[ applause ] [ applause ] all right. Okay. Speaker bozma, president protem long, lieutenant governor, senator lannon, representative pelaf, and members of the assembly and the judiciary, and my fellow hoosiers. It is an honor to stand before you all today to discuss the state of the state and the work that we will do this session to make life better for all of our citizens. While you have given me the privilege of this this podium, i applaud all of you for the work that you have done to helpp indiana groe, and prospe grow and pros sper to ensure that the fiscal house is in order, and thanks for the collective talent of our fellow hoosiers along with your dedication, and along with the predecessors in the office that i can say unequivocally that the state of our state is sound. [ applause ] as i said at my inauguration, together we have the special charge of leading indiana into the third century, and that means that we need to think not just about today, but about the years to come. And we need to act with boldness and courage to solve our Current Issues and prepare indiana for the ever changing future. As we undertake this journey, the secret weapon is the hoosier of Pioneering Spirit itself proven e over 200 years, and the ingenuity and the determination and the common sense that enables us not only to overcome any challenge, but also to continually find better ways of doing things. Its that spirit, and it is that reason that indiana stands today as one of the top five business states in the country. And there are more hoosiers working today than at any other time in our history. [ applause ] these facts are not ends in and of themselves, but rather they tell a kcompelling story about the potential and more possibility of growing opportunities for every hoosier citizen, because we have created one of the best business climates in the country, we have become National Leaders in the business growth. Businesses and jobs that a dozen years ago were going to austin or boston or Silicon Valley are now coming to indiana. Because we saw that innovation and hightech were keys to unlocking the 21st century economy, we aggressively pursued them, and today, those investments have ignited new hightech jobs all across the state. Businesses from all around the world are coming to indiana now, because our costs of living and doing business are low, and the qua quality of our workforce is high. This is great news for hoosier workers, but to paraphrase, Apollo Mission director gene curran, this is about moving forward rerent le relentlessl improving and we know that the world is not going to be standing still, and those who dont keep up will be left behind. For all of the growing strength and the hightech, too many hewes yier businesses are having trouble finding the skilled workers that they need to grow. With the 21st century economy increasingly driven by knowledge and advanced skills, too many hoosiers are not properly prepare for the jobs of the futu future, and not just potential scientists and engineers, but also koerds and machinists and mechanics and welders, and what i said last week, over the next few years we need over 1 million skilled worker s s to replace the 700,000 baby boomers who are going to retire and plus the 300,000 new jobs that we need to create. Oh, we can take the genuine pride of being the crossroads of america, and roads need upkeep, and the hoosiers and the hoosier businesses require stronger c connections now than ever before. And at the exact time when we cant after pord to lose the talents of a single afford to lose the talents of a single citizen, too many hoosiers are caught in the strangling grip of drugs and that illness. To ensure that every hoosier has the opportunity to live up to their potential right here in indiana, our challenge is clear. We need to sustain our momentum and Economic Development and at the same time build on it. This is our task. To take indiana to the next level. So i am proposing a set of transformational priorities, and my five pillars aimed at doing just that. Most will require a longterm commitment and focus. Some will require a new resources and new ways of doing business, but all of them need to start now. For 2017, we must one, create and cultivate a strong and diverse economy to ensure that indiana remains a magnet for jobs. To fund a longterm bridges and road plan that takes the gra greatest advantage of our location. And three, to develop a 21st century skill and ready workforce. Four, attack the drug epidemic, and five to provide Great Government Service at great values to taxpayers. [ applause ] lets start with strengthening and diversifying the economy, because i believe that is the linchpin to improving the hoosier lives and everything that is a little bit easier if you have a job. As we begin the third century, we see jobs and Entry Industries based on the knowledge, technology and innovation, and we are likely to be trading with germany and south korea as we are with georgia and south dakota, and this hit home to me again on a recent trade Relations Mission to london. I visited with the ceos of three major e glglobal companies base there, and taton lyle, the biggest user of corn, and indiana largest steel making facility in north america and rolls royce which makes more of the products here in indianapolis than anywhere in the world, and by the way, just invested another 600 million here. [ applause ] these three ceos all separately shared the same theme with me. Each day they wake up with a world view, and they must grow their business or die. Which means they have to decide which markets to grow and invest in. Our job is to make sure that when they are make those decisions, they see indiana as the sweet spot. That said, the heart and soul of our economy is still small business. Lucas oil didnt start as a stadium. For estli forest lucas was from ramsey, indiana, who sold oil from the trunk of his car. And representative sharon nagle whose candy shops and custard shops have doubled in revenue and employment in the last 20 years in at ta ka and reggie jones started out working in a mcdonalds, and now he owns seven of them. Sonny beck started to drive a tractor in his dads business in 1940 when he was 5 [ laughter ] went allin on the then new technology called hybrid seeds. And last year, he was chosen as the Business Leader of the year by the indiana chamber. [ applause ] so the question is, what will it take to make indiana even more of a jobs magnet . A bedrock is to continue to manage the finances with the discipline we have had over the last 12 years and that is to pass another balanced budget and maintain the rainy day funds with no gimmicks and spendingless than we take in and protecting the future, and that is why i support a balanced budget amendment. This sets us apart from many other states, and keeps us in a good position to withstand future economic downturns and encourages the businesses to locate and stay here in indiana. And another thing that sets our state apart is the low cost of energy. Indiana runs on coal. Lets apply the technology and innovation to find new ways to unleash this abundant sense of power by burning coal cleanly and keeping hoosiers employ and the factories humming. At the same time, we will grow our 21st century economy by investing and nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation and the technology pursuits and i propose a plan to make available 1 billion over the next ten years to make indiana, t the capital of innovation, and this is going to include the next indiana fund, and the 20th century fund and a new Grant Program to support innovation, and entrepreneur initiatives among Higher Education and local Community Edge case, and ask you the support the regional initiatives by investing 400 million more in this budget and that keeps the planning and the momentum going, and in other regions of the state that did not receive the funding in the programs first round. I have talked with the leaders and the three regions that we have funded so far including major budaj of south bend, and winnicy as well in his area. And to coordinate and align their Planning Efforts as never done before and every dollar of state and public funds has generated 14 more in private philanthropic and local commu communities. My second pillar is a sustainable plan to fund our roads and bridges for the next 20 years. We are able to drive the goods that we produce. And intro to 80 of the nations population within 24 hours. And for indiana, the crossroads of america is more than the motto, it is the mission. I will h work with you to establish a plan that preserves what we have, and finishes commitments that we have head and invests in the new products for the nurture and ensures that indi indiana will remain the projects of america, and this is going to include t projects of our stae from 30 to val pa paraiso and 3 south bend and from i65 from jeffersonville to crown point and completing 69 from border to border. And when it comes to paying fora menu of projects, but the existing sources of revenue are not keeping up. Now i am a believer that every time you ask a taxpayer for a dollar, you with better be darn sure that you are going to need it and use it effectively for the intended purposes. If we ask the hoosiers to invest a little be bit more to meet the need, the return is going to be well worth it for them, for our communities and for our economy. In addition to the investments in roads and bridges we must invest in other Infrastructure Projects that is further going to separate us from the competition. That is why i am asking you to authorize funding to strengthen our connection to the country and to the world. This includes double tracking the south shore line to improve access for hoosiers who are traveling between northwest indiana and chicago. And incentives for more direct flights for Better Connect hoosiers to national and international markets. These will save us both time and money. But they are also a critical part of the efforts to attract talent and business to mutually grow. As i think about the future it also including adding a fourth water port in southeastern indiana to accelerate Economic Development and play to the strength in that beautiful part of the state. We also have the responsibility to maintain and strengthen our basic infrastructure that is critical to the communities and our people. And yet, it is showing the strain of age. This may not be sexy, but it has to be done. We will be paying special attention to the waer ter needs and ensure that we have a plan that is sufficient, sustainable and affordable as we move forward. [ applause ] my third pillar is to develop a 21st century skanld rilled and workforce and a system that is going to give every child a strong start all of the way through the Training Programs that ensure that the citizens have the skills they need. Therefore, with must make sure that the resources are properly aligned to produce the skillsets that our businesses crave. I look forward to working with representative houston to develop and e krcreate and reconfigure that workforce with all of the develop programs and funding so that the feed noo t today and tomorrow are satisf d satisfied, but it starts way before the first interview. The most Vulnerable Children deserve a fair start, too. So i called for us to double the States Investment in prekindergarten to 20 million annually. We also know that science and technology, engineering and math, and the s. T. E. M. Subjects are critical for the 21st century jobs and not just phds but a growing number of jobs in all of the key sectors of the economy, and yet the many statewide efforts to boost s. T. E. M. Education are often independent of one another, so we will invest 1 million each year to stimulate a better coordinated s. T. E. M. Education system pthroughout indiana and tap into the synergy that is well within our grasp. At the same time more than half of the hoosier schools lack wifi in the classrooms. To improve digital connectivity, we will increase the state fund big 1 million annually to enable more schools to participate in the federal erate matching program. Our needs extend well e beyond the classroom. Right now, there are 30,000 unfilled jobs in indiana. Some 2 million hoosiers do not have the education and skills needed for todays jobs. So we will invest some 2 million in budg milli million in this budget to help work works ready grants to help achieve certificates in high wage fields and not only enter, but reenter the workplace in highly skilled positions. And finally, i propose that the superintendent of School Public instruction be a position appoi appointed by the governor in 2021. Education is a key to our states future, and ive long been committed to the notion that as the states chief executive, the governor should set education priorities and be held accountable for the results. I have Great Respect for our new superintendent dr. Jennifer mccormack, and i look forward [ applause ] and i look forward to working closely with her over the next four years. But regardless of party, the governor should be able to choose his or her key education partner. My fourth pillar is to attack the drug epidemic. This is a problem thats taken an enormous toll across the country, and indiana has not escaped the pain. Since the year 2000, deaths from drug overdoses have increased 500 . And we are 15th in the country in overdose fatalities. This epidemic causes ripple effects with devastating impacts on our children and families, our cities and towns, our schools and government agencies, our health care system, and our Health Care Costs for each of us, and our economy. In typical hoozier fashion we have heros on the front lines saving lives every day. They include the Public Health nurses who run Syringe Exchange programs in nine indiana counties. Paula malkin from fay yeth county is here with us tonight. Thank you, paula, for your unwavering service to those who are battling addiction. [ applause ] and thats why we will give county Officials Authority to establish Syringe Exchange programs, to ensure that the people making the decisions are those closest to the problem. But we need to do more. Much more. So were going to attack this problem on all fronts, prevention, treatment, and enforcement. Earlier this month i announced the creation of a Senior Executive reporting directly to me to oversee our efforts to deal with this epidemic. And im pleased that jim mcclellan, a former longtime ceo of good will industries, has agreed to join our im team. I cant think of anyone who has a better mix of skills and experience to fill this critical role. We plan to limit the amount of controlled substances, prescriptions and refills. Enhance penalties of those who commit pharmacy robberies and upgrade the Indiana State Police labs to fight the drug epidemic. This is a fight that we can and must win if were going to take indiana to that next level. [ applause ] my fifth and final pillar is to provide Great Government Service at great value to taxpayers. Hoosiers deserve know that their tax dollars are being used responsibly and efficiently. Im going to insist that all of our agency heads be accountable for the programs and services they are providing. Well measure our progress so that we know if we are providing the service that hoosiers expect and deserve. One fundamental obligation of government is to take care of those who serve and protect us. So were going to give a welldeserved pay raise to the Indiana State Police. [ applause ] and every hoosier understands the special place that veterans have in indiana. Our state has sent more than our fair share of National Guard troops to iraq and afghanistan. We are so honored to have the leader of our indiana National Guard, indianas general corey carr with us tonight. [ applause ] and well honor our veterans and their service by exempting their pensions were state income tax, which will make it easier for them to state here and attract other patriots to our great state in their post military careers. These five pillars [ applause ] these five pillars are where our team will focus every day, on ways to take our state to the next level, to make indiana the very best place you can live, work, play, and stay. And i invite all of you, and i mean all of you, to join me on this mission. My time in the navy taught me that each person is vitally important to fulfill the mission. If you know you can count on the person on your left and on your right. I will continue to reach out to everyone with ideas that can lift all hoosiers, including those who may not always agree on everything, but are willing to find opportunities to solve problems and move our state forward. I will leave you with two quotes from one of the greatest hoosiers and greatest americans who ever was, abraham lincoln, a man that i have studied for many years and is one of my true heros. It was lincoln who said, the best way to predict your future is to create it. As we lead indiana into our third century, even as we sustain those many things we are doing well, lets not be afraid to think big, be bold, and act with courage. Like i also said, commitment is what transforms a promise into reality. Colleagues, you have long shown your commitment to the state we all love. To you and my fellow hoosiers, i pledge my full commitment to the work of transforming these promises into reality and taking indiana to the next level. God bless you all, and got bless indiana. [ applause ] this session is now adjourned. Chair recognizes heres whats coming up. Next well continue showing you this i dont remembers state of the state address. First a look at the situation in nebraska. And then its wyomings state of the state speech. And later wisconsin Governor Scott walkers address to his states lawmakers. Today the bipartisan hire win task force leads a discussion on opiod addiction. They will focus on the science and treatment issues behind synthetic opiods such as fentanyl. You can watch that live at 4 00 p. M. Eastern here on cspan 3. The u. S. Senate is back today for a weeks worth of debate and votes on president trumps cabinet nominees. First up is education nominee betszy devos. Lawmakers resumed debating her nomination today at noon eastern. A final confirmation vote is scheduled for tuesday. Nominations on the agenda after that, Jeff Sessions for attorney general, tom pricis for hhs secretary. And Steven Mnuchin fortressry secretary. They will continue working on those throughout the week and you can watch those live on our companion network, cspan 2. In case you missed it. Here are a few programs cspan viewers saw this week. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson at the state departments welcome ceremony. When i wake up each morning the very first thing i ask myself is are all of our people safe . The safety of every Single Member of our state department family, regardless of where he or she is posted is not just a priority for me. Its a core value. And it will become a core value of this department. [ applause ] from the senate floor, senator brian schatz, a democrat from hawaii, on the recent executive order on immigration. Its not even as though we arate trading liberty for security. We are getting no additional security. This is all about being cruel to muslims because its good politics for some people. White House Press Secretary sean spicer on Media Coverage of president trump. Headlines on one Network Today that talked about how we are pulling out the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and downgrading hip. That is just its wrong, its insulting and the idea of calling it journalism is pathetic. British Prime Minister theresa may on immigration policy. First of all, on the policy that were you ever has introduced this government is clear that that policy is wrong. National security adviser Michael Flynn on iran at white house briefing. President trump has severely criticized the various agreements reached between iran and the Obama Administration as well as the United Nations as being weak and ineffective. Instead of being thankful to the United States in these agreements iran is now feeling embold emboldened. As of today we are officially putting iran on notice. Senator Charles Schumer debates the Supreme Court nominee process. And if the nominee cannot gain the 60 votes k not garner bipartisan support of some significance, then the answer is not to change the rules. The answer is to change the nominee. Republican representative jason chafe, et cetera and democrat representative lynch at the House OversightCommittee Investigating russian hacking. If you want me to start issuing s p is on the dccc im probably not going to do it, but go ahead and suggest it. The gentlemens time has expired. You asked me a question, i get to respond i. I did not. The gentlemen is out of order. Gentlemen, i think we need to calm down here a little bit. All cspan programs are available at cspan. Org either on our home waij page or by searching the video library. Nebraska governor pe