to the west highlands. i was proud of my heritage as a.m. of my english and welsh heritage. the name cameron. let us unite to which exactly what our island and nations have done.

today 800,000 scouts live elsewhere in the united kingdom. four dozen people like the farmers in lincoln, united kingdom, millions of relationships are more than three centuries. that is why for millions of people there is no contradiction sometimes of wants. some say that none of this would change with independence. these connections would state the strongest ever. the fact is all of these connections whether it is business or personal ice

strengthened by the institutional framework of the united kingdom. with the axe of union were passed a room in the state was limited. since then the state was transformed beyond recognition. our institutions have grown together at the roots of great trees fusing together under the foundations of our daily lives. you don't need a customs check. you don't have to get out your passport. you don't have to deal with totally different tax systems and regulations. you don't have to trade in different policies. how human connections. underpined be his marilyn the same united kingdom which is the number one reason why we are stronger together. the second is our prosperity. some people look at the united

kingdom only in terms of debit and credit, tax and spend and getting split between formation. that's completely misses the bigger picture. ..

is not about what we would lose if we pulled apart, but about what we can gain in this world if we stay together. this government is set out a long-term economic plan for britain. getting behind enterprise, dealing with our debt, a plan to give the people of this country peace of mind and security for the future. and it is not just a plan, it is a vision. the united nations and the big european success story of this century. moving for the island sinking under too much debt, too much borrowing, too much taxation to a country that is dynamic, exporting, ib -- innovating, creating. it's at the heart of the vision. why? i can give you the list of scottish strength. the great industries from food processing to financial services from ship building to science.

but it is not about scotland's strength some sort of extra. it's about what we, the constituent part of the united kingdom can achieve together. a power of collaboration. it is there in our past when the scottish enlightenment met the industrial revolution intellectual endeavor and commercial mite combined to shape global economic ideas. and that power of collaboration is there today. together we're stronger at getting out there and sending our product to the world. take skosh whiskey. whether i'm in india or china, there is barely a meeting abroad when i don't bang the drum for whiskey abroad. now, of course the minister fights hard for the deal to. but the clout we have as a united kingdom give off a better chance in getting around the right table, bashing down the trade barrier, getting the deal signed. and the result scotch whiskey

adds 135 pounds to the balance every single second. together we're stronger to lead in the industries of the future. take green energy. we have the wind and the waves of scotland. decades of experience and the rest of the uk the domestic energy market to drive and support the new industries. two years ago, we set up the green investment bank based in eden borrow invested across the u.k. this is what happens when we collaborate. we have come through the great recession together. a deficit down -- our economy growing. our exports to china doubled. and i believe we stand a much, much better chance of building a

prosperous future together. now the third reason we're stronger together is our place in the world. together we have a seat of the u.n. security council in nato and europe. the press teeing to host events like the g8. together we have the finest armed forces on our planet. i think the fighter pilot, originally operating who flew them over libya. the legendary scottish title is i think on the shipyards where alongside shipyards in the rest of the u.k. they are building the queen elizabeth aircraft carrier. launching this year to secure the sea and keep us safe. to some if might sound like national vanity. it's the view if the u.k. split up in the world strength would

it matter so much? this is a country that earned the living through the international ties. with millions of our citizens living abroad. when ships are ambushed on the seas that hits our trade. when the middle class in china is set to grow by millions a year it presents huge opportunities for our jobs back home here in the u.k. the world shapes us. so our place in the world that really matters. and make no mistake, we matter more as a united kingdom politically, militarily diplomatically and cultural too. and our reach, our reach is about so much more than military might. it's about our music, our film, our tv, our fashion. the u.k. is the soft power super power. you get tokyo and sydney. listening to emily. you get people in caseic tan --

kazakhstan and taiwan watching bbc. written bay scot 100 years ago. played by an an englishman today and created for tv by a scottsman. the world's service. transmitting to hundreds of millions. famously staid helped her through her long years of detention saying everywhere i've been, the bbc has been with me. and the bbc itself founded by a scotsman. my wife is an ambassador for the british fashion council. she sees and raves a about the international impact of our fashion. helped along by scottish designers. sometimes we can forget how big our reputation is. that the world over the letters u.k. stand for unique, brilliant, creative, excentric,

genius. we come as a brand and powerful brand. separating scotland out of the brand would be like separating the water of the river and north sea. if we lost scotland, if the u.k. changed we wouldn't rip the rug from our own reputation. the fact is we matter more in the world if we stay together. these are all, i believe, compelling, practical reasons for the united kingdom stick together. the institutional questions, that's not really what it's about for me. it's about the slave who escaped his master after the american revolution because he was offered liberty and land by the british crown. in gratitude he named himself this. british freedom. it's about lord on the beach of d day.

ships plowing through the gray seas for 8,000 miles to the islands and for what? for freedom. because this is a country that has never been by bumlies and dictators. it's a country that stands for something. this, really, is why i'm standing here today. our shared values. freedom, solidarity, compassion, not just overseas but at home inspect this country, we don't walk on by when people are sick. when people lose work, when people get old. i know, when you talk about an englishman, a scotsman, northern irishman. it mind sound like the beginning of bad joke. it's actually how we started our nhs. our welfare system, our state pension system. these values they're not trapped in the pages of a history book. they're alive! when the people of benghazi were crying out for help, when a girl

in pakistan was shot for wanting an education, when children around the world are desperate for food or aid, we don't walk on by. and let's be clear, our values are not just a source of pride for us. they're a source of hope for the world. in 19 4eu6r, nelson mandela stood in the dark in the supreme court. he was making the case for his life against apartheid. in the speech he invoked the example of britain. he said i have great respect for british political institutions and for the country system of justice. he said i regard the british parliament as the most democratic institution in the world. our parliament, our lords, our way of life. so often down century the u.k. has given people hope. we have shown that democracy and

prosperity can go hand and hand. that resolution is found now through the bullet but the ballot box. our values are of value to the world. in the darkest times times in human history there has been in the north sea a light that never goes out. and if this family of nations broke up something very powerful and very precious the world over would go out forever. so there is a moral economic geopolitical diplomatic and yes, let's say it proudly emotional case for keeping the united kingdom together. still, however strongly we feel. we can be a red sent nation. it can seem vulgar to fly the flag. some people have advised know stay out of this issue and don't get too sentiment l about the

u.k. i care too much to stay out of it. this is personal. i have an old copy of our island story. my favorite book as a child. i want to give it to my three children and i want to be able to teach my youngest when she's old enough to understand that she is a part of this great story. i hope that my children will be able to teach their children the same thing. that the stamp on their passport is a mark of pride. together the islands really do stand for something more than some of our part. they stand for bigger ideal, noble causes, greater values. our brilliant, united kingdom. brave, brilliant, buccaneering, generous, tolerant, proud. this is our country and we have built it together. brick by brick. scotland, england, wails --

whales, northern ireland. brick by brick. this is our home. i could not bear to see it torn apart. i love this country. i love the united kingdom and all it stands for. i will fight with everything i have to keep us together. and so i want to be clear to everyone listening. there can be no come play saint sei about the result of this referendum. the outcome is still up in the air. and we have just seven months to go. seven months to do all we can to keep our united kingdom as well. seven months to save the most extraordinary country in history. and we must do whatever it takes. so to everyone england, whales, and northern ireland. everyone like me who cares about the united kingdom. you don't have a vote but so you a voice. those voting they're our friends, they're our neighbors.

they're our family. you do have an influence. get on the phone. get together, e-mail, tweet, speak, let the message ring out. from us the people of scotland let the message be this. we want do you stay! think of what we've done together. what we can do together. what we stand for together. team gb. the winning team in the history of the world. let us stick together for a winning future too. thank you. [applause]

>> thank you. >> time for some questions and points from those in the audience from the lady in blue. >> in -- [inaudible] people have been told to leave their home in the middle of night. many people are cut off because of the floods. why is the government still not going grip on what is happening there? >> well, we are doing everything that we can. i chaired the conan yesterday evening. progress is being made. we have allowed extra money to go to flood deferences. we will start dredging as soon as we can. we have the army helping out the environment agency including in other part of the country. i spoke personally to the gold commander running the operation. all of the things that we can do to help people whether it is

helping people get out of their homes, whether help protecting essential infrastructure. whether in the case yesterday a question of moving cattle off the land. we'll do everything question to help coordinate what is still a very difficult and situation. i would like to they this opportunity to pay tribute to people from the environment agency to flood ward tonight police to the emergency services to volunteers to the military who have been working around the clock to try and deal with this issue. and we'll keep on doing whatever it takes holding those, coordinating all the activity, investing the necessary money. bringing military assets where necessary. everything that needs to be done will be coordinated will be done. lady over here. >> fashion and retail in scotland and they made have a significant role in the wonderful british heritage that

cashmere and textile manufacturing. do you agree that now is the time for scotland instead of arguing among themselves we should be combining our resources and tackling the french and italian and sustaining global competition. >> i think it's a good point how we are stronger and more prosperous together. fashion is a classic example. as i said in my speech there's brilliant scottish fashion designers making a huge contribution to british fashion. we are going to punch more forcely if we work together and take on the great fashion houses and the italian and french have the strength of the great britain, uk brand bhient us is a huge source of strength. we are being hosted by university that set up a school in london to bring together the best of the british. i think it is a good example. exactly what you say. >> gentleman over here. >> there's a brand new about to

open -- [inaudible] can i ask why you are making the speech in london and not there. >> i'm going to be making a number of visits to scotland this year to make speeches and disappoints in the important debate about the future of our country. i want people in scotland to know that the rest of us in the united kingdom are not looking the other way, walking on by thinking, well, it will be interesting what decision you make. we care passionately. we want you to stay. i think it's important the people in scotland understand that the rest of the family see this as a very important family decision. and we'll all feel less about ourselves, about our country, about our family if scotland

voted to become separate. that is why it is important to make this speech here in london. i scrolled made it any other part of england, whales, northern northern ireland. i'll be in scotland. i'm taking the entire cab known scotland to make the arguments there too. let have one more question. and the gentleman in the back. [inaudible] the scotland -- [inaudible] prime minister, the scottish national party is arguing for an end to political union with united kingdom. what, in your opinion, are the political institutions that can only be served within the union and won't work with without the union? >> i think the way you put the question is the way i think sometimes the first miner steer is trying to say. there a lot of unions between england and scotland. and really, i'm just trying to make a small change to the thing

called the political union. if scotland votes to celebrate itself from the rest of the united kingdom. that's what it will become. i think it will be tragic. we'll go through the individual institutions and issues and jobs whether it is talking about defense or financial services or what have you. i think a lot of attention is being paid for particularly to the issue of the currency. and i think it would be extremely difficult to make a currency union work between an independent separate scotland and the rest of the united kingdom. all of these institutional questions are really arguing for separation. he needs to answer the questions about separation. and yet the white paper really didn't answer the questions at all. for those of us who believe in the united kingdom, we should be making this positive argument about how these institutions

work for all of us together. and of course, we have an extra strength in our argument. all of those who the president should all both know because voting no to separation leaves open for the possibility of deevolution. where as voting yes for separation means the process of it is at an end. i think it's an important point for people to bear in mind. there's been a huge pleasure to come today. an enormous pleasure to make the speech which i have wanted to make so passionately. i hope that comes across. all of us -- we may not have a vote. we care passionately about the outcome. i want people to know how passionate we feel. i think if you scratch an englishman or a northern irishman underneath the surface underneath the surface is a deep

and passionate pride in our united kingdom. we felt it here on that night in the room when it was hotter than it is today. actually we feel it every day. we will be diminished if scotland were to leave our extraordinary successful and remarkable family. thank you very much, indeed. [applause]

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