Hour. Ladies and gentlemen, the governor of the great state of alaska. [applause] thanks, everybody. The first thing i want to say is thanks for putting up with a little move yesterday. I want to thank you for working with your legislators. Thank you very much. So, thank you Lieutenant Governor and members of the legislature. Before i continue i want to do something important and recognize my wife and the mother of our three daughters, my wife of 36 years, first lady. [applause] i would also like to recognize the members of the cabinet in attendance tonight and could you please stand as well. Thanks for everything you are doing. [applause] and to the members of the legislature, welcome and thank you for stepping up. We can never forget why we are here and we are here to serve the people. Serving the people of alaska as an educator into governor is one of the greatest honors of my life and a privilege none of us can take for granted. Every year on these nights when we squeeze into the chamber men and women of all backgrounds sidebyside. We are in this together and should never come second to our political differences. Ive had the chance to live the alaska dream ever since i set out from pennsylvania more than 40 years ago. I met and married my wife and alaska. We raised over three daughters in alaska. Theyve gone to the Public Schools and now they all work at the red dog minds. I know, anyone whos heard me speak about my daughters probably knew i was going to bring up red dog. When i talk about it it isnt just because im proud of my daughters for succeeding in the industry thats traditionally been dominated by men. Its also important to talk about because ive seen firsthand how this opportunity is transformed. This opportunity was realized thanks to the people like roses father. The first chairman of the board roberts vision was that its people could walk in his vision that people should benefit from the past into the future. Robert didnt believe it. He believed in all of the above. You know what we didnt hear back then . We didnt often hear the concept applied to every resource project in alaska and other opportunities as well. Thank goodness we didnt hear back then as we hear today whether its pebble, anna mar, willow, and the list goes on and on. These tired arguments and false choices are trotted out over and over every time we try to do something that creates jobs and opportunities. Time after time throughout our history, we have had to overcome forces aligned against alaska building our own future. Of time after time weve overcome those forces you to prove to the naysayers wrong. The resiliency and determination was and still is a point of pride for many. This is the basis for the most inspirational model i think of anything. North to the future isnt just the motto, it is the directive, the Mission Statement and roadmap for the alaska dream. We talk a lot about the north to the future but many of the laws and regulations are practices and attitudes unfortunately Say Something different. Its taken 56 executive actions in the past three years and if allowed to stand they will turn into nothing more than a giant snow globe with no future other than a place on the shelf. Fighting back against the actions but changing attitudes can be harder. Many of the forces that worked against alaska in the past few years have come from outside the state. Today however many of the forces are sadly coming from inside the state. Too many and our great state have gotten very good at saying no. No two opportunities for other alaskans based on a false premise that one persons opportunity is somehow another persons liability. Note to mining and oil and gas, harvesting timber, renewables, growing more food, trucks on roads, no to roads period. Let us change the attitude. I stand in front of you tonight as an anomaly is a twoterm governor. I didnt run for this office and i certainly didnt win on a platform of no to this opportunity or to that opportunity. I wouldnt be standing here today if i did. Weve gone from taking advantage of every opportunity in many cases to working just as hard to prevent opportunities from happening. It was important for me to understand that i had to oppose many of the opportunities as well. I was told that if i didnt it would be my own political peril. I was told bluntly that i would lose the raises and i would lose big. At the same time i was convinced that while i was being told was wrong because thats not what alaskans wanted. What i found out was instead of the specialinterest, it was the lady behind the counter, the guy at the hardware store, the plumber, electrician, the landscaper, they all want to do something different. These are those that tell me time and time what they wanted was opportunities across the board for them, their kids and their grandkids. Unlike others alaska cant afford to say no to any opportunity it means less people on welfare or food stamps. It means more families. I came from the working class. My values are with of the working class and ive always had faith in them. These are the people that elected me for two terms. Many elected you and we cant forget that. What they voted for was the chance and opportunity to realize the alaska dream. Our job is not to make policy for the specialinterest with the rules in the press. They dont need our help. Trust me. Our job is a voice of the voiceless. We cant let the voices get inside our head into crowd out to those that elected us and expect us to do the right thing for them. How do i know the special interests have turned into a protectionist state . Again, because i see some of you may have heard me say this and probably think im crazy. I get that. But the fact of the matter is we may be the only state in the country or possibly in the world that doesnt have a number of cranes operating right now building something and creating a future. And unfortunately, we havent for some time. Think about that. You can go to iceland which i know a lot of you did, and its working in a country a fraction of the size of alaska and half the population. Just a few years ago there were more than 300 construction cranes working in iceland. Think about that. Why does this matter . The reason there are folks out there that track how many are working is because they are a sign of Economic Activity and opportunity. They are a sign of opportunity. On the flipside, it is a proverbial canary in the coal mine signaling a lack of opportunities and potentially a lack of future. So why do they have so many working and we dont . They dont have oil. They dont have timber. They dont have gold or copper. They have very little in terms of the resources that we do. However apparently what they do have are great policies. They take advantage of every opportunity at the resources that they do have. They build roads and power plants. Opportunities for jobs, kids, creating wealth, opportunities to build the future. That should be the conversation that we are having here. How do we create opportunities for our kids and grandkids. Thats the conversation going on in states like texas, florida. Unfortunately including some alaskans because of the opportunities they present. Lets face it, people will go where theres opportunities. Its that simple. People will go where they believe and that should be obvious. People are flooding to the country around the world because of the opportunity we present. But alaska we are not running down every opportunity. Sadly we are spending too much Energy Running off the opportunity instead of embracing it. There are some that will sit back and pat themselves on the back for destroying an opportunity. We may be the only place on the planet that does that and its a recipe for slowmoving disaster. Alaskans voted for opportunity. They want their kids to have an opportunity. So as long as im governor, im going to work to make sure its within reach for anyone who wants to pursue it so we can realize our dream of north to the future. We are in competition for people and thats why we are proposing policies to make alaska the best place to live and have a family. We are uniquely positioned to make sure that of the alaska dream is within reach for anyone who wants it. Whether they have roots that extend back for thousands of years or for those who just seek a better life. We need everyone theres no question about it it should be controversial. Now theres some radical groups, some people who think fewer people in alaska is a good thing. Weve seen the results of the efforts the past 50 years to discourage people from having families and more recently to restrict and control through social engineering. Whether you are a student of history or a casual observer, we cant have the kind of Economic Activity, growth and Technological Advancements that have built a civilization over thousands of years without an increasing population. Believing in the alternative is basically sovereign suicide. I reject the alternative and i think we all reject the alternative. If we believe we need more people, the work we do here needs to reflect that. The tracking and keeping of people starts with Public Safety. I think we all know that. Its the number one responsibility for any government and one of the main reasons i ran for office was because alaska was on the wrong track. We immediately began by reducing and refueled the disastrous policy under that contributed to recordbreaking crime waves. These policy reforms are now paying off. The overall rate has declined every year of the administration to some of the lowest levels in 40 years. The budget is up by 81 . We have 88 positions compared to 2018. My proposed budget finds another plus Salary Increase and also adds funding for four investigators in the indigenous persons unit. Theres the kickback weve been collecting dna thats been owed in some cases. Of these efforts are helping us crack both cases and bring longoverdue justice for victims. We know we still have work to do. Progress is not permanent and we cannot let our guard down. The proposed budget includes funding for the investigators with of the troopers focused on crime against our children. We must do everything in our power to protect the most vulnerable. We need more troopers like trooper christian. She moved here in 2012 from West Virginia with her husband to live at cooper landing. Not everyone was cut out for that lifestyle that they loved every second of it and we are thankful they did. She got her masters degree in 2015 and joined in the matthew valley. She worked patrolling them and is an investigator with the childabuse investigative unit. If we are being honest with ourselves, very few of us could do the work that shes doing. She has to see the pure evil in the world personified by those who prey on our kids. She has to see the world through the eyes of victims and their families. That they not only deal with of the trauma of the crimes but the process of the secure justice. The work not only, but also through the trauma to the other side. Shes received the lifelong connections along the road to recovery for the people she serves. Representing the best of alaska and of the troopers she represents the best of all of us. Will you please be recognized for your public service. [applause] thank you for what you do. They see firsthand every day our work is not complete. With a pursuit of justice we will build where we can all feel safe everywhere and criminals cant escape justice anywhere. [applause] another fundamental responsibility of government enshrined in the constitution is to provide for public education. While governors and legislators funded education in the past, whats been lacking in the commitment to ensure students are performing at the level that we expect. For far too long, the drumbeat for more money is drowned out near every other conversation. The conversation always seems to begin and end only with money. As long as the conversation is only focused on money, its difficult to discuss improving outcomes. Thanks to a single vote in 2022, we have finally started having that conversation about outcomes. As a result of that moment, we are focused on implementing the act to ensure that every student achieves proficiency in reading by the third grade. [applause] we know this can be done. We know they will succeed when they are given the right opportunity and of the right environment. This past november, research from harvard confirmed that alaskas Charter School system is the best in the country. Thats right, you heard correctly the Charter School system is leading the nation. [applause] this fact should be a cause for celebration. Every educator, every administrator and School Board Member in alaska should be embracing the opportunity to learn from what is proving to be successful. The cultural Charter Schools and example of that success. In 2004, then a teacher at the elementary approached her colleague about the traditions and values of the native people. After receiving the charter in 2007 the school began operations in a small church. Then an Old Furniture store then a space for ten years followed by a brief stay. Sheila now the principal of the School Received the keys to the former elementary last summer. No matter what space they occupied for the past 17 years, the School Leaders focused on the academics combined with indigenous values. The values coexist in harmony under the same roof at the Charter School. The leadership contributed for the results that made alaskas Charter School system the best in the nation. Its not about money. Its not about a students background of the determines how well one does. Its about the environment, connecting with students, building relationships and valuing the individual. With the right environment and the right approach to learning, our students can succeed beyond our wildest dreams. Sheila, her staff, or 282 students are proving it every single day. She was raised in a small village on the yukon river. She is a role model for every educator, no matter where they teach. So please stand up and be recognized on behalf of your efforts and all those of your staff setting the standards across the country. [applause] sheila, thank you. Youve got a lot to be proud of and we are proud of you. When we focus on result, every student, every parent and every teacher will play a role in making alaska the best in the country to receive a public education. The class where the rubber meets the road, where we have the most value. Where the students learn to read, to learn math and science and to forge a positive relationship with her teacher. Thats why i introduced house bill 106 and im calling on the members of the legislature to provide incentive payments to the Classroom Teachers. [applause] these payments will be from five to 15,000 per year for the next three years depending on where the teacher teachers. Our Classroom Teachers should be paid well for the work they do investing in just the right thing to do it will also strengthen the ability to recruit in the highly competitive world and i like to go ahead and make a picture right here right now. If you are a classroom teacher in alaska were interested in being one, go online dot alaska teachers and you can see for yourself the levels of the sentence by School District. If you are teaching and acreage you could earn an extra 15,000 over the next three years if you stay in that 45,000 over the next three years. And if you are a teaching couple in the remote district, you or your spouse can earn an extra 90,000 in those three years. Again, [applause] you can find all this information online, and we hope you will be able to take advantage of the opportunity when the Legislature Passes the bill. The legislation will not only put money where it belongs in the pockets of our teachers, it will also be accompanied by valuable research to demonstrate the benefits of the recruitment and retention. Its imperative that the legislation passes this year. Just as we have proven we can be the best at recruiting and retaining Classroom Teachers nationwide. We must break the cycle of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That means putting a focus on outcomes such as reading and it means investing in Classroom Teachers rather than only a formula. We need great teachers, more teachers, sarahs father served for 24 years and therefore is individually retired. Sarah grew up and wanted to be a teacher, an elementary teacher. While there, she asked if she could take an assignment in the School District and when she arrived she was paired up with a mentor. If that name sounds familiar, its because she is now sarahs motherinlaw and her families home where she taught for eight years. She teaches preschool, elementary reading, reading interventionist and she runs the stem program. In short, sarah does it all. Could you please stand and be recognized for your service on behalf of all Classroom Teachers . [applause] whats heartbreaking sarah isnt just seeing teachers leave but leave the profession entirely. As a fellow educator myself, this troubles me greatly as well. By focusing on the classroom, we can and we will reverse the cycle of turnovers by doing so we will give our students and our teachers the opportunity to succeed. [applause] for decades we tried education policies based little more than what comes after a dollar sign. Im asking you to join us in a new approach based on what happens after a student walks into a classroom. We need to prepare our students in the competitive world that we are in and that also includes higher education. Before i became governor in the university of alaska was declining, like the conversation today around k12 the focus back then was mostly about the budget. Since taking office we have taken a different approach. Weve worked with University Leadership to helpful fill their mission. That mission is to prepare students to a job of today such as nursing and jobs in the future in emerging Energy Arctic research. Unmanned aircraft and so much more. Implementing a