present to you his excellency, the governor of the commonwealth of virginia, governor robert francis mcdonnell. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

thank you for that warm welcome, and welcome back. mr. speaker, mr. president, the justices of the supreme court of virginia, ladies and gentlemen of the general assembly and my gather in mr. capital for the annual state of the commonwealth address. the virginia general assembly has met in this billing now for 220 years. the speaker was a young boy during that first session. [laughter] next door, the executive mansion is the oldest continuously all of the nation. this year, we markets 200th anniversary. i want to thank the first lady

and all of her team for promoting -- for their work in promoting this extraordinary history. thank you maureen, and all my [applause] tonight, we can been surrounded by our legislative history that started way back in 1690, ready to do our part to create a more perfect union, and to cement a strong foundation for virginia citizens. more jobs and new opportunities for the attainment of the american dream for the people of virginia. they sent us here to work together on their behalf, and to find solutions for the

challenges that they face in their daily life. they sent us here to do legislatively what they do personally in their homes, their businesses, their churches, and schools. that is to act responsibly, to spend wisely, to solve problems, to serve on another, and to make life a little better for those people around us. we don't have to look very far for inspiration from our brave and caring people here in virginia. on october 30, as hurricane sandy'whats rose swiftly, national guard soldiers trudge through high water to clear a path to transport seven adults and a child out of harm's way. another rescue required guardsmen to carry a citizen 200 yards through chest-high water to safety. virginia national guard personnel rescued 42 citizens during those few days of hurricane sandy. joining us here tonight or lieutenant james breckinridge and norman malone, who helped

lead some of these rescue missions, along with the adjutant general of virginia. we salute you for your brave service to virginia. thank you very much. [applause] i am delighted to say that with the return from soldiers from afghanistan this summer, all virginia national guard units were home for christmas for the first time since september 11, 2001. [applause] during these 11 years of the global war on terror, more than 15,000 deployments of national guard soldiers and airmen were made, mobilizing for combat operations and other missions around the world. since 9/11, we have lost 10 of our fellow citizens, 10 virginia guardsmen, to hostile enemy activity.

our national guard is recognized as among the best in the nation. they served us all very well. that same heroic service id replicated every day here at home by our men and women in law enforcement. in march of 2001, sheriff's deputies responded to a suspected robbery, only to find a sniper lying in deadly wait. inthe shootout that followed, two of them are killed. the deputy had rushed to the scene from his front yard, where he was putting together a new swing set for his grandchildren.

it was a project that would remain unfinished. two other deputies were shot and severely injured in that ambush. tonight, deputy resnik and deputy charles are here with us. gentlemen, we thank you and all of virginia's brave law enforcement officers for your courage and your commitment to the safety and the freedom of the people of virginia. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, over the past three years, we have worked together for the common good, with passion, stability, and a

focus on getting results. we have worked hard together to create good jobs and to build a common wealth of opportunity. in january 2010, the unemployment rate was 7.3%. today, it is 5.6%. the second lowest east of the mississippi and the lowest in the southeast. during that time, virginia has

created 160,000 jobs, mostly in the private sector. in 2011, we hit our all-time high record for agricultural exports, at $2.35 billion, bolstering virginia's largest industry. together we put in place a stronger environment in which the private sector can create good paying jobs, and virginia is now outperforming its neighboring states. we have also worked hard together to get our fiscal house in order. three years ago, together we closed a budget shortfall of $6 billion without raising taxes. the results were good. we have had three consecutive budget surpluses totaling $1.40 billion. we more than doubled the rainy day fund.

we gave two 3% performance bonuses to our great state employees. we have maintained virginia aaa bond rating while the federal government was losing theirs. we bolstered agency efficiency. we eliminated and consolidated dozens of boards and commissions and agencies and programs to save money. we set priorities and cut spending. in the last three years, i have recommended and you have accepted cuts and reallocations of spending of more than a billion dollars, and i thank you for that. we have made government live within its means. we put the most defunding into transportation since 1986 and stayed within zero or five%, self-imposed debt limit.

in 2011, we started over 900 projects in virginia. as of august, a record $14 billion in profits are now under construction. including the downtown-midtown tunnel project. we just restarted the amtrak passenger rail service from norfolk for the first time in 35 years. last session, we reformed and stabilize the virginia retirement system that hundreds of thousands of our fellow virginians rely on for their retirement security. all california and illinois and other states were marching toward pension insolvency, we put the most new funding into the system in the history of virginia. we have reduced the unfunded

liability by $9 billion by 2031. moody's praised our reform of credit, and i want to thank senator watkins and delegate jones for their work in making that happen last session. our 2011 plan marked top jobs legislation has made the college bream more affordable and more accessible for more young people in virginia. our whole statutory goal of 100,000 new degrees over the next 15 years, with a focus on degrees is supported by $350 million of new investment that you agreed to make over the next three years. the best part of these reforms are working, because over the last two years, we have had over 3800 new slots for undergraduate, in-state students. best of all, tuition increases averaged only 4% this year after a decade of double-digit tuition increases. that is good news for our young people. [applause] i am sure you agree, more diplomas' means more jobs. we increased the percentage of k-12 funding going into the classroom to 64%, heading to 65%.

graduation rates are up, dropout rates are now at the lowest level in a very long time. they have fallen more than 25% in the last five years. last session we ended social promotion to the fourth grade for our young people that cannot read well. there are now more stem teachers and more programs and less bureaucracy in our schools. we are also making good on our progress to clean up the

chesapeake bay, and meeting our goals under the watershed implementation plan that i signed a couple of years ago. in 2011, our major waste-water facility exceeded pollution reduction goals by more than 2000% for nitrogen and 450% for phosphorus. we rank second in the nation for reducing nitrogen pollution in the chesapeake bay. thank you, job well done. [applause] but the news is better. the blue crab population is now at a near 20-year high, and 66% greater than it was just a year ago. tonight, i hope you'll join me in a reception featuring virginia crabs and oysters, to literally taste a little bit of our collective success. our committees are getting safer. the violent crime rate is lower than at any time since the early 1960's, the lowest in the south, and the fifth lowest in the nation.

the property crime rate is the lowest in the nation and the eighth lowest nationally. tough punishment and no parole actually works. our adult recidivism rate has fallen to one of the lowest rates in all of america. we passed tough new laws to combat domestic abuse, drunk driving, and last year we passed the most significant reforms in over a decade to punish repeat drug dealers and child sex offenders. i want to thank the senator and delegate for their leadership in this. second, we dramatically increased our prison reentry system. most offenders will be back out on the street. what we want is more good citizens and less returning prisoners. tonight, i am pleased to announce that our administration has now restored the civil rights of more virginians than any other administration in the history of virginia. [applause]

here is the plan. here in virginia, in the cradle of democracy, we enact policies that actually work. in washington, we see debt, taxes, delays, blank, and this function. but here in virginia, we see results, solutions, job growth, surpluses, and cooperation. what a difference 90 miles can make. virginia is ranked as america's most livable state and the best state in which to make a living. i think you will know that every other major national business publications puts virginia in the top three best states in which to do business.

while that is all good, there are many areas where i believe we must play a much stronger foundation for the future of our commonwealth. this session, i am asking you to work with me to get a few big things done that i believe will create more jobs and more opportunities for our people. when you leave here on time, in 45 days, i want to be able to report to our citizens that our schools are on the way to being the most challenging, innovative, council, an excellent in all the world. [applause] and secondly that you have made game changing reforms and investments in transportation. if a young person does not graduate from high school or do

not graduate, rear or college ready, then here is the top news. you have failed, i have failed, but worst of all, they have failed. ultimately, regardless of the zip code, all students must have world-class education opportunities. that is the only way we will continue to recruit world-class companies like those that have come to virginia. they all require highly educated, highly motivated employees. here is a brutal fact. when it comes to educating our young people, america is slipping. while virginia schools break well nationally, according to the program for international student assessment, the u.s. now ranks 14th in reading. 17th in science, and 25th in mathematics. that is not acceptable. those are not grades we want to put on the national refrigerator.

the time for action is now. i want to thank delegate kirk thompson and the chairman of the all student campaign. they have created a number of proposals i will announce this year. it starts with the idea that great students and schools make great citizens. a great teacher, like my sister, makes all the difference in the world in the life of a young person. we need to recruit, retain, and reward excellent teachers, and then treat them like the professionals that they are. [applause] first i am proposing giving teachers their first state-

supported pay raise since 2007, and my budget limits provide $58 million for a 2% pay raise. the education fairness act will streamline the bureaucratic grievance procedure to benefit both teachers and principals. we will extend the probationary period from three years to five years and require a satisfactory performance rating, as demonstrated through the new performance evaluation system. good teachers will flourish. poor ones will not. i want to thank the majority leader and delegate for their leadership on that bill. students in virginia are falling behind in mastering the disciplines that are critical for progress and success in the global economy. that is why i am asking you this year to approve funding to

support new teachers to teach math and science, technology and engineering in our middle and high schools. we need to make sure that the very best teachers in every subject have incentives to xl. i am proposing $50 million for school districts to reward their high performing educators. this strategic compensation plan is based on a model that has been developed here in virginia and replicated throughout the country. the program will be implemented through local guidelines. i want to thank senator vogel for being a champion of this initiative. i am proposing legislation to start the successful teach for america program here in the commonwealth.

since 1990, teach for america has placed 28,000 exceptional graduates into some of the nation's most daunting school systems. all over america, the program works, but not here in virginia. there are almost 300 teach for america graduates now that are from virginia, and i want them to be able to teach right here at home in the commonwealth. i am also asking you to approve a budget amendment and fully fund the state share of staffing standards for blind and visually impaired students in virginia, once and for all. [applause]

i also propose a new method to obtain waivers from bureaucracy, putting initiative this and expanding education and youth development programs in our schools. parents need to know more about what is going on in their kids' school. that is key to success. they need to know also how well their child's school exactly working. i believe we should grade schools just like we grade students. i am proposing a school ranking scale to empower parents and students and teachers so they can demand excellence in the schools. this new grading transparency

will allow us to hold schools more accountable for their performance. even in a state like virginia that has a very good public education system, some students are trapped in schools that are underperforming or not accredited, and that is unacceptable, and it must end now. so i propose that we equip low performing schools with a turnaround specialist and additional resources from the state and private sector. if they got those resources and have not improved, then a change has to be made. we need to have a zero tolerance policy for failing schools here in virginia. so i am asking you to approve

this year a bold new initiative to establish a statewide opportunity education institution to provide high quality educational alternatives for students attending chronically underperforming schools in virginia. this opportunity will be new statewide school division to turn around schools that are not performing well. if the school is consistently failing, the institutional step in to manage it. if the school has failed for two years or more, the institution can take it over and provide a brand new management system to a broken school, and that will make a change in that school for those young people. i want to thank senator mcdougal for his leadership on this bill. this is a model that has worked national. louisiana, tennessee have created recovery and achievement districts, and the results are positive.

many of you accompanied our secretary on a trip to louisiana and you saw it in person and know it works. we don't have any other option. failing schools will not be tolerated in virginia. i can tell you as the parent of five children that are with us tonight, all of whom have graduated from good virginia public schools, we must raise the bar and be intolerant of failure. we must continue to bring more innovation and more choices to the public-school system. excellent education demands having the courage to try new things and to be innovative. public charter schools have done well nationally to help bring options to our most underserved communities. the charter schools can increase flexibility and innovation and offer a wider range of educational experience. we have approved new taurus school laws, but we have not

done enough. pennsylvania had 164 new charter schools. virginia had four. we have one of the weakest charter school laws in all the country. the best public charter school offered in the nation will not come to virginia because we have made it virtually impossible for them to get started here. we need new charter school walls that demand excellence, set clear standards, and welcome the best charter schools into our communities. i am asking you to join me to pass a constitutional amendment to allow the state board of education to authorize charter applications here in our state. [applause] i am also asking for your support for similar legislation to eliminate the requirement that local school boards at the local level was first applied

for authorization from the state board of elections. let the localities have that choice. these ideas taken together will make it much easier to prove charter school to open here in virginia. better schools mean better jobs and a stronger virginia. we must also led the foundation for a stronger virginia by at modernizing our transportation infrastructure system. the money we directed to transportation in 2011 was the most in a generation. it is a good start, but it is is short term solution. you can see the $14 million in projects under way and all the construction jobs that have now been created. but the long-term infrastructure solutions have not been found yet. today, the main this deficit for education is down from two years ago. it will be $500 million more again in just five years. instead of construction dollars going to build roads, what is happening now is those dollars are going to paving and potholes.

the gas tax is worth 45% of the purchasing power it was in 1987. all asphalt has gone up 350%. increasing fuel-efficient see and the rise of alternative fuel projects alternative fuel vehicles are further chipping away at the purchasing power of the gasoline tax. the texas transportation institute brent washington, d.c and northern virginia the most congested region in the country in 2011. and hampton roads is not far behind. cnbc drop us from first to third in the nation in our business rankings, due to our inadequate transportation funding system.

so we must reform and reinvest in transportation infrastructure, or job growth and quality family time will suffer. therefore, i am asking this session, please do not leave without approving a long-term transportation funding plan for virginia. and please do not send me a budget that does not include transportation funding. we are out of excuses. the time to act is now. yesterday i announced a plan to invest an additional $3.10 billion in virginia transportation networks over the next five years. a plan that will provide new funding annually by the year 2018. i want to thank the speaker and senator newman for taking the lead on these initiatives and others that will join charlie.

the plan includes increasing virginia transportation share of the existing sales tax to .75% phased in over the next five years. for 2014, the amount is $49 billion. if we cannot allocate 0.3 of 1% of virginia's existing revenues for transportation, then we are just not serious about fixing the transportation problem. with a half billion dollars in surpluses and revenue growth of 5%, and ongoing savings strategies in place, i submit that it is absolutely wrong to say that we cannot afford a small amount of projected general fund revenue for transportation in our state. i propose dedicating a little over $300 million of that money

to build a metro road project. that will be a start. the rest of the revenues will go to put more money into construction. the plan have suggested will eliminate virginias 17.5 since per gallon tax on gasoline and replace it with a. 08% increase in the sales and use tax that will not tax gasoline. we will be the first day in the nation to eliminate the gas tax, which is projected to be in a long-term stay a decline. over the next five years, this common sense change will provide over $600 million more from organic, economic growth, not from tax increases. we will maintain the tax on diesel fuel because 68% of that fuel is consumed by out-of-state truckers.

trucks comprise four 0.2% of the road miles traveled the cost of to 80% of our maintenance needs. these policies taken together will generate $500 million for year by fy 2018. every new dollar you invest and maintenance equates to an additional dollar freed up for construction. the total impact will lead to $1.80 billion in new construction spending over the next five years. demand for new and improved transit and intercity passenger rail also continues to grow here in virginia. as new services come online, and the federal mandates of passenger rail investment are committed, we must provide additional revenue.

the plan i propose includes some other funding mechanisms. first, a $15 increase in the motor vehicle registration motor vehicle registration fee and $100 alternative fuel vehicles feet. it will provide over $100 million in additional revenue to fund transit and passenger rail. i am a strong supporter of alternative fuel vehicles and i think many of you are as well. i have directed the state through executive order to convert all of our state vehicle fleet to natural gas, to save money and help clean the environment. these vehicles generate very little federal gas tax revenue. therefore, the small fee will help them pay their share of the funds to maintain and improve our roads. the only, the plan i propose to you will dedicate the majority of the anticipated revenue from the expected passage of the marketplace equity act pending

in congress to transportation. these are existing revenues that virginia should already collects. there is broad bipartisan support for this measure in congress and we are very hopeful it will pass this year. so i recommend the remainder of the new revenues from the marketplace equity act to be dedicated to public education and local governments, consistent with our current sales tax distribution formula. i know there are parts of this plan you like and parts of the plan you will not like. that is true of any innovative and comprehensive transportation plan. but we cannot let another session be lost as each member holds out for their view of the perfect plan. the more we sit and debate, the logger virginians sit and wait. so i expect to sign a transportation funding plan this

year. better transportation means better jobs. [applause] we can further strengthen our business climate by passing some common sense is this liability reforms. there are a number of common- sense measures that will ease the burden on the job creators and create more certainty for small businesses in virginia. this is an important initiative. i also ask that to strengthen our commitment to make college more affordable and more accessible by increasing our grant program from $2,800 to $3,100 for virginia students. this will benefit over 21,000 virginia is going to private

colleges. i am recommending an additional $31 million for public colleges and universities on top of what has been dedicated the last couple of years, to continue to add more slots for in-state virginia students to bring tuition increases down further. [applause] i have asked specifically already for our presidents and board of visitors members to further increase their operating efficiency so that in 2013, they will keep increases for in-state students to know more than the consumer price index to help lower student debt here in virginia. we must prepare now for the unprecedented uncertainty that is being created in washington

d.c. our focus on cash reserves does just that. a recent report which looked at health status or position for the future said this about virginia. compared to other states, virginia does not have a structural budget problem. virginia manages its debt carefully. virginias fiscal management and institutions are stronger than most. that is good, but we no changes are coming from washington d.c., and they will test us. i want to thank the leadership of the chairman for things they have done to help manage the budget process the last few years. the problem in washington is real. we are $16 trillion in debt. we added $4 trillion with the

vote on new year's day. there is no bipartisan will to cut spending and reform entitlements. the fiscal cliff was kicked down the road. decades of over promising and overspending have led to an embarrassing situation of fiscal irresponsibility. but the problem is, of virginia is uniquely vulnerable because of our high proportion of federal workers and defense spending. given the unresolved, in washington, i propose a number of measures. we should add another $50 million to more than double our rainy day fund to nearly $740 million by the end of this fiscal year. i ask that to bolster our federal contingency fund to address the negative impact.

the economic downturn has made it difficult for our counties and cities. some of the policies we passed up here have made it worse. that is why i am proposing $45 million to eliminate the awkward policy of localities writing checks back to the state at the end of the fiscal year. the cost of medicaid in our budget has grown 1600% in the last 30 years. now consumes 21% of the total general fund. va simply cannot afford to become the bank for a federally designed expansion of medicaid. president obama said in 2009, as we move forward on health reform, it is not sufficient for us to simply add more people to medicare or medicaid to increase coverage in the absence

of cost controls and reform. another way of putting it is, we cannot simply put more people into a broken system that does not work. he was right. the federal government must promptly authorize real, innovative, state run medicaid reform to allow us at the state level to run and manage our programs better. without dramatic reform, i cannot recommend dramatic expansion in medicaid. health benefit exchanges i believe or a bad idea. the federal mandate in that bill will increase the cost of insurance for most virginians and will crowd out other opportunities in the insurance industry. the ongoing failure of the federal government to provide a clear and cogent guidance and

regulation has made it impossible by october 2013. we will not operate a state based exchange that gives upside financial risk. it is not good for virginia. [applause] during the process, we'll continue to work to ensure that virginia maintains her traditional regulation of our own insurance market. we will continue to press forward with our own health reform. we have allocated $3 million to facilitate bold reform through the center through health innovation. soon our state health insurance plan will offer employees an opportunity to improve their own health a lower-cost through a leading consumer driven health-care program.

i think, like all virginians, maureen and i were shocked at the tragic news that came out of sandy hook elementary school a month ago. 26 people, including 20 precious, beautiful young children, were senselessly killed. while some evil acts can never fully be understood by us, we must be prepared to do everything we can to prevent them. i am proposing a targeted the mental help fund. i ask you to approve $5 million for specific adult and child crisis services and an additional $1 million for children's mental health services. i am opposing $750,000 of the budget to assist in discharging individuals from state

hospitals who are ready for that transition home in a safe way. i am sure you'll agree that caring for our fellow virginians who have help predict mental-health issues is an expression of who we are as a people and as society. i have established a task force that i have appointed today to review all security policies in effect in our schools and colleges, and to make recommendations to me by january 31. i anticipate sending legislation to be able to improve school and campus safety for our young people. [applause] we must also better care for children in our society who are in need a permit homes with loving care.

joining us tonight are jeff and angie williams. they cannot have children of their own. they knew there were wonderful, loving children out there just waiting for a good home with loving parents. so they adopted two foster care children. one is now 20, and the other is here with us tonight. [applause] i want to thank you for being model adoptive parents. leona, i expect to see you down here delivering your own state of the commonwealth speech here in about 30 years. [applause]

tonight i am asking you to join with me in ensuring that more little girls like leona get great parents like jeff and angie. there are 1100 foster care children currently awaiting adoption. i have provided money to provide for roughly 1000 families to adopt foster care children. this will help more young children find the loving homes and loving parents that they need. i want to thank secretary janet kelly for her leadership in bringing this to my attention. i am also saying to you today that we owe our children a clean environment and a clean chesapeake bay. i am proposing a $200 million water quality improvement bond issue that will provide over $100 billion for much-needed

waste water treatment plant upgrades, and $35 million for urban storm water projects in multiple municipalities all over the state. the budget surplus will provide an additional $17 million for projects that are proving successful around the state. partly because i am concerned about the number of oysters you may consume later tonight, i am also asking that you approve 2.5 borrows million for the marine resources commission for targeted oyster restoration projects. i believe it will be the largest single oyster restoration project in the history of virginia. while we have significantly improved and fast tracked the restoration of civil rights, it is still an executive process.

as a nation, and for me as a governor who believes in redemption and second chances, and helping people that make mistakes, i think is good time we provide a clear path for willing individuals who want to become productive members of society once they have served their sentences and have paid their fines and restitution and their debt to society. i think is good time for virginia to join most of the other states in the country and make the restoration of civil rights an automatic process for nonviolent offenders in our state. [applause]

this session, delegates have introduced bills to address this issue. i urge your support for legislation that creates an automatic restoration of rights process for nonviolent felons. production of programs again this year, as well as legislation to streamline and simplify the state procurements process to help small business owners succeed. we have done an awful lot of working together and we will do a lot more in this session. the unemployment rate is down. more virginians are going to college and tuition increases have fallen sharply. transportation projects are under way. the pension system is more stable. we have had three straight budget surpluses. i believe all that represents the very best of what we have come to know around here as the virginia way.

we continue to help middle-class families and build a commonwealth of opportunity for all of our people. i hope that is why you are here. if you live in virginia, every year is a campaign year. what we accomplished in this building for our people is so much more important than any political campaign. if politics trumps effective governing, then we all lose. we will all be remembered for what we actually get done, not what we promised to do. you remember what our parents taught us, talk is cheap. the virginia way has been about fighting civilly for our principles, but also finding common ground. that has happened here for two

centuries in mr. jefferson's capital. the challenges i lay out to you are clear. we need to reform and reinvest in transportation infrastructure. this session, let's do it. we need more innovation and accountability in our public school system to promote great teachers and grade schools to produce good citizens. this session, let's make it happen. we need for government and budget reforms to strengthen the commonwealth fiscal standing in the face of unprecedented uncertainty in washington. this session, let's enact it. we need more jobs and more access to the great american dream. it brought my grandfather here from ireland 100 years ago. this session, let's provide it. i am asking you to join me in continuing the time-honored virginia way of laying the foundation for virginias future. so thank you for your service to the people of virginia, and may god's blessings rain on

this great commonwealth of virginia. thank you, and god bless. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2013] >> now, the governor of connecticut gives his annual state of the state address. he speaks of the victims of the newtown elementary school shooting. the lieutenant governor provides opening remarks from the state house in hartford. this is about half an hour. [applause]

>> thank you. it is hard to believe that two years have passed since the governor and i have -- took office, and that this is the third time i've had the honor of introducing him to the assembly. these years have certainly brought their hard chip to our state, and natural and otherwise, but there is no question that despite the many headwinds we have faced, this governor has ended years of complacency in our state government and is moving connecticut forward again. our state has reinvigorated itself on so many levels, weather it -- whether it is our approach to spng