governor matthew mead who gave his eighth and final state of the state address to a joint session of the 64th state legislature. from cheyenne, this is 45 minutes. governor mead: thank you. thank you very much. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. thank you very much. have a seat. thank you. thank you very much. thank you. have a seat. thank you very much. good morning. president, speaker, members of the 64th legislator, auditor cloud treasurer gordon, , superintendent, chief justice burke, members of the judiciary, members of the military, veterans, fellow citizens, my family, good morning. today i give my eighth and final state of the state address, and in preparing it, i have had a lot of thoughts, including the speaker and president have been kidding me in recent days that it's too bad, it takes about eight years to train a governor and just when you get them trained, they leave. it was a couple years ago when the president of the senate, when he was announcing me, rather than saying his excellency, he said the executioner. so it takes awhile to train a speaker and president, too. what a privilege it's been to appear before a joint session each year and talk about wyoming, the state we love. i believe our work these past seven years has built a better legacy and a solid bridge to the future. we have one more year together, a little less, and i look forward to a great year. i want my last state of the state address to begin with tributes to those who work so hard for wyoming. in past years, i have identified select individuals to acknowledge but today, i want to start with the wyoming legislature. i thank you, the wyoming legislature, for working with me in a cooperative spirit for the betterment of our state. since territorial days, the people of wyoming have counted on leaders to move this state forward and the legislature delivers. as citizen legislatures you generously give your time, skill, sweat, not just during the session but year round, for wyoming. you leave your families, leave your place of work, leave the comforts of home, not for personal gain but out of a sense of duty, concern for and love of this state and her people. to members of the wyoming house and senate who are currently serving or who have served during my tenure as governor, i say thank you. i applaud for your service and ask the audience to join me. chief [applause] chief justice burke, to you and all our judges, i want to say it's been an honor working alongside the judicial branch and an honor to appoint great judges in our merit-based selection process. over the past seven years, i have appointed about half the state judiciary. that is supreme court, district court and circuit court judges. the merit selection process is important because it's based upon qualifications and experience. it is apolitical and it results in great judges. our justice -- yes, it does. our justices at the supreme court and judges on federal courts and around the state are committed to our communities, state and people. they are committed to a well-functioning justice system, access to justice for everyone and the rule of law. let's thank them all for what they do. [applause] it's been a pleasure working with the other state-wide elected officials who are here today. especially on the boards, state loan and investment board, state board of land commissioners that we serve together on. auditor included, seems likecloud, it just yesterday. state superintendent and treasurer, i thank you for your service to the state of wyoming and i have enjoyed the privilege of working with all three of you. thank you. [applause] i recognize the tribes today. we are neighbors and we are friends. we care about each other. working with the tribes is important and we must continue to work together. the tribal justice system is also important and i note that john st. claire, the chief judge of the tribal court, is retiring. judge st. claire has been on the bench for 30 years. i recognize him this morning for his long service and commitment to tribal court. [applause] with recent budget constraints, two tribal liaison positions in the governor's office became part-time. the liaison for the northern arapahoe tribe also serves as an amazing member of the executive council and i would ask if the liaisons and members of both tribes joining us today would please stand. we welcome all of you here in these chambers. [applause] as always, it's my privilege to recognize the wyoming national guard today. the guard had a busy, productive year in 2017. every year they are busy and productive. they remain busy. currently 198 of our guard are deployed. joined recently by 15 for security for the next couple weeks at the winter olympics in south korea. seeing the work of the guard at home and i have traveled to visit our troops in cuba, bahrain, kosovo, qatar, afghanistan, i have seen too many deployments and welcome homes to count. i can share with you, without a doubt, wyoming guard is the best of the best. in 1899, wyoming's governor richard said of those who serve in our military they have so conducted themselves under all circumstances as to entitle them to the honor of which there is none higher of being called true american soldiers. general, please stand so we can show our appreciation to you and the guard who, without a doubt, are true american soldiers. [applause] i recognize our veterans today. over 47,000 veterans live in wyoming. our country would not be what it is, strong and free, and we would not be able to live freely as we do without them. i thank our vets and the people who support them. and i thank those currently serving in the u.s. armed forces and the people who support them. we have made progress these past seven years. veterans welcome home day legislation, vietnam veterans highway designation, more veteran service officers, expanded programs and services. i have been to 24 wyoming veterans welcome home day ceremonies in communities all around the state, going to some more in a couple of months. these are great occasions. they are very patriotic. they are very personal. on these occasions, i am so proud i live in a patriotic state that values and respects our veterans. there's something else we can consider for our vets. wyoming needs a skilled nursing center for them. we are the only state that does not have this service. in my mind, it's a benefit our veterans have earned and it's time wyoming delivered this service. the trains don't run on time without the hard work and care of state employees. i'm proud of the work of our state employees and agencies' directors and i want to thank them for their service. [applause] finally, i recognize the many volunteers who served on boards, commissions and task forces during my tenure. as many of you know, we have so many people from wyoming who volunteer and step up, and they do a tremendous amount of work for the benefit of our state, and when they work and they work and they reach great things and do great things, every year i double their salary. [laughter] for those not familiar, they make no money. when i hand the keys to the governor's office to someone else in january 2019, i will leave the premises with gratitude to the voters who gave me the opportunity to serve. with admiration for legislative, judicial and executive branch employees who serve the state so well, and with knowledge that i leave a framework for important work to continue. as i look back to january 2011, when i took office, i see we have much to celebrate. we have smaller government. that is, we have smaller budget, fewer employees and fewer rules and regulations. we have downsized government and built our permanent and rainy day savings. we consolidated technology services in one place, ets, creating buying power and efficiencies. for example, where state agencies had different e-mail systems in the past, the state now has one. we have made long-term policies that will serve wyoming for many years with an energy strategy, water strategy, ten and ten, forest health and outdoor recreation task force recommendations and now the endow initiative. a lot has been achieved already under these policies. just a few examples. baseline water testing, orphan well plugging, continuing efforts to establish a pipeline corridor, the forest collaborative assistance program, play clean go and development of uniform hydrographers operations manual. i'm pleased to report the first five of the ten and ten projects already have start dates for construction. because these are long-term strategy, there is more to come and i'm pleased to see the legislature considering senate file 14 which provides a statutory framework for continuation of the energy strategy. one of my top priorities as many of you know has been growing technology and we have done so with a state 100 gigabyte network which is double the national standards for connectivity to schools. it is the envy of many states. [applause] we have not only connected fiber but also provided a connection for many of our industry experts by starting and growing an annual technology summit and an annual broadband summit. these efforts will continue to bear fruit. we can celebrate when many said it couldn't be done the delisting of grizzlies and wolves and the non-listing of sage grass. [applause] endangered species are a tough issue as chairmen and western governors in 2015-16, my initiative was to improve the endangered species act. we have moved forward. the western governors approved a resolution. we got it through the national governors. it's being considered by congress and i believe there is a real opportunity this in the have changes endangered species act at the national level. [applause] wyoming loves wild life and we have been doing a good job managing wild life. we must never lose our leadership role in doing so. we must continue our conservation work, leveraging and building the wildlife natural resource trust. when it comes to federal overreach, i think we have fought the good fight. the attorney general's office has been very busy these past years, and in fact, so busy i'm occasionally criticized for being too litigious but i like the word litigious. the state -- the ag's office has defended boundaries, fought a federal hydraulic fracturing rule, litigation for a coal terminal in oregon and a clean power plant. these are only a bit of the many cases the attorney general and his office have been involved in since i took office. we have taken on other difficult issues that are important including homelessness and suicide prevention. safe to tell was launched in october 26, 2016. from then to mid-january 2018, we received 889 tips. the highest number of reports were for suicide threats. the second and third highest were reports of bullying and drugs. one district knew they had saved two students' lives in the first two months. they had the program in place and were able to intervene. [applause] these are just two of many stories of the importance of the successful program. in 2015, we released a home for everyone, the ten-year plan to address homelessness. we must keep pursuing the aspiration expressed in the plan's title. with respect to suicide as many of you know, the rate in wyoming has been high for decades. very high. many reasons are cited. high altitude, rural setting, insufficient resources, isolation, illness. there's many reasons. in 2013, i have brought up this issue in my state of the state trying to take the stigma away and bring it to the forefront of our conscience. in 2015, i talked about renewed focus on suicide prevention in a state-wide initiative which included employee training. in 2016, i started an annual suicide symposium, the third to be held this spring. the symposium brings suicide to the forefront of public attention. the human toll in terms of lives lost and families shattered of course is at the center. health programs and prevention are also part of the suicide agenda, symposium agenda. we have to in wyoming recognizing the seriousness of the problem to keep adequate resources at work on suicide prevention, bullying, and homelessness. we must also stay abreast of the opioid crisis. the good news in wyoming, we are doing better than most. a study of the last two and a half years shows drug overdose deaths increasing in the u.s. as a whole but decreasing in wyoming. it is good that overdose deaths are declining in our state but it remains the case that in wyoming, prescription painkillers are a leading form of drug abuse in 12 to 25-year-olds. last november, i signed a proclamation for the kickoff of the wyoming prescription abuse stake holders educational campaign they didn't know which will educate teenagers and young adults about prescription drug misuse and abuse. the wyoming abuse stake holders is working to do just that. it's a capable group and they should continue their good work with legislative support. in the last seven years, we have never lost sight of trying to improve wyoming and the services provided to our citizens. despite a period of diminished revenue, the trimming of the budget and increasing our savings, we have continued to invest in wyoming's future. the capital square project was started years ago. it will have ups and downs like any major building project but is proceeding nicely. in the long run it's all positive. the capitol is the most important building in wyoming. it's inspiring to look at, inspiring to visit. it is a repository of our history, past, present and future. the legislature well before i came into office began setting aside funding for the capitol. it's important for us to continue that work. other important projects that have moved along include the university of wyoming engineering, education and research building. the s.t.e.m. building. the integrative test center. the research facility. the science initiative and many wonderful community college projects. so proud of the test center, funded with state and private resources, it became fully operational at the end of 2017. this cutting edge facility makes wyoming a leader in advanced coal technologies, allowing wyoming to be a continued leader not only in coal production but coal technology. [applause] funds have been appropriated for the science initiative. i'm a big supporter of this initiative and requested the release of the last of the funding in my budget message. appropriations approved the release of funds in mid-january and uw has now approved the final design of the science initiative building. we tackled many other projects. just on schools, which i remind you all in 2011, i suggested we slow down new school buildings, but we have not, really. we have tackled many projects including 57 new or replacement schools, in excess of $1 billion. 19 school renovations and additions, about $267 million. over 11,000 major maintenance projects for about $417 million. there's more we can get done and there's more we can get done this session. the projects are -- at the state hospital and life resource center, they're well planned, important projects and in my mind, must move forward to construction now. as i have said before, and i say again today, investment in wyoming is a great investment. this body has invested in wyoming. my hat's off to the visionaries in this room who planned for and worked through these important projects. however, as we have invested in these projects, we must adjust to the times of constrained revenue, recognizing we cannot continue to build at the same rate and must now focus on maintaining what we have built. my budget calls for dollars, more dollars for major maintenance, recognizing deferred maintenance is, in fact, deficit spending. [applause] before i talk about the times ahead i want to talk briefly about last year. 2017 was another year for budget reductions. reductions have occurred in four of the last eight budgets. the budgets for some agencies, for example, the department of health and department of family services, have been cut too much. services and programs suffer. there are other concerns associated with overcutting. for example, in the department of corrections and state fair. the 1920 budget gives us an opportunity to remedy this situation and j.c. has begun that important work. to j.c. members, i appreciate your work and look forward to resolving our differences in my favor. [laughter] that actually wasn't in there but that's what i'm thinking. [laughter] budget aside, 2017 was a year to remember for the increased emphasis on outdoor activities and endow. the eclipse was a wonderful occasion. it was the first total solar eclipse to pass over the country since 1918, with out of state and international travelers, the boost to the state's economy was an estimated $63.5 million. more great events are coming. this year is the 150th anniversary of the historic fort bridge treaty. next year on september 10th, -- on december 10, 2019, wyoming will celebrate, wyoming will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the law that gave wyoming women the vote. [applause] in 2020, we celebrate louisa swain casting the first vote. we remain so proud that wyoming was the first government in the world to grant unconditional women's suffrage. [applause] i have appointed a wonderful hard-working council to plan commemorative events. historic occasions like women's right to vote show the pioneering spirit that is our heritage with us still, it is part of our identity, part of our strength. we put increased emphasis on outdoors last year. new shooting sports initiatives. the wyoming top 100 amateur and the governor's match and the adventure racing world championships are examples. hunting and shooting sports are an important part of our state's heritage. we appreciate the firearm companies that have been in wyoming for years, as well as the ones that have moved here recently or are planning to move here. they promote sports shooting opportunities, fit with our affinity for the outdoors and western traditions and promote economic diversity. in january, i hope you are as excited as i was to welcome a marquee company, weatherby, inc., to sheraton, wyoming, the latest gun manufacturer to choose a home base in wyoming. it joins others we have recruited including magpool. the cowboy tough race has been an annual event we started in 2013 and in august 2017, the world championship events race which has a 16-year history was for the first time ever held in the united states right here in wyoming. this has helped us recognize and has helped the outdoor recreation task force recognize the value of promoting our great outdoors and the outdoor recreation task force has provided great recommendations, including creating an outdoor recreation website and office of outdoor recreation within department of state parks. these will create efficiency and increased exposure for the public. they are not costly to implement and fit with economic growth and diversification objectives. last year gave us a good glimpse of the benefits that can accrue from increased tourism and outdoor recreation. we have an opportunity to do something very special this year and that is to move forward the wyoming women's antelope hunt. since 2013, this has provided about 200 hunts, about a third devoted to hunters on scholarship attending at no cost to them, and providing nearly 60 first-time hunters a chance to hunt big game. this event teaches conservation, ethical hunting practices and firearm safety. senate file 3 ensures this resource for women and conservation will continue. i ask for your support for this wonderful opportunity. the energy downturn the past few years has made us take a hard look at our state's economy. with 70% of the revenue coming from the energy sector when industry fell on difficult times beginning in fall 2014, our state fell on difficult times. history, we see that wyoming has endured a number of energy booms and busts. we saw the state has tried to diversify before, usually in periods that coincide with the single governor's time in office. with companies we have supported including microsoft, greenhouse data to manufacturing like m mcginley orthopedic innovations and others and with outdoor industry flourishing, we saw the opportunity to expand our economic base. with my time in office, with the business council assistance, we recruited or partnered with numerous companies including just a few, tungsten, underwriters labs, mcginley orthopedic innovations, wyoming mall, magpool, melvin brewing, gluten free oats, cody labs, vacu-tech. weatherby, microsoft and greenlousegreen data. greenhouse we have had success and can build on success. we required a long-term plan executed over a long term. it needed to extend beyond a governor's term. sometimes out of adversity in our case the recent energy downturn, comes opportunity. the opportunity is the endow initiative. i announced the initiative in november 2016, the objective is to develop a 20-year economic strategy and then implement it over 20 years in order to grow and expand our economy. the legislature did great work last year authorizing the initiative and funded it with $2.5 million. endow took off in 2017. i hear the enthusiasm across the state for endow, particularly from our young people. i also hear skepticism. you must listen to both camps but i reject the notion that wyoming is incapable of determining its own destiny, that our future will only be determined by commodity prices or other exterior forces. surely the equality state, the cowboy state, has a belief in self-determination. on the state of the state, i'm pleased to report the revenue forecasts have improved since my last year's address. specifically revenue is better now than it was forecast in the early 2017 and looks even better ahead. the revenue forecast increased by $140 million from october report to the january report, just a three-month period of time. beyond money matters, the people of wyoming have remained steadfast during the downturn. from the leaders of our towns and counties to tourism to teachers in our schools, to the business people and families in our communities to the ranchers and farmers to the workers in our factories, fields, energy and other industries, to the standouts in sports and the arts, to state and local employees, the citizens of wyoming have kept us strong. with our great citizens, improved revenues, our savings, well-funded pension plans, investments in our future and opportunities on the horizon, the state of our state is strong. [applause] the '19-20 budget, the primary work of this session is one of the opportunities on the horizon. here's where we stand. before i took office, the standard budget had doubled over the previous decade. you and i pared it back. the standard budget i propose is $400 million less than standard budget ten years ago. over the last two years, about 12% has been cut from the budget. the budget has been reduced, state savings have gone up. we have otherwise reduced government. i asked agencies to reduce the rules by 30% and they responded. i eliminated 197 executive orders. we consolidated agencies and services, decreased spending, increased savings and decreased in size the number of employees. this was remarkable, because as you know, governments tend to grow, not shrink. wyoming has bucked the trend. by every measure, we have smaller government than seven years ago, with one exception. the one area where we are bigger which is good news, is the money this body has allocated has built our savings. we must work for better returns and must recognize as jac has that we can put a lot of wyoming dollars to work for us right now to address shortages in education. the operating budget has gotten leaner and for some agencies, like the department of health and department of family services and a few others, the cuts in my mind have gone too far. where overcutting has affected programs and services and people are relying on them, or created other concerns, we created the opportunity to right-size the budget now during this session. we never want to spend too much and we haven't. but if we spend too little, that is a problem as well. going back in history again and looking at the wisdom of prior governors, i found governor warren and his thoughts regarding budgeting, he says this. while desiring to protect the treasury and prevent extravagance of every nature, you are not required to descend to parsimony. and for those of you are afraid to use google, i used it. for the territory is abundantly able to pay ordinary and legitimate expenses and can well afford reasonable appropriations for placing before the world such reliable information as will bring within our borders it's notably true in the history of commonwealths that if extravagance often follows parsimonious policy and insufficient expenditures follow the unreasonable and reckless use of public funds. the golden mean between the two extremes should be your guide. excessive appropriations and insufficient appropriations are alike, a waste of money. the former because more is expended than is necessary and the latter because the amount appropriated not being sufficient to accomplish the purpose intended, the sum expended is of no practical benefit. governor warren's words over 125 years ago strike a chord today. the standard budget is below where it was ten years ago. that's healthy. but for some agencies, it is below where it should be. some agency programs can't achieve their intended purposes. the budget i recommended looks for the golden mean governor warren talked about, sufficient but not excessive appropriations. my december proposal, i recommended $2.98 billion for biennium. i have included $5 million for governments, i have asked for money for local governments every year. i asked for $200,000 more for senior centers. $2.2 million to strengthen critical cybersecurity. as you all know, and certainly it's true with me as i go to national governors meeting, cybersecurity is one of the biggest issues and risks states face. and here in wyoming, the smallest populated state, we receive about seven million attacks a month on our system. there is a need to address cybersecurity. i also recommended paying off the capital renovation project. money for community college capital construction, restoring funds cut from the board and funds to continue the state fair. the legislature's reduction last year, $400,000, which was doubled, effectively eliminated the state fair. the state fair is part of our history and our heritage and it's a great celebration every year in august. wyoming ag has and in my view, must always be a big part of wyoming and the state fair is one of the best ways to continue to make sure that next generation of farmers and ranchers is out there in wyoming. when i mention opportunities on the horizon, endow is the top one. with the department report now in hand, i ask that the recommendations of the endow executive council be funded in full. i also request and support a foreign trade representative in taiwan. the president of taiwan and i discussed a trade representative when we met last fall and she was very supportive of this opportunity. i'm sure some of you saw recent reports about how idaho is comparing to wyoming in terms of their economy. in traveling the taiwan, one of the things i noted twice now is that idaho for a long time has had a trade representative in taiwan. you go into the high end grocery stores in taiwan, they are very proud to sell u.s. beef and their high end beef in the corners of the grocery stores is idaho beef. we can do better. a trade representative would help us that way. by addressing barriers to diversification, by providing trade representative to taiwan, by continuing to recruit companies to taiwan, we move endow forward. i note that work force training dollars have been proposed by this body. that funding is needed to develop the skilled, educated and prepared work force businesses are looking for. i support this funding. in the same vein, i support computer science, including coding in all grades. computer science is an important classroom subject, as important in this day and age as any. it's a requisite for students to become life-ready, work force ready. together, overall, we have done a good job investing for the future, building at uw, building at our community colleges, constructing and maintaining schools, helping our towns and counties, managing wildlife well, and in many other ways. now we have to take the next step. we have to seize the moment. we have to invest in endow. diversification is the best way to keep our future bright by keeping more of our young people in wyoming. endow is needed now. we ask the council to give a blueprint for a better, more divorce economy. the council made up of some of the best and brightest business people and leaders is doing that. they are looking at all potential on the horizon, all the exciting possibilities from important but maybe a little bit scary block chain technology to high tech ag, from value-added energy products to tech startups, we have to listen and we have to act now. it's critically important. we haven't recovered from the last energy bust cycle and we cannot sit around and wait for the next one. education funding is different from the state operating budget and it alone faces an expected shortfall for years to come. the legislature has built with the guidance of experts the model for education funding. while the legislature needs to address education funding, it is up to all of us to work through the difficult challenges and as we do, we should recognize where we are doing well and where we are not. on january 17th, education week gave us its annual grades on education. wyoming ranked seventh among the 50 states and the district of columbia. wyoming received an a-minus in school finance ranking first. for k-12 achievement, wyoming finished 21st. facts, not anecdotal statements about our schools doing well or not, must lead to discussion. however, i do want to say if anecdotal stories would win the day, let me just say for all the teachers that taught my kids in the school system here in cheyenne, carol and i thank you for the great experience and great education and while we're at it, let's thank all our wyoming teachers. [ applause ] the state has long recognized what education means. going again to our past, wyoming territorial governor hoyt addressing the legislature in 1879 said this about education and its importance to wyoming. here's his words. without the intelligence of its people, no community may hope to maintain a free government. it augers well for the future of the commonwealth that at the very beginning, broad foundations were laid in the interest of education. he went on to talk about the components of the education system, saying this. compulsory attendance, proper graduation of all the larger schools, liberal compensation to teachers, regularly organized and admirably managed institutes for the benefit of teachers, very superior school buildings, these facts speak volumes for our people and give promise of a bright future. governor hoyt highlighted wyoming has done a good job supporting. my office stands ready to work with the legislature on this tough issue but i say in advance while we look to find savings, we should do nothing that lessens wyoming's long-held view on the value of a great education. respecting the value of education, we should not shy away from looking at reasonable reductions. nor should we shy away from looking at additional revenue and broadening our tax base. i ask this body to look again at the lodging tax and tobacco tax. it's not easy to raise revenue. i know when you did it last year, it was difficult. you did it with fees. it was difficult several years ago when we raised the fuel tax. but i would say this with regard to the lodging tax, with industry support, i believe we can reduce our general fund dollars for tourism and provide more options in areas such as education. regarding a few other matters, the efficiency study i think was a great tool for us to learn from and i support it. looking at the adequacy of audit and revenue positions makes sense. these are positions that help collect revenue. looking at the balance between management and staff also makes sense. we should consider, carefully consider, the merger of the department of family services and the department of health and other areas where improving government efficiency can save dollars. as i have looked through and referenced state of the state speeches of prior governors, i have to take a moment to thank my predecessors. certainly the living former governors, governor freedenthal, governor sullivan and all the governors who have passed. as i read their state of the state speeches, those done in territory days, those in early statehood and today, those from republicans and those from democrats, through the tough times of our state and the tough times of our country that would include world wars, great depression, the cold war, the consistent theme jumps from the words that are now history. the theme is optimism. and a strong-held belief that wyoming's future will not be written just by whoever is in power in d.c., or what commodity prices are. it will be written by you, by me, and the people of wyoming. wyoming's proud history, the men and women who gave us the state we love, did not move with timid measures or with judgment only for political party wins. they gave us this wyoming by asking first and always what is best for wyoming. to share the optimism we should all have in wyoming, its future and what we can do, i share with you the words of governor campbell, provided to the legislature in 1873. here's what he said. the future of wyoming is assured. we who have made our homes here know that we are living in a region of boundless wealth and inexhaustible resources where labor and true endeavor are certainly and bountifully rewarded but while this is the case, other territories with no natural advantages over our own, whose only superiority consists in earnestness and ability displayed by their people in publishing to the world their advantages, are outstripping us in wealth and population. the minds are as rich, the plains as fertile and the grasses as nutritious, the air is pure and health-giving and the climate is salubrious. there is, there can be no question as to the ultimate wealth and prosperity of wyoming. by your action or while your failure to act can retard, it cannot prevent the realization of some future day that the expectations of the most sanguine but it is in your power to hasten the day. great words in 1873 to the legislature. great words today. let us join together during this session to hasten the day. let's embrace opportunities, right-size the budget of the executive branch, fund endow recommendations including work force training, and continue to build on the vision and action of past and present leaders. by spending neither too much, nor too little, by continuing to invest in the future of our state and economic diversification efforts and by responsibly taking on education funding, we will serve the citizens of our state well this session. i want to close with a few additional things. first, to my staff, i cannot express strongly enough the gratitude and pride i have in my staff. no governor could ask for more. thank you, staff, for the endless hours, days and years of serving this state and providing me amazing service. second, personal thanks to my family. my family -- i'm sorry. they have been with me every step of the way. having them at my side has meant everything to me. carol, you have done wonderful things as first lady. for example, focusing on healthy lifestyles for wyoming's children. with your literacy initiative and your support of the arts and education, and two books, wyoming first and with a little more funding, blazing bonnets, a book for fourth graders about 26 of some of wyoming's most influential women. simply stated, without you, i would not have this job, nor have been able to do it. first lady of wyoming, first lady to me and always, thank you. i love you. [ applause ] mary and pete, when i took office, you were young kids and there wasn't this competition as to whether you're taller than your dad. you have now sat through eight state of the state speeches and many more speeches throughout the years without squirming much. look at you now. mary's at uw, pete's a senior in high school. these youngsters literally grew up in age and in height, helping serve meals at the governor's residence and supporting me in every way. i love you and i'm so proud of you both. [ applause ] lastly, thank you, wyoming, the land and people i have had the privilege of serving. wyoming has always been the land of discovery, beautiful to the eye. wyoming is like no other place on earth and those who kault wyoming home know this. we're so fortunate to live here. i believe this century will be the best for our state with innovation, diversification, prosperity, and retention of history, traditions and natural beauty, and our people will make it so. so i close with my most ernest of thoughts. may god continue to bless this wonderful wyoming. thank you. [applause] in her final state of the state address, the oklahoma governor talked about her budget shortfall. the plan to increase revenues taxes on tobacco, fuel, and oil. she also talked about changes to the criminal justice system. this is 25 minutes. [applause] >> thank you.