State of the state address delivered by gary are herbert. Thank you mister president and president adams. Tiger wilson. By the way happy birthday. We seem to, that we dont have, time members of the legislature, justices of the Supreme Court the first lady, my wife, jeanette, the first lady of utah, i thank you for your love and support over all these years. Lieutenant governor spencer and mrs. Cox, thank you for your support and your leadership. And the other constitutional officers that we have with us today and my fellow utahns. Im grateful to be here and address you this evening. Id like to welcome our legislator its back to the hill and extend a special welcome to candice and steve who are joining us for their first general legislative session. [applause] my advice to them and to all of you is to roll up your sleeves and to get to work, because we have a lot to do in the next 42 days. For those who are keeping score, this is my 11th and my finalstate of the state address. I give this speech tonight full of renewed hope and optimism for utahs future. Ive learned much in my 10 1 2 years as governor. As i reflect on our state successes, i feel humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside all of you and to see the firsthand impact utahns are having on improving our state. Tonight id like to express the deep respect and admiration i have for the people of utah. Id like to speak directly to them for just a moment. You are a kindhearted people. You do good wherever you live. It is your hard work that helps bolster our economy. It is your kindness and service that makes us the most charitable state in the nation. You care about your neighbors. You volunteer. It is your hopeful spirit and work ethic that makes utah the best place in the nation to live, to work and to raise a family. You are the main reason for our success. Thank you for all that you do to make utah great. [applause] as directed by the utah constitution, im here tonight to report to you on the state of our state and to recommend such measures as may be deemed expedient. So pay rapt attention. To say that the state of our state is excellent would be a gross understatement. Utah is thriving, and were in the best position economically that we have ever been in our states history. We are leading the nation in job growth. Our Unemployment Rate is at an alltime low at 2. 3 . What that means is that our states economy has created over 312,600 new jobs since the great recession. We have the largest middle class in america. Here in utah, people are living the American Dream of upward mobility in the best state in the nation for upward mobility. Personal income has grown by approximately 7 per year, which is second highest in the nation. If thats not enough, our Household Income is now the seventh highest in the nation. If thats still not enough, utahns now have the lowest state Tax Obligation in 27 years. [applause] in addition, our Education System has improved dramatically with High School Graduation rates improving by 11. 4 Percentage Points since i became governor. Our student achievement is no longer at the middle of the pack on tests that compare states one to another. Today our students score in the top ten in almost every subject. Thats worth applause. [applause] our goal to have the best Education System in america is clearly within reach. We also have seen tremendous successes in higher education, including our technical and vocational colleges. Weve seen improvements in transportation and infrastructure, in health care, and in many other areas. I could go on and on and on, but you get the picture. The state of our state is well, were just the best. [applause] utah is leading the way today. And by the way, utah has led the way in the past. This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, womens suffrage, the right to vote. Its also been 150 years since sara young became the first woman in the nation to vote right here in utah. [applause] this year were even sending dr. Martha canon to washington to remind everyone a utah woman voted first. In honor of the event, id like all of our female officials who are carrying on the legacy to stand and be recognized. Youre proving that a utah womans place is in the house and in the senate. [applause] please stand up. [applause] thank you. We need more of you. This evening let us look forward to the challenges of the future with hope, optimism and focus. Let us determine what we need to accomplish now for the future generations and for the decades to come. Weve gathered here at the state at the start of not just a new legislative session, but the literal dawn of a new decade. Our quality of life has never been better and our future has never been brighter. Utahs always represented a better tomorrow. Our pioneer ancestors journeyed to the Salt Lake Valley in search of a better life and new opportunities. On their journey, they planted crops that would never harvest that they would never harvest and improved trails on which they would never again set foot. They did this because they knew that there would be others who would follow them. Today new modern pioneers are still coming here in search of a better life and new opportunities. One such person is mohammed, a 23yearold refugee from iraq, who came to america six years ago. In high school, he worked a parttime job to help support his family while working hard to graduate and to learn to speak english. After graduation, he signed up for Computer Programming courses taught at our Refugee Education and Training Center. His hard work paid off. He is now employed by nov, a tech company in salt lake, and he is making a sixfigure salary. I might want to apply there myself. He reminds us all that what my dad used to say, work will win when wishywashy wishing wont. Mohammed saw the opportunity, worked hard and realized his dream. Mohammed is here with us tonight along with other representatives of our refugee community, some of todays modern pioneers. Mohammeds success is impressive. But what i find truly remarkable about his story is that he now volunteers at the same Refugee Education and Training Center where he once studied. He is helping others on their journey. He is improving the trail for those who are coming after him. He and his colleagues embody the same Pioneering Spirit that has defined us since 1847. Refugees then and now are an important thread that has been woven into the tapestry of our state and of our lives. Please join with me in recognizing their contributions. Wheres mohammed . Right up here. [applause] article 2 is adopted. And we must plan for that growth and proactively prepare the way for those who are coming. Our success in utah is not by luck, accident or serendipity, it has been by design and it comes as a result of proper planning and developing good policies of the power of the private sector. In my last ten and a half years of governor, i have learned that every success creates not only new challenges, but also new opportunities. The 2010s have been more successful decade in utahs history. Let us Work Together to make sure the 2020s are an even better decade. applause lets now focus on the challenges and the opportunities that growth is bringing. More people will mean we need more housing, so how do we ensure Housing Affordability . More people will drive more cars and create more traffic. What changes will need to be made to avoid california like gridlock and traffic and time consuming commutes . More cars will create the potential for added pollution. So how do we protect the air that we breathe . Your actions, as a legislator over the next 42 days, will be instrumental and answering these and many other important questions. Above me are the last words have seen that before, which literally means the voice of the people. The voice of the people, as an essential part of representative government, and the reason the tax bill has passed in december special session will not be implemented. Tax policy is complex and tax modernization is still needed in order to have sustainable funding for public education, medicaid and other critical Core Government Services for our future. I appreciate your efforts on this very difficult issue. We need to continue this discussion with the people of utah. We need to improve the dialog, we need to build consensus and we need to take the time to find solutions which are fair and equitable and that will serve in the best insurance in a long term needs of the people. I know we can do that, together. Most of you will remember that in the depths of the great recession, i set the goal for utah to not only come out of the recession to but to become the Top Performing economy in the nation. My continuance to rely on sound principle, we can assure this success will continue for decades to come. Today, as a result of our efforts, we now have the healthiest and most diverse economy in the United States of america. aause thank you for your efforts. One of the challenges that still remain economically is to ensure Job Opportunities to the nearly 25 of our people who live in rural utah. I travel from county to county, i recognize that utah as love the beauty, the peace and the serenity of the road less traveled. Such as highway ten through foreign or highway 33 miners bill weir through representative casey snyder of hometown paradise. Many you taunts dont want to just vacation in rural utah, they want to live there and to work there and to raise their families there. Raising a family in rural utah requires stable employment and many rural families are searching for a better Job Opportunities closer to home. The good news is that according to our department of work so for services, we are on track to exceed our goal of creating 25,000 new jobs in rural utah by the end of this year. applause . For example, it is finding new ways to turn coal into carbon fiber. Utah overall Online Initiative is empowering residents with nuclear options. Our successful efforts to develop broadband throughout the state and setting the foundation is setting the foundation for opportunities we can yet even imagine. Thanks to technology and our tellall community initiatives, we have moved many state jobs to communities off the front. From providence, from rich field to richmond, we are making significant progress in this area for rural utah. We all agree that we will not rest until all 249 cities and towns, and all of our 29 counties are thriving economically. applause . Ensuring a high quality of life is not just about the jobs, it is about the environment we live in. I am pleased to know that in the plastic, eight air pollution in our state has decreased by over 30 . We have also worked very hard to bring tears of a fuel to the state. Newer cars using this refuel can see an 80 reduction in admissions, which is like taking forte of every five cars off the road. However, as population grows, so does the potential for increase pollution and crowding. We need to ensure that our children have safe places to play, clean air to breathe, and good water to drink. Salt lake citys new mayor, aaron, indicating the desire for more collaboration with the state, has said that utah, quote, has an Incredible Opportunity to win share continued growth, Financial Stability and environmental viability by helping shift commuters onto public transit, unquote. We do need to boldly reimagine our roles to safely accommodate cars, mass transit, bikes, pedestrians and even those pesky scooters. We should make commuting by transit as easy as commuting by car. Therefore, as president adams recommends, we do need to double trap front runners, why . So we can run trains every 15 minutes instead of every half hour. In my budget, i set aside a 34 Million Dollar down payment towards improvements and heavy rails, light rail and bus rapid transit. Also my budget recommendations i set aside 66 million for fast electric vehicle charging stations. To help accommodate the growing use of electric automobiles, on utahs roads. This 100 Million Dollar investment in our transportation mass trans, it is a necessary step, towards improving the air that we breathed, thanks to you, for all of you taking this issue seriously, especially members of our clean air caucus, through the legislators like push true east aaron, steve many todd and many, others are you care committee, theater a clean air partnership, many in the public and private sector, for your work and helping us to clean up the air, making form and better in the state of utah. In addition to putting pressure on our transportation system, utah is continued to create a kind Housing Market which is driving up the cost to purchase or to rent, it is time to consider making our land use zoning laws, and building more response if you are growing population and market news when it comes to Housing Affordability, this means we need to reimagine order communities and houses will look like in the future. By thinking creatively, and working in collaboration with our cities and counties, we can help change the landscape, of our Housing Market, and help design neighborhoods that our children and grandchildren will want to live in. I just as importantly, but they can afford to live in, this will be difficult, this will be a challenge, it is meaningful and will be worth the effort, in the last three years the status worked in Salt Lake City to change how we help those experiencing homelessness, i express my appreciation to the tennis governor talks for his compassion on this issue. And forced leadership in bringing people together to find solutions, this past year saw the opening of three new Resource Centers which provides shelter, food medical care employment assistance support and help in finding longterm housing. These centers are changing peoples lives. It is our responsibility, and certainly the role of government, to make sure that our state provide some opportunity, and a good quality of life for the people that we represent, im grateful to all, who work to focus their efforts to help in the most vulnerable citizens above, us a share the vision of Mother Teresa view, shaw who said that quote we want to help individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness to be able to obtain safehouse, ing enjoy positive life, activity while finding a good, job with a livable income, so that all may have a productive and meaningful life,. I think pamela is here. Pamela. I want you to know, we all share the same vision, the same goal that you, have we appreciate your leadership on this very important issue, thank you pamela. Ladies and gentlemen, all the planning we do, for the future success of our state, all the energy and time we invest in supporting this economy. Well do very little, if we do not put our children and our Education First and every decision that we make. If we want to plan for the future, if we want to plan for growth, we would be wise to invest directly in the people who lead utah in the future, our children. Throughout my time as government main education is been my number one priority, ive often said that education, is not all about the money, but it is some about the money, i appreciate that with the adoption of this years budget, you will have invested an additional, 2. 6 billion dollars in or schoolchildren, k through 12 over the last nine years. On behalf of parents, students the Business Media nearly everyone else in the state we say thank you to the legislature for your commitment to education. I salute you for your efforts thank you. The severe necessary, important steps in the right direction, i urge you to say the course, i realize the providing the best education possible for students, is not only about the dollar spent, but also about the people who are teaching our children, i have such deep respect for our teachers and for their dedication to our students, they have a hard job. They deserve our trust and our support. They get the big picture, this years teacher of the, year lauren merkley, is here with us tonight, and she is one such teacher who gets it. Her vision is that, utah will lead not just in test scores, but in Education System that meets the needs of every student, each and every student, a system on afraid of innovation, dedicating to equitable practices, and filled with teachers, expertly versed in both content, and compassion. Please join with me is we recognize her, as our teacher of the year, and express appreciation for all the teachers here in our great state. Thank you i deserve a round of applause. Thank you very much. By the way, compassion is so important in our schools, not just with a very Young Students but also students in middle school and high school. I would like to once again think the legislature especially represent, senator thatcher, and others who are crafting meaningful policy, and helping to direct investments in school counseling, its making a big difference. Our anti bullying campaigns, the development of a safe app that lets our students anonymously connect with Mental Health professionals. These resources are improving and saving the lives of our young people, this session, we can continue to strengthen and enhance our Mental Health resources because, as you know, every person matters. My friends, we have everything it takes to achieve our goal to become the best Education System in america. We can achieve that goal by working together, by expressing gratitude and supporting the good work of art teacher. And also by continuing to appropriately fund public and higher education. We also need to acknowledge the efforts of our parents, of our principles, superintendents, School Board Members and our partners in the private sector. Lets continue to commit. Right here and right now as a state when it comes to supporting education we will settle for nothing less than an a great. Can exactly ten years ago i stood here and delivered my first state of the state address, next year someone else was standing in my place, and from the number of candidates running for governor, it looks like there are a lot of people who really want to deliver that speech. Its been an amazing decade, weve had a great run together weve seen major challenges, but weve also created solutions, is seen unparalleled success the challenge we face today, are not the same challenges that we faced ten years ago, ten years ago on the same occasion i said that we can find unlimited possibilities, of what we could accomplish to create unprecedented partnerships, the ability to Work Together, in unprecedented ways, tonight as i look out at you, at the dawn of a new decade, im in all of the infinite possibilities, that lay ahead for us the people of utah we can make the most of these opportunities by following, the unprecedented partnerships that weve used so successfully these past ten, years lets not allow anything dividing our nation, to divide our state. Lets build our friendships based on mutual respect, better communications, and the strengthening of our partnerships, lets Work Together day in to build a Better Future lets work hard to make 2020 the best year ever. My dear friends and colleagues, there are many others including children grandchildren falling after us in search of a great life, and an even better tomorrow. Lets prepare the way for them. Lets give them hope and opportunity, lets show them that we care. Together we can bring out the partners of the, pass and prepare the trail for those who have yet to follow. Thank you for your efforts. Thank you for your continuing efforts, in difficult times and taking on the challenge of the day. May god bless you. And your families. May god continue to bless, what i think is his favorite stage, the great state of utah. Thank you very much. Pierre it what their agencies are doing to provide Security Assistance to mexico. Members question the officials on how the u. S. Is working with the Mexican Government to combat drugs unarmed trafficking by cartels. The humanitarian crisis. An american citizens been killed in mexico . We arin