Members of the legislature, justices of the utah supreme court, my wife, jeanette, Lieutenant Governor mrs. Cox, constitutional officers and my fellow utahans. It is an honor to address you in this historic state capital which serves as a symbol of our collective dreams and aspirations. Three weeks ago at our state inauguration had the privilege of hearing the mormon tabernacle choir. I am pleased to report to you in spite of their decision to sing at my inauguration not one choir member has resigned. [applause] remember the choir performed climb every mountain. As they sank i reflected on all the mountains we must climb and conquer in our personal lives as a people and as a state. Utah was climbing out of the great recession, recognized so many challenges required a robust economy. We made economic recovery our primary objective. Our climb has been arduous but the height that utahs economy occupies is remarkable. I truly could spend all evening listing the National Accolades that come our way. I know you want me to do that but let me knows bottom line facts. Last year utah had one of the fastestgrowing Technology Sectors in all of america and utah businesses added 43,000 jobs to our economy. [applause] thanks to the collective efforts of lawmakers and officials gathered here tonight and primary thanks to the hard work and cooperation of the people of utah, i can say emphatically that the state of our state is truly exceptional. [applause] we havent come this far to only go this far. There are several important summits for us to climb over the next four years. Before we talk about those peaks and two of the deep shadowy valleys in the states current landscape, drug addiction and homelessness. I believe those closest to such issues will have the most, i am encouraged to see local elected officials and Law Enforcement and local charities working together to alleviate those seeking treatment and those needing shelter but i recognize the state has a role in addressing this problem. I am particularly grateful for your willingness to address this issue head on. I look forward to your assessment and recommendations what further states the board is meeting as you are the legislature engage with and monitor local efforts. As a state, let us be absolutely clear, we will no longer tolerate the unconscionable drug trade that victimizes the most vulnerable in the community. Let us all agree tonight that this absolutely must stop. [applause] thank you. I wish we had time to come through every challenge we face but with direct our gauge to the summits ahead of us. Utah can be at the top of the nation in student achievement. We have come some distance. Since 2009 utahs Graduation Rate has climbed to 75 to 85 . The most recent National Assessment of educational progress, the nations report card, utahs fourth graders ranked eighth in math, seventh in reading and fifth science. They ranked eighth in math, 6 in reading and first in the nation in science. Thanks to the dedication and hard work of utahs teachers, parents and students, we can confidently say utah is getting a superior return investment in education. Im gratified for our progress, we still have work to do. Our strong aggregate statistics mask challenges faced by our students but i remain hopeful because i know of utahs innovative cando spirit. Therefore i truly do believe utah and be number one in the nation on meaningful measurable milestones of student achievement. Im pleased business leaders, parents and educators across the state are close to uniting on an innovative 10 year plan for kindergarten through high school that will take education in utah from where we are which is pretty darn good to where we need to go which is to be at the very top. Governance of Public Education system is complex. Our state board of education has the general control of supervision, constitution tasks you the legislature with the establishment and maintenance of Public Education system. The most important work is accomplished by educators and parents at the local level and 41 school districts, 119 charter schools, all designed to make Students College and career ready. Structurally, the power to convene, the power of this bully pulpit. I will do all i can to push support of frontline educators for appropriate accounting and innovative alignment between the dynamic marketplace. For example jobs in the Aerospace Industry are growing faster and there are trained workers to fill them. To address this, in 2015 i announced a Pilot Program called Utah Aerospace pathways. Aerospace pathways provide High School Students with early training, internships and head start getting into the workforce with worldclass Aerospace Companies in utah such as boeing, excel and a tk. Cold winters who is here with us tonight was one of the first in aerospace pathways, recently his father, luke winters, was also with us tonight, wrote to me about the great experience his son had in this program. Even better, his experience with his internship was so positive the company hired him out of high school. The pathways model assures parents their children will find meaningful employment in the state of utah and gives confidence to businesses that they will have a qualified workforce and supports our schools by optimizing engagement in business and education. Therefore i am pleased to announce tonight a major collaboration called talent ready utah that will accelerate these mutually reinforcing successes led by the Governors Office of economic development, my Education AdvisorTammy Pfeiffer and in partnership with the state board of education, talent ready utah will expand Career Opportunities state wide, by increasing the businesses and educational partnerships. Pathways like programs, and hundreds of businesses across use our to partner with education and we anticipate talent ready utah will defend 40,000 new high skilled, high paying jobs for the next four years. [applause] working together we invested 1. 8 million in new money and education over the last 5 years, i thank you for your wisdom and foresight and commitment. As you know, because utah has had the Fastest Growing student population in the nation we have significant funding to accommodate the growth. To push our way to the top to invest more money in education. At the same time i am very concerned about altering tax policies, for the economic engine but the best way to ensure ongoing growth of education, to grow the economy. Tax rates affect Business Investments wont help us make good policy decisions. I get it, you get it, no one likes to pay taxes. The state requires sufficient revenue to form public functions we the people need. Utahs benefit, sound and diversified revenue policy helped us to whether economic shocks better than any state in america. Over the years, utahs base that reduces tax revenue has narrowed. Outofstate purchases since 1937, back then outofstate purchases were few and far between, it was not a big deal. He purchased more and more goods outofstate because of convenience of online shopping. Collection of use tax on those purposes, cumbersome. The legislative fiscal analyst, office of management and budget, utah state tax estimate the unpaid use taxes, 200 million per year and rising. The tax system has become complicated. In 1996 there were 48 sales tax exemptions, today 89. Income tax credit of more than tripled from 12 to 38. This is creating pressure to raise tax rates. To resolve this issue on how to effectively collect all the but unpaid use tax, if Congress Wont do its job, you the Legislature Must provide our own state solution. Urge a thorough legislative review of each and every tax exemption, to examine whether it has outlived its usefulness. That means making taxes fair by eliminating loopholes and broadening the base. I look forward to working with president leader hauser, speaker use, senator henderson, representative peterson and others in the legislature particularly with members of the private sector to improve the fairness and equity of our tax system. Maintaining utahs number one business friendly environment. [applause] i believe government regulations are designed to level Playing Field and protect the public and an example of effective state regulations can be found with how utah governs alcohol. The result of been strong as attested by utahs low dui fatalities, low binge drinking rate and enviable Public Safety record but there is room for improvement. Therefore i appreciate the good work being done by representative brad wilson and senator Gerri Stevenson to improve our alcohol policy. For the past several months we have been working closely together to evaluate laws governing alcohol dispensing, licensing, prevention, education and enforcement. They have focused their only on the issue of dispensing restrictions. That would be one aspect of this. This is about Public Health and Public Safety. We will ensure that our regulations coupled with additional state resources focus on education, prevention and enforcement practices proven to reduce underage drinking, alcohol abuse and impaired driving. I believe we can do this without stigmatizing how responsible adults purchase alcoholic drinks in dining establishments and we can do this without blurring the distinction between restaurants and bars. To that end we will Work Together this legislative session to keep and enhance what works for utah and repeal what does not. [applause] a year ago i pledged we would not rest until all 29 counties in 245 cities and towns with full participants in utahs tremendous economic success. We are making progress, tourism, 8. 2 billion industry in utah is generating over 1 billion in state and local taxes and bringing jobs and more Economic Diversity to citizens and towns in rural utah. Moreover visitation at five national parks, state parks and other areas of the state hit record levels over the past year but tourism is only one piece of the puzzle. Many businesses are working with the state to innovate and expand. When example is how wes tomatoes where stateoftheart technology is helping to grow their this by 280 fulltime jobs. Still, the fact remains that parts of utah outside are struggling. Tonight i would like us to unite behind a goal of 20,000 new jobs in 25 counties for the next four years. [applause] reaching that goal will required unprecedented partnerships to diversify the economy. I will work with Lieutenant Governor cox and rural partnership, the private sector and the legislature to ensure all utah has the same Economic Opportunities. Lets Work Together to create 20,000 new jobs in parts of utah. Another issue that worries me and concerns you at this time of year is our air quality. Utah is the Fastest Growing state of america which means more trucks and automobiles contribute to our air pollution and there is in fact no Silver Bullet to our pollution problems. Statewide nonprofit and powers individuals and organizations to take proactive steps to reduce pollution. We continue to fasttrack the arrival of cleaner deals, cleaner cars and to get people to drive less and consume more. Utah will soon collect an estimated 35 million from volkswagen and their settlement to improve how diesel technologies affect air quality. I have asked the Environmental Quality and division of air quality to convene stakeholders to analyze and identify how valuable settlement dollars give us the largest sustainable reduction of pollution possible. Those discussions should include replacing highpowered diesel engines and including those of older diesel Burning School buses. [applause] as you know we are already making a difference. Utahs population increased by 600,000 between 2002, and 2014, statewide emissions declined by 30 . That is a 46 reduction in per capita emissions. We accomplish this by requiring refineries and other Large Industries to invest hundreds of millions of dollars on the best available admission control technology and by expanding our Transit System faster than any state in the country. By educating the public about what we can do such as carpooling and turning down our thermostats and engage with industry to encourage construction of Energy Efficient buildings and by making inroads in alternative energy. Utah is in the top 10 in the nation for elected vehicle adoption and number one when it comes to compressed natural gas infrastructure. And a positive difference for air quality like refineries that accelerate fuels to the market. Those organizations, extra encouragement to help us make measurable improvements to air quality. This is a shared responsibility. Lets keep it up, double our efforts and we shouldnt have to climb to the summit to be clean air. [applause] last week i was in washington dc. Having just returned from the inauguration lets attest one message clear from the new administration, power is returned to the people and the state. [applause] im confident the new administration and Congress Working with the state will enact major reforms that will enable us to gain greater control and management, transportation, healthcare, and public lands. There is appreciation for the 10th amendment and realization the states are laboratories of democracy, where solutions are developed and improve peoples lives. It is at the state level, local demographics taking place, utah is at the forefront of the innovation and effort. Thank you all. There are challenges ahead which we have a history of working to accomplish what others say is too hard. Find the odds to achieve greatness is part of our cultural dna. Alpine resident and entrepreneur greg paul, founder of the proctor moment climbing gym is located in salt lake city, sandy and lehigh and in 2003 when the doctor told greg his knees were shot, taking up croquet. The seemingly impossible dream to summit mount everest, in 2008 he had his right knee replaced with an artificial system made by draperbased ortho development. His first attempt at everest in 2012 ended when avalanches forced his team to cancel the climb. Later that same year he had his left knee replaced. The second crack at everest in 2014 fell short when a major avalanche killed or than a dozen people on the mountain. Finally, this last leg. On his third attempt, his climbing team paused short of everetts summit wondering whether to turn back once again. Early on the morning of, get this, friday the 13th, greg shrugged off all superstition and seeing the weather improve over the summit took courage and resume climb accompanied only by his sherpa guide, the first climber to conquer everest in three years and the first person ever to conquer everest with artificial knees. Please recognize greg paul who is with us and his family. On the balcony here. Pretty impressive. We have donning summits ahead. We need to get on top of intergenerational poverty, suicide, homelessness and we need to be at the top of the nation aligning training and art marketplace demands. And balanced and competitive while making it fair and inclusive. We need to see the Economic Opportunities are expanding statewide. We need to clean up the air and reinvigorate principles federalism to allow us to apply utah solutions to utah challenges. Like greg paul it might take years of planning and preparation to reach our goal. We may face insurmountable obstacles on first and second attempts. Like greg we will need utah innovation and technology to enhance our National Capacity but also like greg we need to keep our eye focused on lofty objectives recognized when momentary window of opportunity opens and sees the day and press on to the top. Personally i am committed to this track no matter how difficult. I am exhilarated by the challenge because i have never ever been more optimistic about utahs prospects for success. And all of you join me in this effort. May god bless us as we together climb ever higher. May god bless america, may god continue to bless the great state of utah, thank you so very much. [applause] today in washington the annual march for life rally, scheduled speakers include members of congress, white house advisor Kellyanne Conway and mike pence. Live coverage begins at noon eastern on cspan. Paul ryan talks to reporters from politico about the republican legislative agenda and president trumps first days in office. Live coverage begins at 3 00 pm eastern. Every weekend booktv brings 48 hours of nonfiction books and authors and heres what is coming up this weekend. Why were the jews killed . Because of a longstanding tradition of hatred activated under particular political circumstances, fomented by a regime that was thoroughly capable of whipping up the population to participate in it, then undertook a war into a region where there were hundreds of thousands of people defined as enemies, and resolved under conditions of war time to wipe these people out. 10 00 eastern on afterwards, Alfred University professor wester, that the philosophy behind frugal living in his book the wisdom of frugality, why less is more more or less. He is interviewed by michelle singleterry, Washington Post columnist. The crucial thing is not to never spend money on any kind of luxury at all. The crucial thing is to be selfaware about what it the value, what is really worth spending money on and where you are just wasting money or just spending it just because people tell you that is what you want to be doing, the kind of thing you want to be buying. Sunday at 7 30 eastern, georgetown University Professor michael dyson, a sermon to White America looks at the country as racial divide. What we want is a cessation of the philosophy of stereotype and granting to us the same humanity that you grant each other. Go to booktv. Org for the complete weekend schedule. Now the annual massachusetts state of the commonwealth address with recover republican governor charlie baker. This is 35 minutes. [applause]