congress of american indians for supporting both the indian energy and the irrigation bills through their resolutions passed last october so thank you for getting that done. these measures are small but important pieces to several tribal economies and i don't plan to stop at this point. i intend to continue the conversation with indian country on economic development issues throughout this entire congress. today we heard many examples of how tribes are engines of economic growth and innovative governments. while we triumph in indian country, innovation and progress, we cannot forget those that still need attention and help. president franklin delano roosevelt once said, quote the test of progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it's whether we provide enough to those who have little. [applause]

>> i cannot think of any more deserving of our attention than the most vulnerable indian children. indian country innovation and input will be critical in reversing federal policies that have worked to the detriment of indian people and have not worked at all for indian children. in particular, we will draw upon indian country's experience to strengthen accountability measures. for example, 2010 i co-sponsored and congress passed the tribal law and order act. this act established the indian law and order commission to examine various aspects of criminal justice in indian country, most notably, juvenile justice. the commission's report highlighted alarming juvenile justice issues, alarming. according to this report, indian juveniles are held in detention at higher rates and for longer periods of time than any other juvenile population in the united states. too often these young people are

not provided the educational or rehabilitative services needed to help them turn their lives around. tribal leaders have expressed concerns that a significant portion of their younger generation is being lost to the juvenile justice system. many of these juveniles may end up in the adult justice system at some point in their lives. this matter has for me been too long overlooked. so i urge indian country to join the committee in examining these problems finding a path forward for these young people. the indian population is increasing and becoming younger. the life expectancy of native americans is unacceptably low. alcoholism and suicide, as you have mentioned, mr. president are some of the leading causes of death. and on the wind river reservation, my home state of wyoming, the average age of death is 49 years old. this type of low life expectancy is similar in other

reservations, so we should not be satisfied that congress passed a law called the indian health care improvement act or the tribal law and order act. we must remain diligent in ensuring that these measures are working for the benefit of indian country to address these troubling death rates and juvenile issues. [applause] >> i recognize that the evolution of the federal tribal relationship remains a work in progress. i intend to lead these efforts in a continued government to government relationship, respecting the power of each indian tribe to govern itself. i am confident that we will continue to find common ground which improves the lives of indian people. together we can make progress in helping indian country succeed in celebrating the promise of our shared values. again, thank you so very much

for inviting me to be with you here today. i look forward to working with you in the years ahead. thank you. [applause] >> thank you, senator barrasso. at this time we would like to welcome any questions that may come from the press here and our audience. if any of you have any questions, a staff member will come to bring you a microphone. right here in the front if you could please state who you're with. and as i said earlier if we could make sure that we keep our questions brief, that would be helpful. still waiting for a microphone here in front. thank you. >> good afternoon. i'm levi ricker native news on

line. this is for the president. you mentioned the emphasis that nci will put on the washington nfl team. and you mentioned fedex. do you think it's time for tribes around the united states to boycott the fedexes of the world, coca-colas of the world. >> once again part of our -- like i said, we have to tell our story, tell our story tell our story. all too often people don't understand the history of that term and the genesis of it, so it is our opportunity to go and educate fedex, let them know how harmful that term means to us and that it is connected to genocide genocide, the genocide of our people. and lord willing, they will make the right decision. we haven't got to the point yet where we have started talking about boycotts but that's definitely got to be in the conversation. >> but there are tribes that are making some personal choices

already and organizations. nci stopped using fedex last year native american rights fund have stopped using fedex and i know other tribes have done that. we have sent them letters and let them know also. next question? in the audience? right over here. thank you. >> hi, how you doing. my name is tyler bass and i'm with lazlo conventional bureau and international news. i talked with senator danes just after the state of the union, and his immediate concern with the two-year college proposal that the president has is he's not really sure how that would do anything that pell grants aren't already doing. it was senator lackfort not danes. if you get the time i was wondering if you have any comments on a story that appeared in "the economist" this morning about northwest tribes

and gaming and its general thesis and that of a study being the disbursement of gaming funds was leading to increased unemployment and exacerbating poverty in the northwest. so thank you for your comments. >> sure to your first question. the statistics don't lie in indian country and outside of indian country that when you have a roomful of educated people right here. people in this room who are productive members of society people who are not in the court systems, maybe not all of you. people that are not in the prison systems, people that are not in the treatment centers, these here are educated individuals right here in front of you, and when you give an individual an opportunity and the statistics don't lie, high school graduates two-year

graduates, four-year graduates, master's degree holders, phds, anyone who has had an opportunity and a chance to get educated, they break that cycle, and that's what we're all about in indian country. we're breaking the cycle of education and drug and alcohol abuse. it wasn't that long ago that many of you know our grandparents were in the boarding schools, and that boarding school experience was a historical trauma that we're still trying to overcome. because of that time in our history, it created a generation of alcoholics because of the way they were treated in those schools, the physical abuse, the mental abuse the verbal abuse, the physical abuse, the sexual abuse, and so education is the key for not only native americans but for all america it is criminal that we have $2.1 billion in student debt right now. that should be unacceptable for the greatest nation in the world. and so this investment in our

kids to create a k-14 program will save this government money in a generation. statistics show these kids when they're educated they will be productive members of society. they will be paying taxes to the federal government. so this small investment into our children will create dividends for the next generation, i guarantee you. on that story i haven't had a chance to read that story so i can't really comment. jackie, i don't know if you've had an opportunity to see it yet? >> the disbursements discourage people from actually getting -- the disbursements by the gaming actually discourage people from them finding work, because they essentially break even with how much they would receive at minimum wage or comparable positions. >> once again i can't comment on that. you know i know that once again, we're breaking a cycle,

and it would be unfair to me not to be able to see how they conducted the survey, who was the participants in the survey how many tribes were collectively included in this, so i will get a chance to read that today and just maybe give a call to the reporter since it happened in the northwest. >> we're going to take a question from on line, one of our on-line watchers, mark druhant. he said, i would like to hear what we're doing to fix the aca so indian country is a state for medicaid distribution and help in aid funding. this is an important issue. we have many states where indian country is where we don't have access to the expansion program because of the state's choices. and one of the things indian country is looking at is alternative options. we've talked about some really interesting concepts but one of them is maybe indian country

should be its own 51st state for the purposes of implementing programs like the medicaid expansion program. [applause] >> i'd like to see if there's any other questions from anybody here. we'll start over here and then go up there. >> chairman cladoosky, this is vince from the media network. >> hello, vince. >> mr. president, we've been doing so much for our native american youth. we have the senator from the american youth. senator highpart is doing a benefit for the health and wealth of children. you are not alone network to help against suicide. with so much in indian country going on to help our children and so many good things. the obama administration just went to standing rock. how can we keep this momentum going to stop our children from

taking their lives and instead learning that indian country has a lot to offer. there are so many great things out there for them. what can we all do collectively? i just have to say also i appreciate very much your passion and what you're doing. i am honored to have you as the president of the national congress of american indians. thank you. >> thank you vince, and it's probably safe to say that every tribal leader sitting in this room today every tribal member is aware or has had youth in their communities that have chosen the path of suicide. once again, it goes back to us as leaders working with our youth to break that cycle of historic trauma. it still plagues our communities today. and it is very very sad. we all have programs, we all

have mental health workers, we all have counselors. but we have to continue to look not only within, but without for the solutions that we need. this is going to take a team effort. once again it's all about breaking that cycle. it's all about giving our children the opportunities. i don't think we're, lord willing, i wish we would, be able to fix this problem 100%. but with so much drug abuse, alcohol abuse high unemployment rates, things we have to work on, those are all part of the things that we as leaders need to work on to make our communities a better place to live. it's just a sad issue, but it's one that every one of us as leaders are affected by. what was the second question? was there a second question? >> we have a question from up

there in the audience and then we'll go down here to lance. >> good afternoon my name is david clark. i'm here with native american political leadership program at george washington university. so you were just talking about historical trauma and how it plagues our communities. i'm personally noticing that not only within my family but with everybody around me. i attend college in an urban area where a lot of the native students have an extremely high dropout rate usually due to reasons like family problems, alcoholism, drug addiction or just simply microgressions that turn them to those things. i'm also studying sociology. what is your direction facing those issues today? do you believe it could be

empowering or is it a double edge sword? >> as i travel across indian country, i am so proud of the fact that i can go into any indian community across the nation and ask the question how many of you children or how many of you parents are raising kids in a drug and alcohol-free home? and the hands are going up just in atlanta when naga honored our youth at our ncai convention in atlanta, i asked that question. of the parents of the youth that were sitting in that room, there were 2 or 300 in the room and i asked that question, how many of you are breaking the cycle? how many of you are raising your kids in a drug and alcohol-free environment? three-quarters or more in the room raised their hands. so once again, it starts at home. it starts with the person saying, i want my kids to be raised in a better environment

than i was raised in and i encourage all the youth that are still waiting to be parents to make that promise today that the way we break historical trauma is breaking the cycle of drug abuse, alcohol abuse and dropout rates. [applause] >> and i'd like to say this. it's been my great-grandfather grandfather's father, i, all abused alcohol. and my two grandkids that are seven and two right now they are the first ones in my family in 100 years to be raised in a home with no drugs, no alcohol, no marijuana, no cigarettes, no crack, no crank, no cocaine, no nothing, and that's how you break the cycle. [applause]

>> giving your children that opportunity to succeed. in my parents' generation high school graduation wasn't even a goal. now my grandkids, college education is -- that's going to be part of their lives. so great question. thank you. you lance? >> president cladoosby, i would like to thank you for your words, but there is something i didn't hear in your speech and that has to do with the call. we are the 456th tribe. i'm from the shinokoki tribe in new york. as that 556th tribe, it took us two years to go through this process, and when we get to the end of this process now we're faced with the kochieri issue and a clean kochieri fix.

i didn't hear anything in your speech about that and i would just like you to comment on that and where ncia is moving on that in the course of this year. >> that's a great question, lance, and we weren't able to get every single issue into the speech. but we met with the chairman the new chairman in the natural resources committee yesterday, chairman bishop from utah. and we were very clear that that is an important part -- an important goal for indian country to get a clean kochieri fix. we will be testifying next week, and senator barrasso already knows how important clean kochieri fix is. once again, we need help from indian country right now. last year, when we closed last year's congress we only had 13 senators that had signed on for a clean kochieri fix. we need 60 senators to make it

happen, so we're a long way from getting a clean kochieri fix. we're going to continue to work hard on that. we're going to continue to look for our friends on both sides of the aisle in the senate. i believe congressman cole and congressman mccullough have already dropped their bills on the house side. and so we just need to continue to look for those champions on the senate side to get a clean kochieri fix, because it does create two groups of tribal nations in the united states, which is unacceptable. so we're going to continue to work hard on a clean kochieri fix. >> i have another question from the website. are there any policy initiatives and/or proposals to remedy the adoptive parents case? and this really is the baby veronica case.

>> yeah, once again, the indian child welfare act was passed in 1978, and just like the kochieri case we are seeing court decisions that are eroding that legislation legislation. the baby veronica case is one example, and i believe we have an example in alaska also the baby dawn case so we need to continue to be diligent because in my parents' generation, and i've heard the stories children being ripped out of their homes in my parents' generation for just unbelievable reasons. i was saddened to hear that children were ripped out of their parents' homes. the reason on that paper were their yards were dirty. hard to believe, isn't it?

we cannot go back to those times when the federal government or state government were taking our children out of our communities, and i encourage all tribal leaders, i encourage congress, the senate to make sure that you make those indian child welfare laws stronger so our kids aren't being taken out of our communities. >> is there any other questions here in the room? yes. do you have a mic up there? then we'll go to chairman stevens and then i can grab something on line. i have several questions regarding on-line while we're waiting, several questions just to let people know about urban health particularly for our youth. >> my name is andrew cell. i'm part of the tribe outside eastern oklahoma. i attend the university of oklahoma and i'm also here with

the program at george washington as a student. i'm a student in finance and accounting, so my assistance is economics. my big question is what are we doing progressing our tribe members to being sustained financially? are there any programs we can steer our youth to budget properly? how do we get our youth into public offices? what receptors do we have for a large company to hire a tribal member rather than the local public? is there any laws we can implement to maybe give these large companies a break on health care for our members since a majority already offered? >> great. so yes, we're really excited, actually, to see so many of our youth wanting to expand their horizons and bring back some of those expertises back to our tribal communities. some of the incentives that we

have right now on financial education, we call it financial capacity. we actually have a staff member sheri selway black, and has been on the president's financial building committee. we've been providing training and workshops for tribal leaders. in fact, at our atlanta meeting that we had, we had a full day meeting on building financial capacity. and tribal leaders were sharing examples of the programs they're implementing in their own communities. programs to be able to help them with teaching investment with their youth problems they're doing with their youth. ncia has it in a domestic game that we have across the high schools to compete against each other. in fact my staff played and i won't tell you where we ranked. and we do encourage tribes that develop those partnerships, particularly with alliances who believe they will have future investments, so we can learn those skills and bring them back to the industry, for example.

it's a great place for us to do that. we look for the incentives like we've had in the federal government, such as the teachers' assistance programs and assistance programs that allow us to be part of those programs. so thank you. over here to ernie stevens -- >> just quickly i want to say i just watched polly rivera and bill mendoza walk out of here. one works in the white house, one works in a major lobby firm in town. they're young men. these are young people that have walked through the ranks here. i'm looking at young people that are so powerful here. and so when we talk about the president of the class, we talked about it on ncia. my son is a young man that grew up with challenge. as he's getting ready to speak

to those young folks, he said, dad, it's my 5015th anniversary. i'm cleaning out drug stuff from 15 years today. we have so many young men and women warriors doing so much for indian country. that's why we try to steer away from the future leaders. i want to tell these young people they are our leaders today. not in the future right now. so my son brandon works with my brother's keeper initiative with the white house. again, that's empowering young warrior men to learn how to be big brothers, to be fathers to be powerful role models in their community. and i think that's the real key component here. i'm with oneida because we have a very strong leadership in

power. i think it was just really important to understand that we have powerful young people and i think those are the ones that help us deal with matters like suicide prevention, drug and alcohol abuse because those evils are out there. >> as a position per capita thing, when they said they were having struggles because of those, for the most part, tribal programs have those in place. but for the most part then you cut it to very small. for the most part, there is no, sir none in their country. we won't go through a history unless you already did that but why try to have a small population to struggle in american history? we're doing well. any country that's doing well it's progressive. not only do we help our young

and help these communities, we work good, stand strong and listen to your words today. thank you very much, mr. president. >> thank you, mr. chairman. >> at this time we are out of time. i want to let people know that submitted questions on line we will be responding to everyone who sent questions in. if you still have questions in the audience, our staff is here. before we leave i want to thank everybody who was out there in cyberspace watching today. thank you for being with us. especially thank you for the press that will help carry and reverb rateshrb reverberate our message. [applause] today the house rules committee reviews pending legislation concerning border security. we'll have that for you live beginning at 5:00 p.m. eastern here on c-span3.

president obama's nominee to be the next attorney general heads to capitol hill wednesday for her confirmation hearing. loretta lynch is currently the u.s. attorney for the eastern district of new york. she'll testify to the senate judiciary committee and live coverage starts at 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span3. this time each year, governors give state of the state addresses. next we'll hear from kansas governor sam brownback, a republican who previously served as senator and congressman. this is half an hour. [applause]

mr. speaker madam president, legislators, elected officials officials, cabinet members, leaders of kansas sovereign native american tribes and nation that are here lieutenant governor jeff collier and his wife ruth. please also welcome for me if you would my wife and first lady of kansas, mary ann brownback. glad to have you here. [applause]

>> thank you. my fellow kansans, one person i want to recognize in particular this evening because he's one of the new people in the forefront of leadership, and that's tom burris, the house majority leader. tom, congratulations on the position and new leadership. [applause] >> i saw him just before i was going down to willis teller waterslide. at least it's close and it's a great place. good evening and glad to be back. before i talk about this in ernest i want to pay tribute to the men and women in our armed forces. the strength of kansas is best

represented, i think, by those who risk their lives to protect us. general paul funk from fort riley is currently leading the fight against isis. he's in charge and leading that fight right now. he's in iraq so obviously he's not here with us tonight, but instead i wanted to have here and recognize all the brave kansans who serve through the brigadier general wesley and jackson. gentlemen, will you please stand to we can honor you. thank you. [applause] >> we are so proud of the military in our state and what

you do to keep us free and safe. now, i'm informed by the clerks that of the 165 current members of the legislature, about 100 of them are new to this body since 2010. that's to say many of you have not had the opportunity as legislators to hear from another governor other than me. and for that i don't apologize. but i will try to keep the speech short, concise and to the point. throughout my career in public service, i've been driven by the belief that government exists to serve the people, those who lead and those who govern must do so with courage and compassion. that way we serve those best so our folks with live in freedom and dignity. that belief continues to guide my actions today as it did four years ago when i gave my first

state of the state message. at that time we gathered to address the challenges confronting our state. the two biggest of which were the economy and the budget. on that january night four years ago, more than 105 kansans respectively looking for work and they couldn't find it. kansas ranks near the bottom of u.s. states and private sector job growth. personal income was low and poverty was headed up. from 1999 to 2009 the number of kansans in private sector employment had actually dropped -- actually dropped -- in our state while state general fronts spending had grown by a third. in fiscal year 2010, for the first and only time in kansas history, the state general fund ended the fiscal year in a negative status. our economic and fiscal course was clearly unsustainable. it was time for change. from this podium i announced

that the days of ever expanding government were over. and we went to work. we reformed state government to better serve kansans by eliminating, consolidating or privatizing multiple state agencies and redundant functions and reducing the public sector work force by more than 3,000 positions. we embarked on a budgetary course that saw state and general fund expenditure growth grow at its lower rate than each of the previous nine governors while continuing to support more government functions in serving kansas. but with bipartisan support we overhauled our state government strategy established opportunity zones and submitted papers. four years later, i submit these facts for your review. kansas has acquired more than 50,000 new private sector jobs.

[applause] >> our unemployment rate is tied for tenth lowest in the nation. [applause] >> and best yet, more kansans are working more than in the history of our state. [applause] >> personal income is rising, we are addressing the causes of poverty, and welfare roles have been cut in half. [applause] >> thanks to the efforts of our teachers and parents, kansas students' test scores are among the best in the country. record numbers of kansans are

enrolled in technical education, and our institutions of higher education are global leaders in fields such as animal health and aeronautics and the universal fight against cancer. [applause] >> so, mr. speaker and madam president, it is for these reasons and more that i can report to you tonight that kansas is on the rise and the state of our state is strong. [applause] >> now, as we've always known as kansans, great achievements

require hard work. it requires the courage to face our challenges head on and find solutions that work for kansans. the goal of the department of children and families is to be the agency of opportunity, helping kansans move from poverty to prosperity. one of our great successes has been the number of people that have left public assistance and found work. we have seen more than a 50% decline in recipients in the last four years. we want kansans to enjoy the dignity of work and build a better life for their families, and this is to be celebrated. valerie cayhill is here with us tonight, a single mother who was on public assistance. with the help of our program valerie is now earning full-time wages in the medical industry and is now off medical assistance. valerie and her son cortez are here tonight with us. cortez is a junior in high school and wants to join the marines.

valerie, would you and your son please stand so that we can recognize your courage and perseverance in moving forward? [applause] >> the army general here wants to be in the army instead of the marines, so we have a competition for cortez. we will continue to move forward helping people move from dependence on the government to independence. we will be putting forward programs that require more able-bodied welfare recipients to apply for work or work training as a condition of receiving the welfare benefit. one of the key ways out of poverty and despair is through work, work that brings hope and a path forward. to move forward we need all of

kansas growing. this includes our urban cores that in too many cases have seen their problems multiply and their solutions divide. in the first term we implemented real opportunity zones that this legislature passed, and it has been a success. 77 counties have embraced it with more than 2,000 applicants received to date, and more than a quarter of those from out of state. people are coming to kansas for opportunity and for growth. it is time to take this same successful concept to our urban core, and i'm propose that go we provide the same growth tools to high poverty areas in kansas city wichita and topeka the same requirements for local participation will exist as well. this will help more kansans succeed and will draw more people to our state. now, even as we celebrate our successes, we must acknowledge that the most recent data

regarding state government revenue and expenditures presents a clear challenge that must be addressed. for the past several weeks, we've been in consultation with government business and industry leaders regarding our shared fiscal concerns. they have been generous with their time and frank with their advice. tomorrow i will present to this legislature a proposed two-year budget that will be in balance with revenues exceeding expenditures each of those fiscal years. and we will continue our march to zero income taxes. [applause]

>> we will do this because the states with no income tax consistently grow faster than those with high income taxes. now, there may be some who consider this course too bold. well, i'm the sort of guy who would have sent alex gordon from third base. [applause] >> getting our income taxes to zero represents our best opportunity. it represents our best opportunity for long-term growth. i propose this budget as a starting point in your deliberations. i understand and appreciate fully that the power of the purse is yours and does not belong to any other branch of government. [applause]

>> you're good with that one. [applause] >> that's in the constitution. in my travels around kansas i found what i expect most of you have during your visits with the people we serve. i love kansas and i love kansans. they're sensible they're decent, they're compassionate people, they're thoughtful. they prize liberty share achievement and recognize a shared responsibility. they want government to focus on its core functions, to perform them well to provide quality services, good schools, good roads, low taxes. kansans understand the importance of living within our means and meeting our obligations.

kansans understand the importance of promises whether to friends, families or business. recognizing those promises they pay on time and in full. the kansas constitution should reflect that as well. i'm pressing legislation to pass a kansas amendment stating that the debt of the state is a general obligation of the state and we will pay it first. this is good policy for our state. state policy in people's name have to make tough choices. those who refuse don't leave. everyone will find something in this budget they don't agree with and they don't like. i hope when you review the budget, you put forth what you would do to make it better. but as we go about this work i ask you to keep two things in mind. first, the family budget is more powerful than the government budget. and second --

[applause] >> and second a growing economy that is adding private sector jobs and increasing personal income can fix a government budget. [applause] >> conversely a growing government budget cannot bring lasting prosperity to its citizens by appropriating ever more of their earnings. if we could spend our way to paradise, we would already be there. [applause] >> i found this amazing. it took 40 governors of kansas to get to our first $1 billion level government fund expenditure.

so it's 40 governors before we ever reached $1 billion in government fund expenditures. the next four governors saw that number hit 6 billion. that government's spending growth was not reflective of the trajectory of our population or of our economy. it was government getting too big, too fast, taking too much of your money. the era of ever-expanding government is over because it has to be. [applause] >> now, the major drivers in state spending increases are what you think they are. it's k-12 education, public pensions medicaid. over the past several years, in addition to providing medical care in war zones around the

world, lieutenant governor collier has led our efforts to improve services and controlled costs in medicaid. the results have been good. services are up. costs are growing but at a slower rate than before. on pensions, we have enacted reform and succeeded in voting considerably more resources to what was a badly underfunded pension system. in 2010, according to the pugh center, kansas had the second worst funded pension center in america among all the states. thanks to reforms taken here done with bipartisan support, our rankings have succeeded and we're in the middle of the pack. understand, though the underlying capability vastly exceeds any issue with our year to year budget. it dwarves every other item on the state balance sheet.

all those truly interested in fiscal prudence should support putting our state retirement system on a sound, long-term footing. [applause] >> now, in the matter of k-12 spending, a majority of the projected shortfall we face is due to increases in k-12 spending since fiscal year 2014. let me repeat that. a majority of the projected shortfall we face is due to increases in k-12 spending since fiscal year 2014. for decades now kansas has struggled under a school finance formula which was designed not to be understood. to frustrate efforts at accountability and efficiency. a formula designed to lock in automatic massive increases in

spending unrelated to actual student populations or improved student achievements. a formula which calculated that we've added more than 100,000 new students to while the actual census has grown by a fraction of that number. an accounting scheme that claims cuts to per pupil spending even as budget increases dramatically outpace increases in student population. not surprisingly, that formula has been under litigation for 40 years. just within the last few weeks the latest ruling was issued in a suit filed under the previous administration. in the words of that court ruling quote one cannot classify the school financing structure as reliably constitutionally sound. i agree. friends, it is time for a new school finance formula. [ applause ]

now that formula should reflect real-world costs and put dollars in the classroom with real students, not in bureaucracy and buildings and gimmicks. that formula should be about improving student achievement and school accountability, not bureaucratic gains. [ applause ] now my suggestion to you is simple. and i believe necessary. a time-out in the school finance wars.

in this two-year budget the legislature should appropriate money directly to school districts so it can be spent where it is needed most, and that's in the classroom. at the same time the legislature should repeal the existing school finance formula and allow itself sufficient time to write a new modern formula that meets our needs for great 21st century schools. and as we go about that process, it should be accountable to local parents, and voters because here the people rule. accountability. you heard me say that we must be accountable with our budget and education policy. that accountability should extend to how our elected officials and judiciary are selected. currently, most elected officials in kansas are chosen

in elections with the viewest voters participate. in general, spring elections see a mere fraction of the participation by voters as fall elections, generally with about 10% of eligible voters participating. yet that's when most of our elected officials are selected. that does not honor our values of wanting higher voter participation. it's time to move local elections to the fall. [ applause ] it also is time we change the way we pick our supreme court. [ applause ] now recently, the legislature introduced a greater element of public accountability to judicial selection by reforming the process for selecting

appellate court judges. it's time for similar reforms to apply to the kansas supreme court. currently, we have the least democratic system in america to select supreme court justices. the legislature should put before kansas voters a proposed constitutional amendment for a more democratic selection process. one either based on the federal model, or providing for direct elections of supreme court justices like we did for the first 100 years of our existence as a state. with the court involved in so many public policy issues, it's time the selection process be more democratic. [ applause ] now we turn to a subject that directly affects every single kansan in our future, and that's water.

in my first term i challenged by administration and the citizens of kansas to develop a long-term vision for the future of the water supply in our state. and you answered that challenge. now is the time for us to act. water is an intensely passionate issue. where local situations vary enormously. we've not yet accomplished a plan that ensures adequate water supplies throughout our state for the next 50 years. but this will happen before my second term is concluded. when i began my comments this evening i told you that throughout my career i've been driven by a belief that we're here to serve others. it's a god-given responsibility. and we, as elected officials, must accept that, and act upon it. we're at our best when we stir within ourselves our better angels. when our hearts are tender to what god is tender to. the poor the voiceless, the powerless.

we should see human life as sacred and recognize its immeasurable worth in every human condition. whether at the beginning of life or the end of life kansas is the most pro-life state in america, and we're not going back. [ applause ] [ applause ] so let us be wise and loving in how we serve the people, particularly those in the greatest need at the time of their greatest need. we need a budget that is adequate and not pernicious.

we need social policies that are wise and helpful and lead people from dependence to independence. we need strong, healthy marriages and families. as i said at the inauguration big government can never be big enough to replace the family. and we need vision to pass onto our children and their children to come. a vision of kansas that stands the test of time, because it's built on the truth. so as we move forward in this legislative session, let us be wise and compassionate, and act in the way that the ancients told us to. and that is that our actions should be, quote, first pure then peaceable gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere. thank you. i wish you all godspeed in this

legislative session, and i look forward to working with you throughout it. and may god continue to grant all of us the grace, the mercy and the truth to carry out our duties. good night. [ applause ] and today on capitol hill both the house and senate in session. the house begins legislative work at 2:00 eastern on a bill dealing with sex trafficking. and on wednesday they'll take up a border security bill. the senate golfs in later this afternoon, 4:30 eastern time with votes on amendments to the keystone pipeline.

live coverage of the house on c-span and the senate on c-span2. also, live later this week the confirmation hearing for president obama's nominee to be the next attorney general, loretta lynch. she's currently the u.s. attorney for the eastern district of new york. she's scheduled to testify before the senate judiciary committee, live on wednesday, at 10:00 a.m. eastern. president obama announced her nomination at the white house in november. here's a look. >> have a seat, everybody. good morning. as president, i rely on my cabinet every day to make sure that we are not just getting the job done, but we're making progress for the american people. and in a country that is built on the rule of law, there are few offices more important than that of attorney general.

the attorney general is the people's lawyer. as our nation's chief law enforcement officer the person in this position is responsible for enforcing our federal laws. including protecting our civil rights. working with the remarkable men and women of the justice department, the attorney general oversees the vast portfolio of cases, including counterterrorism, and voting rights public corruption, and white collar crime judicial recommendations, and policy reviews. all of which impact on the lives of every american and shape the life of our nation. as i said back in september when he decided to step down, i am enormously grateful to eric holder for his outstanding service in this position. he is one of the longest-serving attorney generals in american history, and one of our finest. eric brought to this job a belief that justice isn't just an abstract theory, but a living, breathing principle.

it's about how laws interact with the daily lives of our people. whether we can make an honest living. whether we can provide for our families. whether we feel safe in our own communities. and welcome in our own country. whether the words that the founders set to paper 238 years ago apply to every one of us in our time. so thanks to eric our nation is safer and freer and more americans, regardless of race or religion or gender or creed, or sexual orientation, or disability, receive fair and equal treatment under the law. i couldn't be prouder of that. and i couldn't be prouder that today i can announce somebody who shares that fierce commitment to equal justice under the law, as my nominee for the next attorney general, u.s. attorney loretta lynch. [ applause ]

i also, by the way, want to thank the chair of the senate judiciary committee patrick leahy for being here on a saturday to show his support. [ applause ] it's pretty hard to be more qualified for this job than loretta. throughout her 30-year career she has distinguished herself as tough, as fair, an independent lawyer who has twice headed one of the most prominent u.s. attorney's offices in the country. she has spent years in the trenches as a prosecutor aggressively fighting terrorism, financial fraud, cyber crime all while vigorously defending

civil rights. a graduate of harvard college and harvard law school loretta rose from assistant u.s. attorney in the eastern district of new york to chief of the long island office, chief assistant u.s. attorney, and u.s. attorney. she successfully prosecuted the terrorists who plotted the bomb -- plotted to bomb the federal reserve bank and the new york city subway. she has boldly gone after public corruption, bringing charges against public officials in both parties. she's helped secure billions in settlements from some of the world's biggest banks, accused of fraud and jailed some of new york's most violent and notorious mobsters and gang members. one of her proudest achievements was the civil rights prosecution of the officers involved in the brutal assault of the haitian immigrant abner louima. loretta might be the only lawyer in america who battles mobsters and drug lords and terrorists and still has a reputation for being a charming people person.

and that's probably because loretta doesn't look to make headlines, she looks to make a difference. she's not about splash, she is about substance. i could not be more confident that loretta will bring her signature intelligence and passion and commitment to our key priorities, including important reforms in our criminal justice system. she has consistently proven her leadership and earned the trust and respect of those she serves. since 2010 she's been a member of the committee of the u.s. attorneys across the nation who advise the attorney general on matters of policy and she has served as chair of that committee since 2013. so it's no wonder that the senate unanimously confirmed her to be the head of the u.s. attorney's office in two separate situations. once under president clinton, and once under my administration. and it's my hope that the senate will confirm her a third time without delay. at every stage in her career loretta has followed the principles of fairness,

equality and justice that she absorbed as a young girl. she was born in greensboro north carolina the year before black students there sat down at a whites-only lunch counter helping to spark a movement that would change the course of this country. the daughter of a school librarian and a fourth generation baptist minister, which meant that she knew when to be quiet. that's a little intimidating being the daughter of a librarian and a minister. but loretta rode on her father's shoulders to his church, where students would meet to organize anti-segregation boycotts. she was inspired by stories about her grandfather, a sharecropper in the 1930s, who helped folks in his community who got in trouble with the law and had no resource under the jim crow system. i know that if he were here today, he would be just as proud of her as i'm sure her husband, stephen, is. i want to thank stephen loretta's stepson ryan her

stepdaughter kia, and her other family members who came here today. we appreciate you guys agreeing to share her with the american people a little bit longer. loretta has spent her life fighting for fair and equal justice, that is the foundation of our democracy. i can think of no better public servant to be our next attorney general. let me introduce to you ms. loretta lynch. [ applause ] >> thank you everyone. and thank you, first of all mr. president for that kind introduction. but most importantly, thank you,

also, for your faith in me. in asking me to succeed an attorney general whom i admire, and to lead the department that i love. now no one gets to this place, this room this podium, this moment by themselves. i also must thank attorney general eric holder for your support and your friendship over the years, as well as by leading by example, and always always pushing this department to live up to its name. and i want to thank chairman lairty, senior officials of the department of justice, and members of the cabinet, for being here today. to my colleagues in the u.s. attorney community and throughout the department on whose strength and wisdom i lean every day, thank all of you, as well, for your support, both now, and in all the work that we have ahead. and to my beloved office, the eastern district of new york, my professional home. you have twice now given me the privilege of being able to serve you, and to focus on nothing,

nothing but the protection of the american people. it has been a joy. it has been an honor. and i will carry you with me wherever i go. and of course to my wonderful family, several of whom are here with me today. all of whom are always with me in love and support. most especially my parents, who could not be here today, but are watching. whose every thought and sacrifice has always been for their children. they have supported me in all of my endeavors as i strive to live up to their example of service. the department of justice is the only cabinet department named for an ideal. and this is actually appropriate. because our work is both aspirational and grounded in gritty reality. it's both ennobling and it's both profoundly challenging. today i stand before you so thrilled, and frankly so humbled, to have the opportunity

to lead this group of wonderful people who work all day and well into the night to make that ideal a manifest reality. all as part of their steadfast protection of the citizens of this country. mr. president, thank you again for the faith that you've placed in me. i pledge today to you, and to the american people, that if i have the honor of being confirmed by the senate, i will wake up every morning with the protection of the american people my first thought. and i will work every day to safeguard our citizens, our liberties, our rights and this great nation, which has given so much to me and my family. i thank you again mr. president, and mr. attorney general. and all of you for being here. [ applause ] >> -- from north korea?

>> well, i think it's a wonderful day for them their families. obviously they're very grateful for their safe return, and i appreciate director clapper's doing a great job on what was obviously a challenging mission. all right? and we'll have live coverage of the lynch confirmation hearing wednesday, 10:00 a.m. eastern, right here on c-span3. iowa governor butch otter talked about infrastructure, tax rates and marriage laws during his state of the state address in boise. this is 45 minutes.

>> governor, on behalf of the joint session we welcome you to the house chambers and we look forward to your state of the state address. the time is yours. >> thank you. thank you. mr. speaker, mr. president, honorable justices and judges, my fellow constitutional officers, distinguished legislators and members of my cabinet, honored guests, friends, and of course my family.

before i begin i would like to divert with your lead as i did once again during the inaugural address and by the magic of television invite my mother regina otter -- she's been to this chamber every time except for this time. but mom will turn 100 years old on february 9th. and all nine of us kids plan on being there for that celebration. so mom, welcome. [ applause ] allow me first to comment briefly on two men who were with us throughout my first two terms and tenure in this office. superintendent of public instruction tom luna and secretary of state ben ysursa. during my time in government i have seldom been privileged to work with two individuals that are more devoted to public service, and the public

interest, and motivated by the better angels of public service than was tom and ben. please join me now in an appreciation for their work, their legacy, and their friendship. [ applause ] that's sufficient. i don't want you to get more applause than i got. ben, tom. god bless you. godspeed. i love you. two of the greatest. to our newly elected legislators and constitutional officers, congratulations and welcome. i applaud your willingness to serve. i respect and appreciate your civic virtue.

and i encourage your attention, patience and commitment to the processes and purposes of our state government. like you, i am beginning a new term . it is an honor and a privilege to have once again garnered the support and confidence of the citizens of idaho. like you i take very seriously and that responsibility very seriously. and i know that public confidence must be earned anew each and every day. so let us begin our work together unfettered by cynicism or mistrust, and with a sure understanding of our limitations as well as our great potential. with you, i look forward to advancing the interests of the people we serve. with you, i am committed to continuing our efforts to make idaho what america was meant to be. ladies and gentlemen, we are blessed to live in interesting times. there is unrest and uncertainty all around us. but that's nothing new to the human experience.

there has never been a shortage of issues upon which well-intended people who earnestly and actively disagree in any free and dynamic society. we also are blessed to live in a nation and a state where there is order responsible, citizen-driven processes for sorting out and addressing those issues. our process is not designed to satisfy everyone. nothing ever can. but it is designed to do more than stimulate public discussion and debate. ultimately, it must inspire resolution and progress - however imperfect or incomplete. that is the lodestar on which we find ourselves and find our way forward in these days ahead. unfortunately, that has not been a hallmark of our national government in recent years. from immigration to energy and from environmental protection to budgeting, there is neither rhyme nor reason to how the federal government does, or does

not do, its job. partisan rancor and political infighting are unacceptable excuses for inaction and dysfunction. here in idaho we have not only the opportunity but the responsibility to set a higher standard, and then live up to it. i ran for governor in 2006 because my six years in congress taught me that the states are where our republic must meet today's challenges and prepare for those that lay ahead. that is just as true today, and even more apparent. so i am more determined than ever for idaho to embrace that opportunity. it will mean setting an example of both fiscal responsibility and public vision, especially on those issues that are fundamental to our future prosperity and consistent with the proper role of government, and aligned with our idaho values. that will require all of us working together rather than at cross-purposes. we must not allow ourselves to

emulate the federal government's politics of division, procrastination and misdirection for which we all are paying the price. in some cases and on some issues, we already have put off making some tough decisions for too long. that cannot and must not continue. today, i will outline some issues on which i believe we must act. not in careless haste, but with all appropriate dispatch. perhaps the most important message i want to leave with you today is simply this, idaho learns. we learned the value of being more frugal and accountable with taxpayer resources during the great recession. we learned the value of preparation and consensus building during our discussions concerning transportation funding. we learned the value of process and inclusion during our efforts to improve education. and we have learned that even the best intentions and plans

must be carried out with equal attention to detail and public perceptions for our contract experience and especially with the idaho education network. idaho learns. and those lessons run deep. as a result of our experiences we move forward more confident in our abilities, more certain of our goals, and better prepared for the challenges before us. future generations will benefit from our efforts to apply these lessons today. i am not here to offer panaceas or to insist that your deliberations proceed in a particular direction - we are after all separate but equal branches of state government. instead, i am here to offer my view of what our state priorities should be and where our resources can be most effectively used in the public interest. that list begins with education. [ applause ] thank you.

last year in this chamber i laid out a five-year plan for sustainability and responsibly investing in public schools. i greatly appreciate your support for achieving those goals and i encourage your continuing help in seeing this process through as we welcome new superintendent of public instruction sherri ybarra. [ applause ] in idaho, public schools are the most fundamentally proper role of government. they are essential to the health of our families, our communities and our economy. in addition to the choices that parents are afforded with home schooling, charter schools and private schools, world-class public schools can set the bar for higher individual achievement. they are the key to our prosperity and idaho's competitiveness in the global marketplace. as you know, our school improvement plan is based on the

recommendations of my broad-based, bipartisan education task force, which was led and facilitated by the state board of education. the goal of its recommendations is to build a public school system that is focused on student outcomes, responsive to local needs, respectful of the role of classroom teachers, and more accountable to parents, and patrons and taxpayers. the fiscal year 2016 executive budget recommendation i am submitting to you today provides for funding for teacher training and professional development, and a significant infusion of money for teacher compensation under the new tiered licensure and career ladder proposal by the state board of education. to support continuous improvement, my recommendation provides additional funding to help local school districts conduct planning on how best to improve the education for our children every year. in addition, i'm calling for another $20 million in discretionary operating funds

for local schools in fiscal year 2016. [ applause ] my recommendation also includes funding to provide more career and college counseling for students. as we implement our k-through-career goals i want students and parents to have the best information available in making important decisions about courses, programs and post-secondary opportunities that will give them a leg up toward success in the workforce. my total general fund budget request for the coming year represents a 5.2% increase. but my proposal for public schools calls for 7.4% more funding. that's almost $60 million more than we allotted for schools during the -- when the great recession ban in 2009. beyond the numbers, i'm also calling on the state board of education and our education

partners to work together to develop a comprehensive plan for improving literacy and reading proficiency. reading at grade level by the end of third grade is a major foundation for a student's education. it enables their success in every other subject area. we absolutely must prepare our students by doing more to achieve this critical benchmark. anything less is simply unacceptable. [ applause ] my hope while you consider this request is that we work together to continue assessing the impact of the current year's investments and seek to advance those policies and processes that work best for idaho students. we know that one of our initiatives to improve the quality and equity of the public school experience for our students is the idaho education network. it enables students in salmon and montpelier to get the same

kind of advanced instruction as those in sandpoint and meridian. it enables idaho to overcome our geographic and socioeconomic barriers. it allows us to realize the kind of opportunities for enlightenment and progress that not only years ago were unavailable -- were only available in our largest and connected communities. the kind and quality of courses and the level of instruction provided by the ien truly is staggering. i believe in its value -- that its value is beyond question. the ien is an asset that must be maintained. challenging, it continuing to educate for the world-class tool so that we can overcome the other barriers. i am confident, committed to fulfilling the vision and promise of the ien which will start with rebidding the contracts involved as soon as possible. but also include a strong recommendation for full funding of the ien operations in fiscal

year 2016 to ensure that the service is continued for idaho students. one of the benefits of the idaho education network continues to be the ability to bring college-level courses into high school classrooms throughout idaho. that in turn helps ensure that more of our students are adequately prepared for the academic rigors of college life. our colleges and universities have been spending too much time, money and energy on remedial programs to bring idaho graduates up to a post-secondary level of competence on such critical subjects as science, math, reading comprehension. many of our employers also are having trouble finding workers with the skills they need in an increasingly complex economy to enable those businesses to remain competitive. and i'm not just talking about computer science, engineering and the health care fields. we have businesses struggling to find enough well-trained and qualified welders technicians,

and all other trade positions. in fact, at current levels of economic growth we are going to be tens of thousands of employees short of industry demand for the skills and level of post-secondary training and education they need in the coming years. that's why our efforts to better prepare students to be contributing members of society now extend beyond the old k-12 focus to a k-through-career emphasis. education must not be allowed to end with high school. we have a responsibility to use our tax dollars more strategically and effectively and build and strengthen partnerships with employers. if we are to meet our goal of at least 60% of idaho citizens between the ages of 25 and 34 having a post-secondary degree or a professional certification by 2020. folks, that's just five years down the road. and we have a lot of work to do

in order to achieve this goal. already the board of education and our higher education institutions are working more closely than they ever have with the department of labor, the department of commerce professional and technical education, health and welfare, and local organizations to develop the commonsense plans for meeting our workforce development needs. that includes more pronounced, targeted and sustainable investments in such programs as the computer science initiative at boise state university, an employee readiness initiative at the university of idaho, career path internships at idaho state university, and the complete college idaho program throughout our higher education system. those are among the top priorities at each of our schools, and i'm asking for your continuing support to help them succeed. to help us succeed in building a comprehensive system of education and workforce training opportunities so that idaho learns applies to all citizens

of our state. [ applause ] i'm also pleased to report some good news from the efforts of our leadership in nuclear energy commission or line commission and the center for advanced energy studies or caes. as you will recall, that group did an outstanding job highlighting the strengths and capabilities of our national lab. and one of their key recommendations focused on regionalizing the center for advanced energy studies by including other state partners. this past fall my good friend governor mead and the university of wyoming agreed to join as equal partners in the caes consortium of our state universities. and our labs. this is but the first step in a continuing effort to fulfill the promise of the inl and caes. let me talk for just a moment

now about something that you won't find in my budget but i believe it has the potential to improve the lives and enhance the opportunities of many idaho citizens. i believe that because we've already seen it happen right here in this valley. in 2007, my first year as governor, the treasure valley was one of the last metropolitan areas in america without a community college. that year the legislature enacted my request to provide a state incentive of startup funding for any local jurisdictions where voters opt to establish a community college district. ada and canyon counties soon stepped up to the challenge and voted to establish the college of western idaho. and what a tremendous success it's been. it's forever changed the way education is delivered here in idaho. and its most populated area. it's hard to even imagine this

valley now without cwi playing a significant role in our future prospects. thanks to the incredible efforts of president bert glandon, the visionary leadership of the college of western idaho board and collaboration with boise state university and others the college of western idaho joins as a full partner now with the college of southern idaho north idaho college in fulfilling the promise of the true community college. they are providing affordable, accessible and responsive resources for both students and employers to meet their education and career-training goals. through them, idaho learns is taking on a broader definition. providing that opportunity for our citizens during the economic downturn was critically important to our recovery. now that we are rebounding, we find ourselves faced with growing demand and intensifying need for the services that

community colleges are uniquely able to provide. so today i challenge again the underserved communities of idaho where no broad-based community college programs now exist to canvass their citizens and businesses on the value that can be added to their economic development and public enrichment efforts by establishing a community college district of the size and focus that will meet their local needs. those needs and my challenge for local leaders to address them will be part of the discussion in each town i visit to conduct capital for a day. we did it with cwi and we can do it again. preparing idahoans for the workplace is the primary focus of the department of labor. it's not just about sending out unemployment checks. and the experts at labor and our other state agencies now have a clearer picture than ever of where our people will be working in the years ahead. if they are educated and trained

and to do the kind of careers that have -- that will be created. we now expect to outpace the national employment growth rate with 15,000 job opportunities a year being created for idaho workers through 2022. many of them in the health care and construction fields. that's why director ken edmunds and his team at labor have developed a plan for retaining, recruiting and returning employees to idaho to help meet the demand for skilled workers. the idea behind choose idaho initiative is to bridge the coming labor shortage by keeping the best and the brightest in idaho. right here at home. and encouraging former idahoans to come back home. and welcoming people with skills to our communities. to help build on that effort, my budget recommendation for fiscal 2016 includes a transfer of $5 million for industry sector grants. that will help build

partnerships between industry and our education system to more effectively address a growing shortage of skilled and trained employees. a key element for our k-through-career goals. at the same time, i'm pleased to announce that the department of labor was able to announce just last month that idaho's economic recovery and job growth will allow the unemployment insurance tax rate paid by idaho businesses to fall for the third consecutive year. [ applause ] this time by another 16.8%. that means tens of millions of dollars in saving that will be able to help capitalize additional idaho growth and jobs. i appreciate your support over the years for reducing the tax burden on idaho citizens. from increasing the grocery tax credit to lowering income tax

rates and providing personal property tax relief, we are keeping almost $157 million in the hands of idaho taxpayers during fiscal year 2015. and that will grow to more than $169 million during the year that begins july 1 as our economy keeps expanding. director jeff sayer and his team at the department of commerce are working hand-in-glove with education, labor, transportation, agriculture, health and welfare and other state agencies to leverage market-driven economic growth into improving how employers see idaho. their goal is nothing less than to make idaho a global leader in growth and prosperity. and we have some great resources to help accelerate idaho, including the tax reimbursement incentive or the t.r.i. that you approved last year. this performance-based tool is attracting great interest from businesses ready to create

thousands of jobs and invest billions of dollars in idaho's future. thank you for recognizing that idaho learns extends to the lessons from other states where government is mortgaging its future to up the ante on attracting new businesses. by contrast the t.r.i. requires employees to prove up their commitment to idaho with jobs and capital investments before a dime of their tax payments are reimbursed. [ applause ] and most importantly, the t.r.i. is getting just as much attention right here from our own homegrown businesses than it is from outside. in fact those employers are all looking for a new tool in the toolbox, and they have found it, the t.r.i.

one of the most crucial parts of making idaho a better place to do business and create jobs is improving our infrastructure. my budget recommendation includes an additional $3 million infusion for the idaho opportunity fund at the department of commerce. that money is used for strategic grants to help idaho communities provide the water, power, wastewater treatment, roads and other infrastructure necessary for expanding their businesses. a great example of the return on investment from our opportunity fund is cives steel. when one of the nation's largest steel fabricators was looking to expand west of the mississippi river it found a home in yukon just north of idaho falls. it landed there for a number of reasons, but one factor in particular helped seal the deal. ucon was able to secure a $400,000 idaho opportunity fund grant to support infrastructure needed for the cives operation.

so far the employee-owned company has invested about $10 million in facilities and equipment right there in ucon. that figure is to grow to about $ 32 million as cives creates more than 150 career opportunities in bonneville county. you know as well as i do that every idaho community that's been passed over by a new or growing company understands the value of those grants. but they only help address a small fraction of our statewide infrastructure needs. the biggest ticket item in our infrastructure inventory is our long-term, multibillion-dollar investment in idaho's roads and bridges. and if idaho learns means anything at all, it's time for us to address that elephant in the room. our own circumstances and the realities of our national government require us to seize the opportunity to become more self-reliant, to be the

architects of our own destiny rather than the afterthoughts of a federal funding system that could be skewed to our disadvantage. there's a real possibility that congress will try to pass a transportation funding bill in the coming year - maybe as early as the spring. a cold, hard assessment of the politics involved indicates that we might run the risk of getting left behind in the lurch if that federal government changes the highway trust fund formula so that we wind up paying in more than we are allotted for our needs in idaho. now a survey last winter showed that most idahoans believe our aging highways and bridges will need attention within the next ten years. that's one benchmark to consider. but the maintenance backlog we already have makes it even more important to figure out now how to pay for the hundreds of millions of dollars in improvements needed to protect idaho lives and corridors of

commerce. ladies and gentlemen, we know that after education, investing in infrastructure is among the smartest, most cost-effective and frankly essential uses of taxpayer dollars to promote the public's general welfare and sustain economic vitality. and that truth is being embraced by voters. it's interesting to note that roughly half of the survey respondents said transportation funding should be the legislature's top three issues. and even though most are satisfied with the condition of our roads and bridges right now. they get it. building and maintaining infrastructure is not an overnight proposition. whether it's highways broadband connectivity, electrical transmission lines, or water treatment facilities, it takes planning and a commitment to sustainable long-term investment. we already have 785 state and local bridges in idaho that are

over 50 years old and considered structurally “deficient. that number will grow to 900 bridges by 2019 even though we already have the money to pay for 68. this isn't a matter of henney penny telling us the sky is falling. it's a real problem. but we know how to fix it and we have the resources. major idaho highway improvement projects since 2009 mostly have been funded by garvey bonds and federal stimulus money. they have reduced the accident rate on those routes by 35% and the death rate by 25%. under director brian ness and chairman jerry whitehead's leadership the idaho transportation department is making significant strides in efficiency, and more effectively using limited highway resources. itd has eliminated more than 100 full-time positions since 2013 alone by reducing layers of management. it now is recognized among the best-run transportation agencies

in america. i fully understand the misgivings of some about highway transposhtation costs and making those costs higher. but there is something to be said for the old adage about about penny wise and pound foolish. in fact every dollar we invest now in our roads and bridges will save motorists and taxpayers and our children $6 to $14 later on. chairmen brackett and palmer, legislative leaders, i am not going to stand here and tell you how to swallow this elephant. that would be contrary to all we have learned about each other in recent years. but we all know it must be done. i welcome financially responsible legislation that addresses steady, ongoing and sustainable transportation infrastructure in idaho. however, i will not entertain proposals aimed at competing for general fund tax dollars with education and our other required

public programs or services. [ applause ] that raises the big question of taxation. so allow me to reflect for just a moment on our idaho tax system and its conformance with the basic tenets of equity, certainty and simplicity. by that i mean taxation must be fair in its policy and administered across the taxpayer class fictions. it must be predictable so that taxpayers can plan and prepare as they conduct their businesses, or their personal affairs. and it must be understandable so that taxpayers have a fighting chance of making sense of the tax code and its impact on them. as it stands today, idaho unfortunately has become a confusing hodgepodge of taxing authorities. that undermines public confidence that those who

collect the taxes are accountable to the citizens for how the revenue is used. with that and the benchmarks of equity, certainty and simplicity in mind, i'm asking for your help today in ensuring that over the coming four years we can make idaho's tax system one of the best in the nation. i believe that work should start now by enacting some of the recommendations from the task force that i assembled last year to consider improvements on how idaho tax commission operates. those recommendations are aimed at improving the efficiency, accountability and transparency of our revenue operations. that includes refining the role of the commission itself with the addition of a director over day-to-day agency business. by now most of you know that i would like to see further reductions in the marginal tax rates for idaho individual and corporate income tax to below 7% from their current 7.4%. [ applause ]

and i would also like to see the complete elimination of personal property tax. to that end, my budget -- no, go ahead. [ applause ] i'm kidding. to that end my budget recommendation sets aside the first of a five-year approach to reducing our income tax brackets from 7.4% to 6.9%. this effort will provide tax relief to 44% of the taxpayers this year and up to 51% of the taxpayers by 2018. and i believe is the right thing to do. [ applause ] i also believe the time has come for idaho to prepare for a potential change in federal law to address the issue of tax

equity. it's called the marketplace fairness act. as many of you know, that legislation now before congress would clarify the legal authority of states like idaho to impose and enforce a sales tax on interstate purchases of goods online. not only is this a fundamental matter of fairness for those brick-and-mortar businesses in our communities. it also is a matter of securing our own long-term prosperity. simply put, every dollar of sales tax from online purchases is the better part of a dollar that is not going to support the necessary and proper functions of state government, especially meeting the education and infrastructure needs of our growing economy. congress has yet to act. but the legislation already enjoys the support from within our own idaho delegations. [ applause ] on the topic of congress, i

believe the chances now have improved, if only marginally to repeal or more likely make incremental changes to obamacare that would have a real impact here in idaho. i have studied the recommendations of my medicaid redesign workgroup and agree with its findings, up to a point. i especially appreciate the workgroup's strong focus on personal responsibility, and requiring copayments, and managed care. but more importantly idaho learns should also apply to these findings and their experience. the workgroup did its homework and deserves an opportunity to share what they have learned. and so i am asking you to hold hearings this session to listen to their findings, ask questions, educate yourselves on all the work that they have done. and then possibly take action. we worked together collaboratively and with great

success on creating your health idaho. after some initial trials, idaho now is successfully running its own insurance exchange cheaper, more efficiently, with less staff and with better service than the national system that overpromised and profoundly underdelivered. that's because your health idaho is locally run and utilizes insurance agents and brokers working in the free market. right here in idaho. in fact, the marketplace is the key to how idaho is advancing our goal of making health care more affordable and accessible for all idahoans. many people in this state have quietly gone about the business of putting idaho at the forefront and changing how our healthcare landscape looks. by building public/private partnerships, health and welfare director dick armstrong and the men and women who are working on the state healthcare innovation

plan are changing the way we pay for and deliver healthcare services, including medicaid. those who are working diligently in both the public and private sectors to improve healthcare overcomes in idaho, they all deserve our thanks. [ applause ] my thanks also go to the legislature and those advocates who are enabling us to more aggressively address the local challenges of behavioral health. less than a month ago i was in idaho falls to cut the ribbon on idaho's first behavioral health crisis center, where people with mental health or substance abuse issues and problems can get short-term help without going to a hospital emergency room or a jail cell. it's an important part of the broader improvements needed in

our community-based services. we know that best practices across the country show that such local facilities reduce law enforcement and hospital-related cases while at the same time providing for sustainable support and better access for vulnerable citizens. that's why i am once again requesting funds for an additional behavioral health crisis center in the coming year. [ applause ] another decision for which i'm proud that we worked together on with our legislature, with our courts, and with the executive agencies in their unprecedented collaboration in enacting and now implementing the justice reinvestment initiative of the jri. this is an effort started two years ago by the good chairmen of our house and senate judiciary committees.

last year's overwhelming legislative support for senate bill 1357 and hard work during the past year by our courts, department of correction and commission of pardons and parole has resulted in an outstanding set of administrative rules for you to consider during this session. they spell out in detail how we can improve public safety, reduce recidivism and lower the costs associated with locking up offenders by prioritizing and refining our post-release supervision efforts with swift, certain and graduated sanctions. i appreciate your continuing support for our justice reinvestment efforts and that they will move from careful planning now to an effective on-the-ground implementation. i hope you will consider it equally important to continue our work toward addressing the very challenging -- the very challenge that we face in our public defender system. the courts have made it clear

that our current method of providing legal counsel for indigent criminal defendants does not pass constitutional muster. this is a priority for our if we value the ideas embodied in the fourth fifth, sixth and eighth amendments to the constitution then it is undeny bly our reasonable responsibility and take care on the phrase due process of law as serious lyly as the framers intended. which now brings me to another institutional issue. the defense of traditional marriage. last year, we found ourselves in the position of defending an amendment the idaho constitution has approved a few short years

ago in 2006 and i believe truly representing both the intention ises and values of our citizens in i'd i'ddaho that defines man as between a man and a woman in idaho. so it is incumbent among those of us who swore to uphold the institution and to do so based on its content now, not on facing societial values or how any of us would rewrite it today. therefore, i will with my partnership with the attorney general, continue to do all i can to uphold my oath of office and defend idaho's constitution, article 3, section 28. i am hopeful that our recent

request requests for the u.s. supreme court to review the issue will be accepted and that we can look forward to outcomes that affirms idaho's constitution. many of our differences with the national government wind up in court. but in the absence of any federal consensus on a multitude of issues, too often, the courts become the last refuge for both public policy and resolving those disputes disputes by safeguarding. that may well be where such questions as the protection of -- or the citing of electricity transmission corridors. i hope not. and we are working hard with idaho landowners, federal land managers and other stakeholders to find common ground through our administrative processes so those issues and others can be resolved. during the past year we

completed the historic snake river basin adjudication process. the largest single stream adjudication in the united states took over in the united states history took over 27 years and covered water rights on about 87% of idaho's land mass. as justice scalia said there is no question who owns the water in idaho now. we advanced our efforts to adjudicate all northern idaho water claims so they too, can be protected and we made great process, progress, on our efforts to preserve, recharge and more sustain bly manage our water throughout the state. in addition, with gratitude for your help and support, i'm proud to announce that now, there are five range land management protections throughout idaho. they are -- they are organized

and prepared to launch additional attacks from wildfire threatens 3.5 million acres of state private in our state and i would also tell you those great ideas are being borrowed by other states. i know at least four other states that are encouraging their establishments in other states on that their problems as well. ladies and gentlemen, look high above. within this magnificent chamber, so beautifully renovated just a few years ago, you see an idaho sky through a vaulted dome of glass. this chamber, this building this body has all anyone could need to accommodate the biggest, most loftiest and the most meaningful of ideas and actions. in fact, i would measure that the entire church, used in the

summer of 1787 would fulfill this chamber. don't limit yourself. think big. be bold. act decisively. reflect the idaho values that you were sent here to represent. and as you consider the magnitude of the work ahead and how it will benefit the citizenses that we serve, keep looking up. toward higher aspirations. keep looking up and apply what idaho learns so that our fondest hopes and best intentions lead us to a better tomorrow for future generations. join me in putting idaho and our people first and in your minds and so now with a deep seated face in our founding father's vision, and empowered by the collect iiveive tall epts and perks we enjoy in this executive, i

enjoy an unbridled confidence that with the lord's continued blessing, idaho will strengthen our republic as an example of what america was meant to be. god bless you and thank you for your time. the house began legislature work on a bill dealing with sex trafficking. on wednesday, taking up a border security bill and the senate gavels in later this afternoon, 4:30 eastern time with votes on amendments to the keystone pipeline bill. live coverage of the house on cspan and senate on cspan 2. here's a closer look at what to expect this week on capitol hill. >> a capitol hill reporter, good morning, mike. >> good morning, paul. how are you?

>> good, so, there is a process, what happens next and what more about the reaction? >> this is not a surprise. it's something obama's been pushing for for many years. he campaigned on it. and for it to happen now is not, again, it's not really a surprise because we're in the middle of this keystone xl debate, so oil is on everybody's mind and i think obama sees an opportunity with gas prices so low, there hasn't been really the financial incentive to develop a lot of new oil and gas pipelines, so he's thinking, well, might as well we can my liberal base, all the environmentalists who have been pushinging me to do this for many years and might be economic opportunity because gas prices are low. the third part is this is not

going anywhere. it has to pass congress. congress is controlled by republicans and they've hated us for years just as much as obama is like it. this is not anything that's going to go anywhere. it's a lot of political posturing, gyu again, because this is the debate in the news right now, the senate's been working on keystone xl for three weeks and will start the fourth today, he sees an opportunity and he's a lame duck president and wants to remain relevant and fire up the base in 2016 and for all those reasons, i think the timing. >> we'll see how this plays out op the hill and elsewhere in town. the keystone debate and the senate, so they're back in today. can you remind us of where the senate left off last week on keystone? because it was pretty tense on the floor there thursday night. so, walk us back to that and then move us forward to the possible completion of this bill. >> it was pretty tense. it was the end of their third week on keystone. the amendments were coming and

there didn't seem to be any end in sight to the democratic amendment and i think mr. mcconnell finally realized that and he said you know we want to have an open debate. i promised you an open debate but this is going to occupy the entire year if i don't turn the spigot off. so late thursday night he did move in debate. there are six amendments left on the schedule. start voting on those today. with the vote on final passage expected by the end of the week. and again, this is just for the sake of timing, they have other things they want to do. iran sanctions coming up that they want to do and more importantly, they have this drk hs funding bill they've got to do by february 27th or else the homeland security department runs out of money. so, you know, that's still a month away but the pace of the senate is is not quick and so i think mcconnell gauged ahead and said we've got to turn off this keystone xl debate and move on

to other things. >> take us back over to the house, mike, border security bill is coming up we think on wednesday and of course, there are plenty of battle lines drawn with that one. what's it all about? >> it's mostly all about obama's executive action on deportation, but you made right after the election. mike mccall is the chairman of the homeland security committee and the last time he had gotten together with annie thompson the rapging member of that committee, they crafted a border security bill to pass unanimously through that committee, so, there was cooperation then and then i think that obama's executive action has just really, really angered the republicans. they see it as an abuse of his power and so, mcconnell's first response was to write his own border security bill without democratic input and it's designed to block all pretty