Test test test captioning performed by vitac which were literally on the cusp of bankruptcy. The legacy of a man who impacted georgia perhaps more than anyone else in the latter portion of the 20th century, governor zell, it was one of the most generous merit based scholarship programs in the country when he created. It continues to be so today because of the reforms we put in place seven years ago. Thank you to governor miller and for all that he did to establish this very far sighted and continuing program. [ applause ] because we together did the difficult but necessary work of saving that tree of opportunity, many more students will sit under the shade in the years to come and benefit from its fruit of Higher Education, whether it is in the form of a certificate, an Associates Degree or a bachelors degree. Our public colleges and universities have been and will continue to be a source of pride. In fact, according to the 2018 u. S. News and world report, Public School rankings, georgia is currently one of only three states to have more than 1 Higher Education institution in the top 20. Our state will depend on the continued production of quality graduates from these types of institutions if we want to preserve our educated, trained and sustained workforce. In order for us to achieve that goal, we must have workers who possess the requisite knowledge and skills for the jobs of today and the future. Some of those jobs will require a college degree. Others will require certifications and more specialized degrees from a technical school. We need both our university and Technical College systems to remain competitive and im happy to report that both have adjusted their degree and Training Programs to meet the needs of our states Diverse Economic climate. [ applause ] with us today is the new commissioner of our Technical College system. Hes matt arthur, who also by the way helped lead the university of georgia bulldogs to the 1980 National Championship as an offensive lineman. Matt in recognition of your leadership on the field and in the field of education, would you please stand and let us recognize you . [ applause ] while we continue to extend and support the university system, ive been pleased in recent years we added certificate and degree programs within our Technical College system that provide a solution for the problems we faced coming out of the great recession. At the height of our unemployment rate, i ask the employers of the state can you find proper candidates here in georgia for the oppositions in your company . Their answer was often a very loud no. We created a program known as the hope career grant that covers 100 of tuition or Technical College students who enroll of one of our georgia strategic industry high demand fields. Although this program is only a few years old, it is already bearing exceptional fruit. In fact, of those students who take advantage of this resource, 99. 2 find employment upon the completion of their training and studies. That is why i was proud to grow that forest of potential by adding five new categories to that incredibly successful program. So as of ten days ago, we now have 17 specific fields that allow our employers to answer yes when i ask them if they can find qualified candidates for open jobs. Throughout our state, and all 22 tcsg campuses, we have pockets of excellence in terms of Economic Development. In order to better leverage those tools, im happy to announce well create a new Deputy Commissioner position within our Technical College system. This individual will develop and maintain a unified process within our 22 campuses coordinate with the department of Economic Development as they interact with companies here in the state of georgia this will create an organized and seamless effect to assist existing businesses that can benefit from training and in ever changing and evolving marketplace. I would like to introduce the woman who will fill that new Deputy Commissioner role, shes with us today laura gamage, will you please stand and allow us to recognize you for the important job youll be doing. [ applause ] to further aid those coming into the workforce or seeking new opportunities, well be moving our States Division of Workforce Development to the Technical College system. In addition, we will be relocating the states customized Recruitment Office to tcsg, further consolidating the separate Workforce Development components into a more streamlined and workable system. Our Technical College system is a resource whos benefits to the entire state will only increase as the number of students increases. In light of the fact that 30 of georgias High School Students choose not to pursue further Education Opportunities after they graduate from high school, we initiated a broad Marketing Campaign over this past year that showcases all that a Technical College has to offer. It is already producing great results, reaching young adults throughout our state who would not have considered previously a Career Opportunity at one of our Technical Colleges. To build on that success, my proposed budget includes an additional 1 million for this campaign so that we can strategically market the colleges throughout georgia. I want to share with you some of those fruits of our labor today. So please direct your attention to the following videos that feature students telling us about the great opportunities available through tscg and youll also hear from a young man whose life journey was significantly altered by specialized training offered through tcsg. Now is the time to answer. Whats next . With the Technical College system of georgia, quality education is affordable. Offering courses that will transfer to a long list of fouryear universities and an opportunity to pursue a career in a high demand field where georgias hope career grant can cover 100 of your College Tuition costs. With 22 colleges and 85 campuses. Tcsg, meaningful careers start here. While youre in high school, you can take college courses, earning both high school and college credit. This is the First Step Towards doing what you love at the Technical College system of georgia with over 22 colleges and 85 campuses. Save time and save money with dual enrollment, get a jump start on your college experience. Tcsg, meaningful careers start here. Visit tcsg. Edu to learn more. Appreciate you coming in today and really think youve taken the time to come in and youve got a great story and one wed like to talk more about that really exemplifies what tcsg means to the state of georgia and workforce of georgia. Tell me about yourself. Im joshua hutch inson and i made some bad decisions in my life. Got put in prison, while i was there, west georgia tech gave me an opportunity to get involved in a welding program. I completed the program, got my certificate. Got out, the day after i got out, i got a job working at maintenance and make 18 an hour. Ive got my life back. Ive got my son back. Ive got a job, a car, a house. And really its all because i got out and had a skilled trade from west georgia tech. When i got out that i could present to somebody and tell them that im a skilled craftsman and they hired me the day i got out. What does that job mean to you, joshua . It means everything. I probably could have gotten a job at the Fast Food Restaurant or Something Like that, being able to go to the program with the help of the instructors teaching me how to weld, he was able i was able to get on my feet and do something while and not have to go back to where i came from. How long was the program . It was six months. Did the mobile lab come to you . Where did you actually have the welder . We had a trailer out on like outside the prison. And they they moved the trailer in, put in a bunch of welders and brought the west georgia tech out to instruct us and we started hammering it out and there was ten of us. Nobody knew how to weld or nothing. All ten of us passed with flying colors. Youre a certified welder by the state of georgia . Yes, i am. Congratulations. I think the thing that the Governors Office and state of georgia has done to help inmates out with these programs is one of the best things. With the whole time i was in prison, never seen nothing like it. They have little vocational things and teach you things but where you leave with an actual degree from a Technical College saying youve completed this course and youre certified, theres nothing like it. At no cost to you. At no cost at all. I got out, i had my boots, let me keep my welding gloves and helmet. I was fully prepared to get a job. Its been a blessing. Whoever set it up for inmates to get out and have a better life, its one of the best ideas theyve ever come up with. One of the rock stars in your situation a woman named laura gamage, shes the one that cut through the red tape and had this program put together and got off the ground at west georgia tech. Its amazing. We are pleased to have Joshua Hutchinson with us today along with his welding instructor, scott edson. Please welcome both of these as these gentlemen stand for us today. [ applause ] joshua and others around him around the state are why im adding 1 million to the Budget Proposal to fund two mobile labs that will further enhance our ability to for those studying welding in our tcsg program. Yet another area where were planning sam plings that will soon cover our entire state is in the field of transportation. Three years ago, i asked this General Assembly to act boldly and provide a means of transportation funding capable of addressing our aging infrastructure. Because of your brave action and the bipartisan support, we were able to make the first meaningful transportation investments in an entire generation through projects that are now sprouting up throughout our state. Thanks to the transportation funding act, we are preparing for future generations and the sustained growth were seeing throughout our state, through our unprecedented 10year, 11 billion transportation investment plan. Speaking of highway infrastructu infrastructure, the last time i really spoke to this gathering was on signee die of last year. The same day a fire was set under a portion of interstate 85 and it collapsed. As youre leaving town this year, please dont start any fires. Of of the many men and women throughout georgia who we have to thank for transportation improvements, theres one in particular who deserves our gratitude and our for making our department of transportation the most capable and the most cutting edge in the country. Were fortunate to have that man with us today, so i would like to ask commissioner Russell Mcmurray to stand as we give him a round of applause. [ applause ] over the past seven years, we have partnered together on many great undertakings that now serve as the standard for other states to em ulate, one of the proudest of those has been our overwhelmingly successful and bipartisan criminal Justice Reforms. This is a tree well planted and one that is changing the lives for the better every day. Were doing what so many others thought impossible a decade ago, that is offering to those who have made mistakes, but are willing to work hard to correct them, a Second Chance through our Accountability Courts. The roots of this growing system have taken time to grow having met obstacles in the soil along the way. But they have proven to be the most effective component of our overall criminal Justice Reforms. Individuals whose lives were once controlled by addictions are now able to reclaim forfeited potential, reconnect with their children, retain employment and contribute as tax paying citizens and restore hope for a brighter tomorrow. If you do not think this makes a difference, i invite you on behalf of all of judges of Accountability Courts in this state to attend one of their graduation ceremonies. You will find that your money has been well spent. From the time we first began our criminal Justice Reforms, the number of state funded Accountability Court programs has increased from justice 12 to 149. And im happy to report that every one of our 49 judicial circuits now has at least one type of Accountability Court in operation. [ applause ] when we consider lower rates of crime and lives made whole, our criminal Justice Reforms, especially our education and reentry initiatives have been well worth the investment. They tree of reform and redemption has taken root quickly and growing new branches of acclaimed opportunity every day. It is now greater than any other tree of its kind in the nation and one that women continue to put georgia at the pin cal on this issue. We would be remiss if we did not take this opportunity to thank all of those who have a hand in planting our criminal Justice Reform tree. If you have been a member of the criminal Justice Reform council, would you please stand and be recognized. [ applause ] you members of the General Assembly almost unanimously supported this recommendation over the past six years. This year ill be asking you to favorably consider more of the recommended reforms, further enhancing our public safety. A couple of weeks ago i had the pleasure of addressing georgias newest georgia Trooper School which was 101 Trooper School. A fitting conclusion to the 80th anniversary of the Georgia State patrol. These men and women of courage who wear a badge and vest each day in service to their fellow citizens help make our communities safer places to call home. They along with our local Police Officers and our gbi personnel and dnr rangers and corrections and parole officers and national guardsmen, they all help protect our lives and our property. It is because of their valor and remarkable devotion to duty that we as georgians can live in a safer state. These everyday heroes are the ones who protect our trees of opportunity and ensure that they can grow unabaded for future generations to enjoy. Will you join me in recognizing that valued service of our Law Enforcement officers in this state . [ applause ] is this year we planted a tree of hope for those to help confront Mental Health issues. Created a Commission Last june charging them with recommendations on improving state Mental Health services for our children. I can tell you that the commissions report has been received and my Budget Proposal includes 22. 9 million in funding based on their recommendations i dont know what you said about up to this point, i want to make it clear this is not my obituary or farewell address but it is the last time i have an opportunity to address all of you in this formal setting. We have much work to do during this legislative session. I want you to know that i will work vigorously with you to continue to polish the apples that we are harvesting from our orchards of opportunity. In a little over a years time, sand dra and i will depart from public life after almost four decades of service to the people of the state. [ applause ] but others in this chamber and beyond will continue to have great opportunities to service their fellow georgians. I urge you not to neglect the trees and orchards we have planted over the past seven years. What we do in this the actions we the choices we make while in positions of elected thortd must be for the betterment of all georgians, we must adopt the same mindset and gaze as the pecan farmer who plants a tree and knows its growth is well worth the decades of care and attention that it will take to nurture it to its greatest potential, just as a parent does the same for a child. That is who we planted the trees for after all, our children and grandchildren. They are who we must call to mind on every bill presented with every vote cast and with every campaign announcement. Those who come after us. My administration and i have worked diligently these past seven years to serve our fellow citizens, but we have work yet in this final session but soon we will be looking to you, ladies and gentlemen, to tend the orchard of opportunity. And to continue saplings of potential, not for personal gain but for those that will in future years come during heat of the georgia day and be cooled by the shade of the georgia nights. And now, in the very thankful i am for the as i pointed out earlier, were not in office. Also, want to thank all of those in the executive branch who serve the diligently to improve the lives of our fellow georgia citizens and fulfill their constitutional responsibilities. From our agency heads and commissioners on down to our leadership teams, support staff, compassionate caseworkers, officers and all state workers, thank you for what you do to make our state more prosperous and secure and educated and free. I would like to thank my senior staff, both past and present who have given so much of themselves over the past seven years for the benefit of others. Some have gone on to serve their fellow georgians in other capacities and others remained with me since the very beginning of my term. Some in fact have been with me for decades. Theyve become an extension of my family and to them i say, sandra and i will always cherish what youve done for us and want you to know that you are indeed very important to me. Finally, i want to speak directly to the citizens of georgia. Words alone are incapable of expressing how greatful grateful i am that you have allowed me and sandra to serve you. It has been the honor of the lifetime to travel every part of the great state and marvel at the character, fortitude and talent of our people. The achievements we have enjoyed are ultimately the result of your hard work and perseverance. Thank you for putting your trust in us. Thank you for your kindness and your support and your encouragement and your prayers. Today i can say with Great Authority that the state of our state is not just strong, it is exceptional. [ applause ] since ive already pointed out over half of you were not here when i gave my first state of the state address in 2011, i want to share with you a portion of that speech. Its a pretty good reflection what our goals were then and we can measure it against our successes to date. And this is it. Quote, let us refocus the government on its core responsibilities and relieve our taxpayers of the burden of unnecessary program. Let us be frugal and wise. Let us restore the confidence in our citizens in a government that is limited and efficient. Together let us make georgia the brightest star in the con stelation of these united states. Ends quote. So today, as we stand beneath the trees and orchards of opportunity that we have planted, as we look up into the heaven, we can see that the light of our star now shines the brightest of them all and that light will endure and will not fade away. [ applause ] [ applause ] tuesday morning, were live in little rock arkansas for the next stop on the cspan bus 15 capitals tour. Asa hutchinson will be our guest starting at 9 00 a. M. Eastern. This weekend the cspan cities tour takes you to lynchburg virginia, well explore the rich literary scene and historic sites, watch this weekend beginning at 5 00 p. M. Eastern on booktv on cspan2 and sunday at 2 00 p. M. On cspan3. Working with our cable affiliates as we explore america. Former Vice President joe biden addressed house