Mr. Speaker, mr. Pro tem, madam president , honored legislators, mr. Chief justice, members of the judiciary, my fellow constitutional members, family, friends, my fellow idahoans, what a year. Life sure has changed for me. On some weekends i go home to the ranch, visit my family and friends. One day i was in my normal emmett uniform, levis, hat, getting fuel. The guy at the adjacent fuel pump kind of glanced at me a couple of times. As i was paying, he sauntered up and says, has anyone ever told you you look like brad little . I proudly said yes. He said, makes you mad, doesnt it . So much for glory in emmett. I could not have accomplished this much this past year, or most of my life, without the support of my wife, your first lady, theresa. Its rewarding to watch so many people learn about her. Theresa is selfless and thoughtful. She loves our family and our state. And im proud of you, theresa, im grateful to have you at my side. The celebration of an important milestone is upon us in 2020, the 100th anniversary of womens voting rights. Weve come a long way. The faces in this chamber looked a lot different 100 years ago. Please join me in acknowledging all the women, elected, appointed, and serving all across State Government, for their contributions to idaho. After being in this position for a year i can say with certainty theres a lot of passion in idaho for making our state the best it can be. We have much to be proud of and much to work towards. Ive learned that progress requires pushing the boundaries of whats comfortable in government. It requires a strong desire to get things done. And ive learned you cannot do it alone. Im proud of my partnership with you, the idaho legislature, for your collaboration in working with me to do the peoples work. From the beginning, ive stated that my goal is to make idaho the place where we all have the best possible opportunity to thrive and where our children and grandchildren choose to stay, and those who left to choose to return. In america, we get to choose our faith, our jobs, and where we live. I would like to acknowledge the role of our veterans, military members, and their families in making that a reality. This spring, the Army National guard will mobilize more than 4,000 soldiers to germany in support of a large scale exercise to demonstrate u. S. Military readiness. The idaho air National Guard will deploy more than 400 airmen to several locations throughout southwest asia in support of combat operation. We wish them well and pray for their safety. As we enter this year, 2020, my goals are sharp, clear and in focus. My goals reflect the need to make idaho strong for today and prepared for tomorrow. Im committed to working with you to invest in education, reduce regulatory burdens, increase all idahoanss prosperity and quality of life. I want to us champion Affordable Health care, make idaho safer and promote healthy lands and waters. I want idahoans to be confident in their State Government. Just last month i was joined by many of you, my partners in the legislature, in announcing that idaho had just surpassed south dakota and we were now the least regulated state in the nation. Think about that. The least regulated of all 50 states. Together, we cut and simplified 75 of all regulations in less than one year. How did we achieve the largest regulatory cuts in history . Through a combination of efforts. I issued two executive orders aimed at scaling back and streamlining idahos legislative code. The legislature made it possible for us to examine the entirety of our administrative code in one sweeping step. Now, to be honest, when the legislature chose not to authorize the administrative code, i didnt know quite what to expect. But working together, we seized the opportunity before us and made history in the process. Our agency held 150 Public Meetings throughout idaho to ensure transparency and public involvement in the evaluation of all proposed changes. I would like to recognize my budget chief alex adams and his team along with many people in the state agencies who were a driving force behind our progress. Their intense focus helped get us here. Thank you for working so hard for the people of the state of idaho. So what does this mean to idahoans . It means Small Businesses can easily understand the regulations theyre required to follow without having to call a state agency for help interpreting them or hiring a lawyer, no offense. It means a Small Business owner in meridian was able to expand and open a telepharmacy in garden valley, creating jobs and making health care more accessible in rural idaho. When we reduce regulatory friction, good jobs follow. Last month last month i was honored to visit with President Trump and Vice President pence in the white house. President trump has taken on meaningful Regulatory Reform and he was looking to the states for help in achieving it. Guess who President Trump held up as a shining example of how to get it done. Idaho. Folks, this is what idahoans expect. They expect the legislative branch and the executive branches to Work Together to make government work for them. And were not done yet. My First Executive order this year will make it a routine practice for idaho State Government to undergo the kind of successful regulatory review we saw in 2019. Im calling it zero based regulation. Were determined to have the administrative code remain clear and user friendly. We must also knock down barriers to prosperity by continuing to advance the licensing freedom act. Last year, we were successful in fast tracking licensing processes for veterans, members of the military, and their spouses, making it easier for them to start work after being relocated here. Building on that success, i pledge to work with the legislature this session and broaden those processes so that individuals moving to idaho from another state can start work as quickly as possible. Idahos statutes could use a good scrub too. This year, my administration will bring forth 30 pieces of legislation that repeal outdated statutes. From a wagon road to laws governing trespassing hogs, its time to put obsolete sections of the idaho code like the nonexistent board of cemeterians in the grave. Incredible joke writers. Just as regulatory restraint encourages investment and reduces the cost of doing business, a lean and efficient budget does the same. My budget for fiscal year20 and21 cuts spending, leaves a surplus, and bolsters a Rainy Day Fund. It focuses on conservative growth and transparent budget. Sound budgeting starts with sound economic forecasts. Thats why we started a new practice. Were tapping the expertise of Business Leaders and economists in the private sector to help us achieve revenue forecasts that are as accurate as possible. Idaho has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. But nationally and internationally, the pace of Economic Growth is expected to slow. Last fall i asked all state entities that receive general funds to undergo a spending reset, except for my highest priority area, public education. The time to prepare for potential downturn is now, when times are good. The spending reset also focuses on closer examination spending. We cannot lose our focus on the taxpayer. A former jfac cochair, my dad, stated the easiest thing to do is spend other peoples money. I understand its difficult for state agencies and our universities to tighten things up. But it must be done, habitually and willingly, because its the right thing to do. My budget my budget leaves an appropriate cash balance, shores up our Rainy Day Funds which has helped us weather economic storms that have forced other states to raise taxes. Idaho is ranked in the top ten states nationally for the balance of our state budget reserves. But incredible stress test shows we have more work to do to prepare for a recession. Thats why im also calling for us to raise the cap on our main Rainy Day Fund so we can better position our state for any economic condition. Overall, my budget for fiscal year21 limits true general Fund Spending growth to a conservative 3. 75 . From now on it will be easier for the public to discern true spending growth in the executive budget because ive instructed by budget staff not to rely on onetime transfers or other budget gimmicks. We are increasing transparency in state budgeting. One of the staples of conservative governing is to put money back into taxpayerspockets. Ive long supported tax relief for idahoans on the most basic of needs. Groceries. My budget leverages 35 million from the dedicated Tax Relief Fund to provide idaho families with grocery tax relief without competing against our general fund priorities. I believe our people have greater opportunities to prosper when government limits regulatory variables, respects taxpayers by spending their money as efficiently as possible, and focuses as much on the needs of tomorrow as the needs of today. That conservative approach aligns perfectly with my number one priority, education. As state elected leaders, our constitutional obligation to k12 education is clear. This is a little worn out. Article ix, section 1, states its our duty to, quote, establish and maintain a general uniform system of public schools. But we also have a moral obligation to all our younger citizens. I subscribe to the view that its better to prepare children today than to repair them later. I want to thank the legislature for joining me last year in passing significant investments in public education. We raised starting teacher pay. We increased Funds Available for opportunity scholarships. We doubled the funding for one of my highest priorities, literacy. Opportunities. Every determine the best way way to use from hiring reading coaches to conducting Summer Reading programs to providing fullday kindergarten. Parts of the state are surging ahead in their progress on reading proficiency. At one school we saw incredible proficiency. Reading proficiency rose an astoundsing 32 . More than 85 of third graders were reading proficiently by the end of the school year. This is also the first school i saw doing monthly assessments so teachers can personalize reading instruction to each student. A high portion are learning english as a second language. Full age kindergarten game an option to help students get on track. Half the schools incoming kindergarteners couldnt read at grade level last fall. By spring they saw a 30 improvement. When we commit to giving students a strong start, provide with the flexibility to determine how best to achieve it, we see progress. Still too many fall behind. About 12,000 kindergarteners are not on track to read on day one. The push for literacy was a recommendation that came out of my our kids idahos future task force. The task force is made of teachers, school administrate e Business Leaders and a Bipartisan Group of legislators from every corner of the state. I want to voice my appreciation for every member of the task force for taking on this important job, especially the cochairs. Thank you very much. The task force also identified the need to continue investing in teachers. A childs progress especially reading depends upon the intention and instruction of the good teaching. We cannot simply we rely on the good hearts of teachers to maintain an effective workforce. We must pay them competitively. Its out of balance and its not sustainable. I propose we put a 30 million down payment to continue increasing teacher pay over the next several years. These investments have been ongoing the past several years. I commend the legislature for stepping up to support us. Our efforts should elevate the profession and help us keep good teachers in idaho classrooms. We have the perfect example of an excellent teacher with us today. Shes a health and p. E. Teacher in spirit lake who focuses on the whole child. She goes beyond teaching subject matter and helps her students learn the skills they need to be successful in life, not just school. Please help me congratulate our 2020 teacher of the year, stacy law. Stacy, stand up. Stacy will use her teacher of the year to combat the stigma around mental health. Teachers are on the front lines of all kinds of challenges. Im advancing another recommendation from my task force which should be good news to stacy and all who are concerned about the safety and wellbeing of our children. My budget provides teachers additional training and resources so they can identify and better serve students facing trauma and mental illness. Giving parents peace of mind when they send their children to school each day. As students get older, our focus shifts to college and career readiness. We have new president s at all our fouryear institutions. Have directed our universities, Community Colleges and state boards of education to adopt a fresh, bold preach to Meeting Needs of idaho students and businesses by breaking down silos and wokring together as a more interconnected, higher education, to that end, im recommending the development of Cyber Security programs that will be offered jointly by Boise State University and university of idaho. This increased level of collaboration across idahos Higher Ed Institutions will provide a path to earning a degree and in high demand. We are identifying what employering need in their work force and we are responding. High schools across the states are offering more and more career Technical Education programs. Hand in hand with local businesses. This is especially important for businesses in rural idaho that are more susceptible to a talent shortage. Im recommending 6 million in the Capital Budget for new facilities at the college of eastern isd id, louis clark state college, and the department of juvenile corrections to strengthen our commitment to cte in idaho. Im in fact, im recommending for job force, a three year project to connect 16 to 24yearolds to in demand jobs. In the first year the program will serve up to 150 students through the college of isd id. The Work Force Development council are facilitates and promoting more internships and apprenticeships, because after all, the best way to learn is by doing. I commend our board for freezing tuition in 2020. Combined with our increased opportunity through the advanced Opportunities Program which enables students to learn College Credit while in high school. The Opportunity Scholarship Program is becoming more college is becoming more and more affordable and obtainable for an entire generation of idahoans. Last month the country took a critical step towards helping us secure future jobs. Congress finding ratified President Trumps trade agreement with two of idahos biggest exporter market, canada and mexico. I strongly supported the deal because it preserves and enhances critical gains made by previous trade agreements for idaho products. Our farmers and Agricultural Industries have good reason to rejoice to this important agreement making it across the finish line. Over the past year, i visited with a lot of businesses across the state. A few stood out to me because they embody my goal to make idaho a place where children and grandchildren choose to stay. A home grown business selling products worldwide built by workers trained in in local cte programs. Its a fourth generation isd id company that makes world class wooden boats and continues to expand and provide good jobs. Our isd id kids made good. They found way to pursue their passions while creating opportunities for others. Prescient security is a Technology Company who relocated in idaho and offers apprenticeships to help train indemand cyber specialists. Its kind of business that is helping diversify and strengthen the economy in our rule communities. Karl hagan with afc moved his company from california. Welcome to idaho, karl. We must continue to seek investment in Infrastructure Companies like this cannot continue to succeed in iowa idaho. What they are consistently here is what our transportation system. In a growing state, we must move people in products as safely and as efficiently as possible. The associated idaho citizen general contractors are working to provide transportation. After it is completed, all work closely with you to formulate a sustainable funding plan. In the meantime, im recommending that we direct close to 100 million to maintain and improve the states highway system. Im also pursuing another strategic investment improvement in broadband infrastructure for both urban and rule idaho to attract businesss and enhanceour citizens quality of life. Idaho must be connected. Im adopting a recommendation for my Broadband Task force, led by tom kelly, to establish a state broadband office. We will utilize existing resources of commerce and unite the efforts taking place across the state ensure all areas of idaho are connected. Improving broad band will also help expand telehealth and pharmacy access in rural idaho where the distance to a doctor can be overly burdensome on communities. To further address the shortage of positions in idaho i am looking to obtain legislative approval for 25 new medical residents. These efforts to build on previous investments, including those in our behavior Crisis Centers. Im happy to report that as of last summer, all areas of the state nowhere