this is about all of us. we all have a stake to make this date the best place in america. in less than a month we will host the super bowl for the third time. as a sports fan i am pretty excited. . . a a chance for everyone in the world to no what we no that arizona is the place to be. [applause] members of the legislature i am grateful for this chance we have to do good for our state. this is why the people sent this year. so let politics stand down for a while. let future elections wait

there turn. let's give our best for arizona. it is time to get to work. thank you and god bless. [applause] [applause] >> and his 1st "state of the state" address as the newly elected governor of hawaii david ige called for a more efficient state government by outlining plans to modernize the states tax code and invest in education and mass

transit projects and efforts to improve the state healthcare exchange courtesy of t-uppercase-letter v hawaii. [applause] >> mr. speaker, madam president, former governor distinguished justices of the court representatives

of our congressional delegation members of the hawaii state legislature other elected officials honored guests family and friends aloha. i am honored to be hear today to deliver my 1st "state of the state" address. it is of course, a homecoming of sorts with so many familiar faces and friends. yet there is one major difference cents i last sat amongst you. i am a year older with a few more gray hairs. to say that the last month has been an eye-opener would be an understatement as all the former governors will understand but it is not so much about being overwhelmed

it is about being invigorated and challenged. we we have a mountain of challenges to climb. and so i hope we can climate together because as i said in my inauguration alone it is a daunting and overwhelming task but i have always been an optimist and a believer in people and the power that they hold within the. that is why i have always looked to others for help and why i have always thought to harness the power of collaboration. when i met with my cabinet during a retreat recently i asked them what does hawaii mean to them what drove them? what directed they're

action? while there were many different answers and perspectives one word kept coming up over and over again home. it is a sentiment i understand intimately. after i graduated from the university of hawaii i was fortunate enough to be offered a number of jobs but only one was located here and that is the one i accept to this day i know it was the right choice because this is my home. for me that one word brings everything into focus and gives purpose and direction to everyone -- everything we do. what do. what is it really that we do here? it is quite simple. we are building a home.

we build schools, hospitals, committee centers and places to work and play and safeguard the things that are important to us family freedom, environment and future because this is our home. has any carpenter knows building knows, building a good home takes time, money, and skill. he or she we will also tell you no matter what kind of house he built the begin at the beginning with a strong foundation and that is what i find myself doing as your new governor building a solid foundation for this administration for the work ahead for the people of hawaii. in addition, home begins with sound and long-term

financing working the income and spending sites of the ledger. i recently submitted a preliminary budget budget that maintains state programs at current spending levels based on two sobering realities first, we have fully committed our current funds to existing programs and services. second, we are spending more than we taken. while we work to correct that and balance we.need to focus our available resources on strategic investments that grow our economy and strengthen our social safety net. in other in other words we need to use funds we have more efficiently and leverage it whenever possible. possible. for example, we can be more

aggressive in seeking federal funds and a wide away of areas. federal officials have told me there is about $940 million available to the state for the right project proposed for the right reason at the right time. that is why i am pleased to announce the appointment of elizabeth campbell and his as a special advisor to the governor. her impressive experience will help the state tremendously. a bright and talented person who wants to come home but cannot find the opportunity to do so. i am committed to creating more opportunity, not just for elizabeth but for all of our children to return home to fulfill their dreams and contribute to the future of

hawaii. [applause] we need to do a a better job of collecting taxes already on the books. the tax department is preparing to implement a tax modernization program which we will benefit tax information and increase tax revenues through efficiency. while it is expected to take several years we should see a sizable increase in tax collection after the 1st two years. moreover, the effort is projected to eventually pay for itself. taxpayers will benefit by being able to file their returns electronically and getting faster payments and refunds. these are the projects.

appmack. [applause] on the spending side i believe we can do a number of things that center around a single change in mindset making government more efficient. i i cannot stress how important i believe this one factor is. i recently met with president of game stop, a multimillion dollar videogame retailer operating almost 6,500 stores throughout the world and is a major player in the electronics sector. he said that the rate of change inside a company does not exceed the rate of change outside the company it we will result in devastating losses to shareholders. it made me wonder about the

number of people who would be affected if change within our state government failed to exceed the rate of change in the world. that truly would be devastating resulting in government unable to meet the needs of its people. what about the opposite scenario? i remember when i was in the senate we committed to going paperless and is donating millions of unnecessary sheets of paper and its related cost. we did. the savings are more than $1.2 million in two years and in the process we save nearly 8 million sheets of paper are the equivalent of

800 trees each year. now can you -- [applause] now can you imagine what we could do if all of state government looked for these kind of opportunities? for example i am told that the state goes through 1 million pages a month for payroll alone. a little effort can go a long way to alter that. we must reduce the amount of paper we use everyday. i am committed to transforming the culture of government to embrace and accelerate change. [applause] we need to invest in our employees and asked them

what changes can be made to improve service or reduced cost and most importantly we need to support them when we asked them to make those changes. leveraging our dollars and maximizing our investment also goes a long way in creating savings. i recently attended the groundbreaking for a public-private partnership with the state, the city and a private developer. this will provide nearly 500 much-needed homes including 300 that will remain affordable for the next 30 years. the state share provided an interim loan of $5 million and it is a good example of how low-cost government investment tools can be used to create affordable homes for working families.

while we are talking about building homes, let me bring up a related subject. the rail system is often viewed as a response to the growth of our suburban neighborhoods. while that is true today, it today, it does not have to be that way in the future. rail can be the driver to help us build future communities, to sensibly direct growth, growth, protect open space and agriculture, stimulate business to my marie invigorate older neighborhoods and build affordable homes. the state is the largest owner of parcels along the transit route. consequently i will be dedicating a position in the office of planning to help us assess and evaluate parcels specifically to build affordable homes because that is one of this administration's main goals. we are also adding

$100 million to the rental assistance revolving fund that can be leveraged with private money and state-owned land along the transit route to provide rental homes for working families. [applause] in addition addition, we are providing $25.3 million to construct a long-term care facility here for veterans. those funds will be matched with $37.4 million from the federal government. [applause] and we can also generate additional dollars by identifying interests along the transit route and seeing if our plans can mesh with the militaries to create a

win-win situation. in these ways federal funds can be tapped not just for transportation but for community building as well. let me make one thing clear this governor wants rail to succeed and i am committed to it. [applause] but let's also make sure reducing the right way for the right reasons, including cost containment before we ask for any more money. [applause] ask anyone who suffers from long-term illnesses. nothing matters if you do not have your health. fully enjoying home and family presupposes good health.

lucky is a way for so many reasons including one of the healthiest lifestyles and the longest life expectancy in the nation. hawaii's prepaid healthcare act has had a lot to do with those outcomes and has brought us closer to achieving universal healthcare amongst all the states across the nation. with the passage of the affordable care act and the launching of hawaii's health connector we can close that gap. i will not minimize the disappointment we have all felt with the health connector, but i will not dwell on them either. that is why we are working closely with stakeholders to ensure we move toward a sustainable exchange that meets the requirements of the affordable care act without endangering hawaii's prepaid healthcare act. [applause]

and despite the negative headlines, we are not that far away. universal healthcare is within our grasp and if we work together and focus on execution i have every confidence we can achieve this. [applause] we enjoy many benefits of being an island state cradled in the middle of the pacific, but they're are also disadvantages. good health care is not easily distributed throughout the island. families and doctors cannot simply drive to another hospital if one is busy or does not have the services they need. we have wonderful private hospitals, but not everyone

has access. that is why it is such an important role greater one that in most states especially true on neighbor islands where they are often the only provider of acute care. public private partnerships offer great potential but only if they are shaped in the right way. no matter what direction we take changing how we operate our hospitals to meet changing needs will be a key to long-term solutions. [applause] a a home also needs a sustainable and reliable energy source. importing importing fossil fuel remains one of our greatest weaknesses and we simply must to reduce our dependence on it.

we have the locally generated resources that can allow us to be self-sufficient. we we just need to move in concert tour that cool. as our largest provider of energy hawaiian electric will have a lot to do with our success or failure, and that is why as discussions proceed, i am asking the new head of the public utilities commission to be actively involved in those talks. [applause] in addition with the help of the legislature we we will be restructuring and staffing to give it the expertise and resources needed to deal with its due diligence. [applause]

i will also be assigning a special counsel to protect the public interest for the short and long-term. [applause] the home we build in hawaii needs a strong support network in so many areas. we need to support business and industry so that they can grow our economy and create jobs including our visitor industry which has had three straight record-setting years and arrival and spending totaling about $15 billion supporting 175,000 jobs statewide. it also includes the thousands of small businesses that make up the core of our economic engine. those mom-and-pop stores his

predecessors include success stories like foodland message e-mail, and the abc stores. we need to nurture and innovation in economy in which entrepreneurs use technology to develop new processes and products. >> smartphone makers who are taking their product far beyond the original concept and creating an entirely new market a whole new economic power .-dot we need to support whether it is expanding our broadband network. that is why we are providing $10 million for the hawaii growth initiative to support and grow innovation and entrepreneurship. [applause]

we need to support agriculture and help our local farmers dramatically increase the amount of food we grow locally. hawaii grows about ten to 15 percent of the total food residents consume. if we are to become a sustainable society we must increase those numbers. the cost of importing food adds up to more than $3 billion leaving the state annually. if we replace just 10 percent of imports with locally grown food it would generate $188 million in total sales 94 million for farmers 47 million in wages and 6 million in new taxes and 6300 jobs. to do that we need to preserve farmland, developed parks combat invasive species and reassess the

areas that determine whether a local farmer can survive. [applause] we will be meeting with farmers from each island to here what they need to make hawaii more self-sufficient. i have asked agricultural director to spearhead this effort. in the meantime we're adding $5 million to the agricultural loan program and expanding use of the fund to include bio security and food safety needs. these are the kind of things we need to help farmers be successful. [applause] we also need to support our military whose courage and commitment to our nation's security keeps hawaii and

the rest of the country safe and strong. from our strategic location in the pacific comes a responsibility that we cannot share. moreover, the military plays a significant part in our economy spending more than 6.5 million annually the total economic impact of $14.7 million the 2nd largest sector of our economy supporting more than 100 1000 jobs. even with the pentagon's new focus there is no guarantee that we can protect the military's presence in the island simply because of our geographic location. we will need to be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to support our troops here and i am prepared to do just that. [applause]

we need to fulfill our obligation to our host culture whose influence spreads to everything we do. sailing across the ocean to call for a more sustainable world. their voyage banner means to care for our earth living on an island we know better than most that the limited resources of this planet must be protected if we are to thrive as a species, a species a lesson offered by our host culture their gift to all of us. i am pleased that thompson is with us today and i would i would like to recognize

him for his contributions he has made. [applause] we also need a strong university system to help educate our future leaders and citizens and create a place where innovation original thinking and technology flourishes. a university system not just engaged in the committee but leading into the future. in that regard its goals must be clear of planning precise actions forthright. i challenge the university leaders to focus on execution accountability and delivery and all that

they do [applause] we all no that education is the key that opens the doors to success. it has the the power to lift a family out of poverty and despair the power to turn dreams into reality and the potential to do so much more for our own children but before education can transform we must transform our school system. [applause] there is a wonderful example of a high-performing school with strong leaders from the

principal who seeks to empower students and teachers in the committee high expectations for students and hard-working teachers and staff committed to innovative and creative ways to help students learn. together they had generated amazing results including increasing reading and graduation rates the number of students going to college and satisfaction levels of stakeholders. with us today representing the high school is its principal. i would like him to stand to be recognized. [applause] we have many excellent high-performing schools in our committee. the question is, how do we

unleash them? i know the best way to improve student learning is to empower schools give those closest to our children the authority and resources to take action. as governor i will appoint members to the board of education to embrace school empowerment of our principals and teachers as the key to ensure student success. [applause] i challenge the leaders of public education to stop issuing mandates from the state office and to focus on empowering schools and delivering resources and support to the school level. in the current budget we are requesting an increase for the department of education weighted student formula

which we will allow principals to decide how to spend this portion of the budget and how to best meet the needs of their students. [applause] most importantly it will give our children greater educational opportunities my mom grew up. so her parents knew that if she was to have any kind of future she had to go away for high school. some lousy script up enough money to send her to denver colorado to continue her schooling. after graduation she went on to become a nurse me eventually coming back home to work and with my father raised six children including a future grateful governor.

[laughter] [applause] the.is, my grandparents understood the value of education. when we became parents ourselves my wife and i decided the same for our children they are presently away at school pursuing their own hopes and dreams but i know that they want to come home after college. the story is the same for so many families in hawaii repeated over and over again generation after generation. i know what it is like to save to buy a home and pay for tuition, what it is

like to struggle to make ends meet. the sacrifices are the same because the dreams of the same to build a better life and build it not anywhere else but here in the island because this is my home. and so again, i asked all of you to remember why we are here and what we have to do. this is our home. let that be your focus let that director action and drive your determination. let the ends not justify the means but allow us to work through them. if we do that, i think we we will find ourselves in agreement more often than not and so i thank you each and every one of you for the

sacrifices you make during the session and throughout the year and i look forward to working with all of you and collaborating with all of you. [applause] >> mississippi governor phil bryant delivered his "state of the state" address from jackson. [applause]

>> thank you. good evening. good evening. thank you so much. thank you. thank you. thank you so very much. thank you lieutenant governor, mr. speaker mr. speaker pro tem. it is my honor to be with all of you at this joint session and isn't it wonderful to have the ladies appear? they make us look a lot better. [applause] i wish i could say that was my idea. maybe i will. i want to welcome to the platform president pro tem in the mississippi senate. [applause] i i am mindful of the absence of my friend, jerry brown. each time we have appeared here he welcomed me with a strong handshake and a prolonged and enthusiastic hug.

[laughter] we will miss our friend. but as it is often said, he is with us tonight. he has a better seat. three years ago i stood stood at this podium and delivered my inaugural address. the weather forced us inside together in this historic chamber. i will always remember, it was in this chamber i began my life in public service. twenty 20 years later it is where debra and i began our journey as your governor and 1st lady. i am certain sum in this chamber may not agree with all my policies as governor but i believe it is safe to say there is universal agreement that debra has been one of our states finest 1st ladies. [applause]

from reading to children in classrooms in every county in the state to being a 1st responder she has served the state and its people with grace and commitment. she asked she asked me not to say this but i have to. i often think the good lord allowed me to become governor some mississippians could have her as there 1st lady. [applause] in the three years that have passed we have achieved remarkable things together. let us look at some of the positive facts. we have created one of the most job friendly states of america. according to area development magazine mississippi ranks in the top ten states in the nation for economic development.

men and women whose profession is to no each state's economic environment and the potential for productivity. for the 3rd year in a row i am proud proud to say we have been awarded a silver shovel representative of breaking ground on a number of new businesses across the state only 20 states each year received this prestigious award. mississippi is number five for growth and women owned businesses according to american express. the american economic development institutes ranks mississippi development authority as number nine in the nation among state economic development entities. i want i want to thank the director of mba and his team for a job well done.

[applause] now, it is great to have a nationally ranked football team but we need world-class economic developers as well. as i often say, economic development is a team sport. three years ago the unemployment rate in mississippi was 9.8 percent. today it is around 7.3. mississippi added 8,800 more jobs in (201)410-2013. projected real personal income growth during 2015 2015 is expected to be 3.9 percent. we know that personal income in mississippi buys even

more hear than it would in other states because of the low cost of living. the tax foundation has found income in mississippi because 16 percent further than the national average. for every hundred dollars in income a mississippi and would make a hundred and $16 compared to other states. many new employees who moved to mississippi actually get a raise. if they move hear from washington dc it's about a 40 percent raise. obviously we would have to retrain most of them. there are other reliable indicators. if we look at the amount of individual income tax collected in mississippi from fiscal year 2,011 to fiscal year 2013 we see a nearly $300 million increase

and it would appear working mississippians are making more money than revenues arising. we have seen a decline in the number of people in our state receiving unemployment payments from november of 2013 to november 2014. a reduction of 24%. these facts may these facts may not be printed in a magazine or included in the study but the positive momentum exists. while we are discussing economic development let me take this time to assure you, the standards for investing in economic development projects under this administration have been demanding. we thoroughly examined each investment for financial stability probability of success in the company's history. our qualifying standards are high and thorough.

for your peace of mind we intend to keep them that way do not misunderstand my position we are not yet where we need to be to move to that knew level but we are moving ahead and should not be timid about recognizing the good things in mississippi. others will certainly revel in the bad but i am proud. [applause] we know that progress is never immediate and is often made during the most difficult of times. the key to obtaining lasting success is to stay the course never abandon your core beliefs and historic principles. finding principles. finding a job can and has changed lives for the better so we must do all in

our power to put people to work. tonight i am announcing the keep mississippi working fund that we will keep nearly $50 million over the next two years and workforce training efforts without putting in demand on the general fund. mississippi has one of the healthiest unemployment trust funds in the nation. due to decreased demand on the unemployment fund will be allocating dollars for training purposes. these workforce training dollars will be managed by the state workforce investment board and committed to training programs at our community colleges. the mississippi economic council blueprint competitor and study identified the need for more skilled laborers in mississippi and in a centralized agency to manage workforce development to sum up we we will keep

mississippi working by investing more in skills training at our community colleges and having faith that workers can help build the future. [applause] i have also requested 3 million in my executive budget recommendation to begin the mississippi work scholarship fund which would offer a student in any high school involved in a career readiness program maintains a c average an opportunity to continue that course of study through a committee college on a full scholarship. as a blue-collar kid, i worked my way through junior college, but today's conditions are different and tuition is more challenging. our working class kids need a break to advanced skills.

let let us give them a chance to be skilled craftsmen and women and find a job. i believe with these two programs we can focus on creating a world-class workforce. with with that accomplished our economic success can be unlimited. we will we we will keep breaking ground and cutting ribbons across the state and winning more silver shovels one day i would like to have a gold one. [applause] i will admit to being an eternal optimist who believes mississippi's best days lie ahead. [applause] tonight i can report the state of mississippi is in

the best financial condition in recent memory. mississippi's gross domestic product exceeded $100 billion in 2012 for the 1st time in history and has continued to do so since in the last three years are state revenues have cumulatively grown almost 10 percent. revenue in fiscal year 2016 is projected to grow by more than a hundred and $66 million. our rainy day fund is filled [applause] is thank you. the calls of our states

judicious borrowing and refinancing when interest rates were advantageous our state's credit rating remains a strong aa. we have retired as much debt as we have issued for the success of economic development financing which has showed an $11 return for every $1 invested. healthcare continues to be an issue of debate. even even without expansion the mississippi division of medicaid general fund budget request this year is nearly a billion dollars. the provisions of the affordable care act have already resulted in an additional 71,000 medicaid recipients resulting in budget increases we can ill afford.

to to make matters more challenging, this is expected to rise to 90,000 by july 1. realistically realistically conditions surrounding health care are more uncertain than before and i fully expect dramatic changes in the affordable care act with republicans in charge of both houses of congress. a number of the new majority were sent to washington promising to repeal the affordable care act, and action congress has attempted more than 40 times we will see positive changes proposed. another positive another positive reform i am encouraging is the restoration of medicare and medicaid payments which were originally designed to defray the cost of uncompensated care in an

effort to assist hospitals i have reached out to our congressional delegation to suggest a portion of the affordable care act that ends medicaid and medicare this payment be suspended. this would return revenue to hospitals which continue to provide uncompensated care in states where expansion has occurred. congress passed similar provisions restoring medicaid payments and restoration of funding or even a a part of the president's budget. ..

>> >> sending your early childhood learning programs began with our first legislative session together and this year i will support doubling of funding for there pre-a collaborative program of the total

appropriation of $6 million. because of our success we are ranked number nine in the nation with preschool enrollment. to put more funding in the classroom, you you passed and i signed into law a historic $200 million teacher pay raise. performance space pilot programs continue in 14 school districts and over $1 billion has gone to teachers who are performing at the highest levels. we have also appropriated $65 million of the past three years for the national award certified teacher program. nationally certified teachers can receive a $6,000 in annual salary increase. your commitment has resulted in a mississippi becoming number seven in the nation for a board certified teachers.

and as i have said many times we must find the best teachers possible and pay them walt. [applause] together we have offered complete scholarships to those to have high marks on the act and want to become teachers we have increased demands of students to major in education in our universities. we have splintered into place a dyslexia trading program and funded scholarships to help with training. i can assure you from personal experience this response to dyslexia will result in direct benefits. the meeting disorder is the number one reason children drop out of school.

if we confront it aggressively we can see a decrease in the dropout rate to help turn around reading scores for thousands of mississippi children. we must also do all in our power to help children with special needs. the equal opportunity for students with special needs will empower parents with educational choice to give their children what they need. [applause] only 20 2.5 percent of special needs children graduate from high school something is terribly wrong. send this bill to my desk. mississippi's children with special needs and their parents deserve nothing less. now spend a moment over

reality of education funding. to make mississippi as 19th in the nation through k through 12 as the percentage of the taxable resources. no less than the u.s. department of education list our state as number 12 in the nation for school expenditures as a percentage of the gdp. my executive budget recommendation increases funding by $53 million over the current year. with my recommendation fundy will reach nearly 2. $2 billion on an annual increase. funding case through 12th overall we'll reach 2.5 billion dollars and includes

$41 million this year for the second $100 million teacher pay raise and for reading coaches to assist the literacy program within the third grade. i believe most of us want to fund reforms to education networks to make certain the money goes to the classroom. [applause] each year we have worked together to balance our budget and this year is no different with one exception. i intend to take the bull the controversial position when times are good to we should not spend all the money. i will ask you to give the race to the people who need it most, the working people

of mississippi. [applause] i have proposed a working family tax cut to provide the income tax credit for working residents earning $52,000 annually. it is not refundable and is a tax dividend subject to revenue growth to fill the every day fund. i realize the legislative process will generate additional ideas to provide tax relief to mississippi families. the good news is i am open to any number of tax cuts to put money in the pockets of working mississippians. [applause] can play a tax cut of my desk and i will sign it.

2014 had its challenges just as every year does. nothing is perfect or control liver but april 28 striking our state was the 40 people who lost their lives and to be totally destroyed as were so many others. the hospital and extended care facility were badly damaged. some of the town's biggest employers including the medical center were closed. as always mississippians pulled together to get to work.

to come for victims and the national guard and faith based organizations that within 21 days in a larger hospital was so bent the first of success was in lewisville mississippi. i am proud to say that they will will reopen in become one of the largest plywood manufacturers in north america. now that is recovery mississippi style. [applause]

joining us tonight is someone who's very important to that recovery. the ceo of winston plywood parent company, please help me to welcome her to the chamber. fake you very much. [applause] they key for bbv in mississippi -- peeping in mississippi. >> five tornadoes struck again. the hardest hit was a angeles county's. the storm struck the lives of five mississippians include data of brother of senator kay bailey hutcheson. lives were forever change. once again we prayed and

thank god that more were not taken and we went back to work. christmas eve i a to word the damage saying how the season was shattered for so many but once again be became mississippi's strong. since that time more than 30200 volunteers have flocked were the 19th of hours and private donations have exceeded a quarter of a million dollars for tornado victims. whole continues across this state and other affected counties. we continue to be ever thankful. weld expressing an ending prayer for peace on earth and good will towards men.

last year also brought us man-made challenges at the department of corrections. even as we pass the most comprehensive correction of criminal justice reform in the state's history but as with all challenges exist opportunities. with a stellar independent task force would review all contracts within the department we make changes to add accountability to the department of corrections and beyond will bring along the needed reforms to contracts with state government. [applause] including an overhaul of the state contract review board. this reform also included a new commissioner with the mississippi department of corrections for gore have selected a tough former

federal officer who will get control of the outside and inside those walls. most of you know him from director of the bureau of narcotics. please welcome him tonight as the commission -- commissioner as mississippi department of corrections. [applause] based on recommendations from the task force of will also ask for your help with some bold reforms to narrow views of the emergency and a single source contracts across state government we will ask all farmland to the secretary of state to place them in the welfare account to separate controls of income and expenditures.

[applause] with your support in the leadership we will reform the department of corrections to make a system of the efficiency and accountability. mississippi will not tolerate a 19th century correctional system. rest assured it changes on the way. [applause] last year was a story in so many ways. some more positively transformational the year of the creative the economy in more than 22 million visitors came to our state. the potential to increase this number and the $390 million it brings to our front that is why i will

ask to invest an additional 5.$1 million into a tourism. help us bring the world to mississippi one visitor at a time and i will return your investment sixfold. [applause] let us share mississippi with everyone to help us promote this and other tourism opportunities as ambassador for the creative economy and country music legend. [applause] and they talk about my hair? [laughter] good to have your brother as

many supporters of our children's hospital also working with university of mississippi medical center to break $150 million addition $120 billion that are raised privately the work of the children's hospital is a phenomenal success story that has saved the lives of so many. these efforts would never have become a reality without the man who has dedicated much of his life to the university medical center please help free to say ink vice chiseler dr. kee in -- ihd. thank you for your service. [applause] work continues on into medical school and this will

allow us to reach our goal of getting 1,000 new physicians by 2025 also the college of osteopathic medicine graduated the first class of over 90 physicians. our scholarship program and office of work-force development will keep the doctors here where they're needed most. [applause] i also like to remind the students that physician practice magazine has named mississippi as the best day in america to practice medicine two years in a row. [applause] two years in a row. i tell people if you don't believe we google it.

two years in a row. it has also achieved excellence with telemedicine. in fact we are one of only seven states in america to have the a rating. i want to thank the association for their hard work to bring cutting edge health care to mississippi. also to this legislature for its commitment to defending mississippi's second amendment rights. your work has been so successful that i receive the error a defender of freedom award. thank you very much mississippi automotive industry remains strong. a son has expanded its facility by adding 1300

jobs. fat and one of eight different vehicles made in mississippi and also with toyota will reach half a million marks for manufacturing guerrillas. at this pace it will outpace all other toyota plants end of world. [applause] note toyota plant in this planet has been so successful. other important projects is a baseball stadium in the works. mississippi history and civil rights museum in taxes -- jackson. 90 movies were made in mississippi last year with

the arts and entertainment center are being planned and constructed. as the football world watched a few other things occurred in our state to demand recognition for all universities football team won the championship. [applause] and the community college he became national champions for the third time in four years making football history. [applause] is legendary university was enshrined of the pro football hall of fame in 2014 joining other -- eight other mississippians ebert go congratulations. [cheers and applause]

jedi state university of southern mississippi? [laughter] it is a new year. killed with promise and challenges always looking for the greater possibilities i believe mississippi canyon and will improve the education system to become a healthier place to live to put our people to work. has national chairman by believe we must offer every child the pathway to success. i am more determined than ever to see that happen. mississippi can rise to a new level that we have to set aside the petty political differences to seek real solutions last

year i asked you to make a simple but profound change in the state seal. some said it was a waste of time pervasively adding our national lotto to the great seal of this day we profess our understanding of a higher power of the affairs of men. we expressed a faith that this wonderful state would continue to be blessed. let us now go about to go to knighted in god we trust. thank you for your attendance here tonight god bless the great state of mississippi. [applause] [inaudible conversations]

first elected to the house in 2010 to represent the first congressional district he was battling cancer since the spring and recently moved to hospice care after doctors found an inoperable tumor. the representative was sworn in for a third term at a mississippi hospital as his condition left him unable to attend the opening of congress. he was 56.

[cheers and applause] speaker majority leader fitzgerald, minority leaders , and members of the wisconsin supreme court, a constitutional officers, a tribal leaders and members of the cabinet distinguished guest, members of the legislature and most important fellow citizens of

the great state of wisconsin, it is an honor to appear before you tonight. [applause] before me get started of a bite to introduced the first lady of the great state of wisconsin, my wife. [cheers and applause] also in the gallery are our sons and my parents as well. [applause]

sitting next to my wife is the ad giant general to the national guard is general doug barr. [applause] last friday it said general and i saw 522 members of the 115th fighter wing here in madison inch -- answering the call while being prepared to respond to the needs right here in wisconsin. this is the strength of the national guard. [applause] when all of you here go to bed tonight i ask you keep these men and women as well as each of units deployed

into their families in your careers and tell their safe return. [applause] and how about the packers? [cheers and applause] that's even better than last year's initiative. [laughter] of wanting to bring democrats and republicans together here is the green bay packers. [applause] forgive me tonight to five bid to force but unlike mr. view we spend a fair amount of time cheering on sunday.

i had plenty of fun dean of the odors in the stands at lambeau field. [laughter] [applause] best of luck to the man who should be the mvp and the rest of the team this sunday. much like the military and the packers and i am proud to report to each the to the states of our state is strong. the source of our strength is our people i see it when i tour factories and farms and small businesses in business schools and hospitals and places of worship. the citizens of wisconsin are decent and smart and hard-working. over the past four years we put the power back into their hands in turn wisconsin is free and

prosperous. [applause] if you remember nothing else , remember more people are working and you were are unemployed. state government is more effective and efficient and accountable in the financial condition has improved. funding is based on the public's ability to pay rather than the government wanting to spend. school scores are up in more are graduating we help more fellow citizens transition from government dependents to work the of wisconsin come back is working. [cheers and applause] according to preliminary numbers right now there are 7600 more private-sector jobs in wisconsin than there were before the recession

the unemployment rate peaked at nine-point to% now down to 5.2% it will continue to drop this year but the job numbers for the state's but the preliminary data shows we have the best monthly private sector job growth and more than two decades. [applause] specifically the year over year numbers of the creation of 51,000 private sector jobs which is the best since the end of the 1990's.

[applause] budget reforms over the past four years reduce the burden of the hard-working taxpayers of this day by $2 billion and we will continue to reduce that burden every year i am in office. [applause] in particular i am proud to say property taxes on a typical home were $141 lower december of 2014 than four years ago. property taxes are the real deal lower than they were in 2010. how many governors can say that? [applause]

if property taxes had grown at the rate they did between 2006 and 2010 a typical homeowner a 1/2 to pay $385 more in property taxes in december of the last four years combined the cumulative differences more than $800 that is real money [applause] we heard you loud and clear and thanks for the nice notes and emails and calls to tell us how your taxes went down. those from the lofty or from shawinigan or jefferson or

oregon or alcorn we heard from people all across the state. my pledge to his property taxes for years from now be even lower than 2014. [cheers and applause] restarted to you take adipate checks as the withholding see you could keep more of your money on top of the economic success we empowered lawful school boards to hire and fire based on merit and performance to keep the best in the brightest in the classroom and it is working. [applause]

over the past four years graduation rates are of third grade reading scores are up and act scores are up and now ranks second in the country. [applause] our fiscal outlook is strong refinish each year with a surplus and we will again this year to five the wisconsin pension system is the only one fully funded in the country the debt ratio is one of the best of our bond rating is positive and the reedy day fund is the largest in state history 165 times bigger than when we first took office. [applause]

weld the status of this data is strong we wanted to be stronger in the future. tonight double the al plans for the legislative agenda for the future of this great state to help people get the education and skills they need to succeed where the opportunity to be as equal as possible with the outcome from each and everyone of us. our plan is to have more people live their peace of the american dream right here in wisconsin. t-[applause] we will build off of our success for the blueprint from prosperity we announced last year. we have 5,000 more students

get into class's across the state and some were with us tonight. one of those is amber who is 24 and on a waiting list to get into a building program. with a fast for a grant that opened a spot for her to start in the fall semester now she knows she's getting the training she needs for a high-paying career to support her and her five year-old daughter and both are here tonight. [applause] / three announced the new program patterned after an idea from my friend delaware

governor when he was the chair of the national governors' association provide helps employers identify unique abilities the people who are seen as having a disability tonight i will recognize those i met this year's three better bottom-line. people like spencer, mary lee uses her computer skills in milwaukee. and peter and do an whom i met at the pharmacy. give them each a round of applause. [applause]

as part of a better bottom line we expanded programs helping people with disabilities into the workforce in a way that matched skills with the needs of prospective employers in for the first time in more than a decade with the help of our senators and vocational rehabilitation eliminated the waiting list for those with significant disabilities we will expand those programs in the coming year. [laughter] -- [applause] in addition to worker training we will ensure that every child regardless of

birth rate has access to equality education and we will continue to allow to make families make the choice that is right for their son and daughter i call on members of the state legislature to pass legislation to ensure objective information is available for each and every school receiving public funds to provide information to allow parents to make the choice. no need for bureaucrats to make the choice i trust parents. [applause] [cheers and applause] give them access to objective information bin they will make the choice that is best for their children.

speaking of what is best i also call on the members of this legislature to pass legislation making it crystal clear that no school district in the state is required to use common core standards. [cheers and applause] going forward by one to do 11an requirement to use common gore but my son has graduated from the outstanding public schools and my nieces are as well. i have a vested interest like of parents across the state but they should be set by those who live in wisconsin and preferably at the local level. [cheers and applause]

looking ahead we're proposing bold reforms for state government to be more effective and efficient and accountable to the public to consolidate several agencies with the mergers to provide savings and the real objective is to include services well-being better stewards of the taxpayer money. currently the state has two different entities directly involved with economic development. one was created four years ago to replace the old department of congress the other was created more than four decades ago. asked a member of this legislature to pass legislation combining these two into one so resources could be shifted to economic development. [applause]

we'll put greater emphasis working at the grass-roots level with local regional and private sector partners with economic development there also several agencies to oversee professional services internet id:members of the state legislature to repeat -- improve legislation into the one-stop shop of financial-services. [applause] edition the package has other consolidations within other agencies as well as for the right to the tory reforms. we want common-sense solutions and the bureaucratic red tape. to play a growing role in our lives to keep from working at all and instead

we have a chance to leave here in wisconsin. the government is growing too big and too intrusive but the government must work progress taxpayers we should demand that it should do well we should demand a government that is more effective or efficient and accountable to the public. [applause] top down regulations and mandates from the federal government get in the wave of innovation and growth therefore i work with our new attorney-general to prepare a lawsuit challenging the new the proposed federal energy

regulations. they could have a devastating impact because we're so heavily dependent on manufacturing. according to recent reports we caboose tens of thousands of jobs in our region and a vacancy in increase of 29 percent. we will fight to protect wisconsins hard-working families. [applause] instead of fining states the federal definition work with us to find reasonable alternatives we can be both environmentally and economically sustainable these are the big bold ideas to help move wisconsin for word. in these historic chambers we will share our proposals

as we close tonight remember what unites us to make a strong. here in response and support for the packers transcends political religious hour personal differences. i was sitting one row ahead from a guy on sunday who did not care much for my policies i told him we were all packer fans by the end we were celebrating another victory. [laughter] [applause] it is a true story. here in america support for our military transcends the same differences. [applause]

that was not always the case but think believe we have learned from our past transgressions we support our men and women in uniform. red, white, and blue runs even deeper. there is one more place where remus stand united, last week innocent people were targeted in france by terrorists. these cowards are not symbols but overwhelmed by fear they are afraid of freedom for their frayed of those who have freedom of the press they are afraid of those who have freedom of speech.

they are afraid of those who have freedom of religion. tonight we must stand together a democrat and republican, denounced those who wish to threaten freedom anywhere in this world. [applause] [cheers and applause] [cheers and applause]

we need to proclaim an attack against freedom loving people anywhere is an attack against us all. and we will not allow it. [applause] when we take a stand, we make it easier to work for freedom and prosperity right here in wisconsin. thank you for taking that stand may god bless each and everyone of you integrate state of wisconsin and may god bless freedom loving people all over the world. [cheers and applause]