We succeeded where two previous Governors and Legislatures failed -- and passed the single factor tax reform to repeal the tax on creating jobs.
You passed, and I signed, comprehensive legislation to modernize and reform our financial system - protecting workers, and unleashing hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment.
We worked together to provide sales tax relief to manufacturers - to help them offset the cost of energy and create jobs.
We've moved farther and faster than any administration in memory to simplify and streamline regulations, improving our business climate while protecting our environment.
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This month, we reached across party lines and established the most aggressive regulatory reform in the Midwest - real reform that holds agencies accountable, mandates clear time lines on permits, and protects our environment. We did it right, and we did it
… together.
The bill preserves our high environmental standards. It creates jobs. And I will sign it tomorrow.
From funding the BioStar initiative to expanding access to technology zone tax credits, we're capitalizing on Wisconsin's leadership in research, biotechnology, and stem cells, and laying the foundation for a vast expansion in high tech jobs.
Grow Wisconsin says we can compete at the high end. We have the best workers making the best products, and we can out-compete, and out-produce any workers in the world.
Over the past year, there have been a few issues where we've had some mild disagreements.
Where we couldn't reach common ground, I have not been afraid to stand up for what I believe is in the best interest of the people of Wisconsin.
I protected four-year-old kindergarten and the SAGE small class size program when your budget cuts went too far.
I preserved our Stewardship program, to protect parks, trails, and natural areas.
I prevented the state from having to auction off our pristine public lands.
I stopped what would have been a $400 million cut to public education - a cut that would have put thousands of teachers out of work and put our children's education at risk.
And I stood with 65 Wisconsin sheriffs - many of whom have joined us tonight -- and every major law enforcement group in the state, to fight to uphold our 130 year ban on concealed weapons.
Wisconsin doesn't need guns in our shopping malls, movie theaters and on our playgrounds.
Tonight, I urge you to get back to the issues that really matter to our future - strengthening health care, creating jobs, and investing in kids.
The high profile battles we've had on a handful of issues are just part of the story.
The rest of the story is that in a time of great challenges, we came together and made great progress. From the economy to agriculture to public safety to transportation, Democrats and Republicans set aside party differences, and got something done.
Last year, I signed 111 bills into law - almost twice as many as in 2002, and nearly three times as many as in 2001.
The list of successes is long, and it is significant.
And now, after twelve months as your Governor, I stand here tonight more hopeful, more optimistic than ever, at what we can achieve on behalf of Wisconsin families.
The State of Wisconsin is back on track … and we are moving forward.
Tonight, I offer you my vision and my priorities for where we need to go as a state in the next year, in the next decade, and beyond - and I ask for your help in getting us there.
In some areas, I will present specific initiatives and recommend legislation that should be passed. In other areas, I'll outline the priorities I will use as I detail new proposals in the coming months, and put together the next budget.
I'm not here to unveil a host of expensive new programs, because while our state finances are back on track, we're not out of the woods yet. And in the coming months, we'll have to guard against returning to the old habits of passing bills our state just can't afford.
As Governor, I will fight to ensure that we are fiscally responsible … and that every taxpayer dollar is spent efficiently. We must stay focused on the priorities that matter most - education, health care, and jobs.
Let me begin where our work must begin - with our children.
Let's ask ourselves: How are we going to make sure that every child in Wisconsin has the opportunity to achieve his or her God-given potential?
As a District Attorney, and as Attorney General, I saw the end result of what happens when we don't make the right investments in our kids. Higher social service costs … higher welfare spending … higher prison costs … and higher crime.
I've learned that we're all a lot better off when we take care of kids in the classroom, instead of the courtroom.
And for the last year, my wife Jessica and I have seen through our Community Connections Program what a community involved in the lives of school children really can do.
Every year, at least 9,000 Wisconsin children are victims of abuse and neglect. Too often, their bruises go unnoticed, their cries go unheard -- but their pain is very real.
I worked hard as Attorney General to fight abuse and neglect. And I promised myself that if I ever became Governor, I would do even more to help those 9,000 kids.
We know what works. Parent education and home visits for at risk children can make a big difference. Wisconsin already has a pilot program of home visits in nine counties, and it's working. Kids in the program were 30 percent more likely to be immunized, half as likely to go to the emergency room, and one quarter as likely to be abused.
Tonight, I propose a comprehensive effort of parent education and support, touching every new parent in Wisconsin. Bringing together the resources of state and local government, private foundations, community organizations, hospitals, and medical professionals, we will provide parent education services to every new family in Wisconsin.
For the most at-risk families, we will provide an array of supportive services, from home visits to family resource centers to referrals to health care and child care providers.
The Secretaries of Health and Family Services, Corrections, and Workforce Development, along with the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the First Lady, have worked together to develop a comprehensive agenda for improving the lives of our children.
Later this spring, I will announce a detailed package of reforms, from improving oral health for children, to improving foster care, to promoting quality child care, to cracking down on deadbeat parents, to setting higher standards in early education, to further strengthening our law enforcement efforts against abuse and neglect.
We also need to refocus on ensuring that our children show up for school ready to learn.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Wisconsin was the pioneer in public kindergarten. Back then, it was for five-year-olds and four-year-olds.
For a while, we got away from that. But now we're a national leader again. Innovative programs in La Crosse and Wausau are national models for linking four-year-old kindergarten with Head Start and day care.
Early education like four-year-old kindergarten has proven to give kids an equal chance to succeed by reducing gaps in school performance. And it reduces special education costs later in life.
One quarter of our children benefit from the program today, but now we need to get more communities involved to help give their children the right start. Therefore, tonight I am proposing the creation of Early Education Community Partnership Grants to help local school districts work with community organizations to develop plans for implementing four year old kindergarten programs.
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When it comes to education, I'm a pretty basic guy. What our students need most is to be in a classroom with a good teacher, a small class size, high expectations, and a roof that doesn't leak.
I have named a Task Force on Educational Excellence to carefully examine how we fund education in our state, how we support special education, how we attract and retain the best teachers, and how we ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to learn.
I want to thank so many of you who have taken the time to meet with Chairman Mike Spector to give your ideas, and I am confident that the Task Force will come up with a series of recommendations that we can all draw from in preparation for next year's budget.
I also believe we need a major focus on literacy. Different kids have different abilities - but every child should have the chance to read.
We have here tonight a native of Racine who has dedicated his life to getting kids excited about reading. Kevin Henkes is part of Wisconsin's proud tradition of creativity, and a winner this year of the Prestigious Newberry Honor Award for his distinguished contributions to American Literature for Children.
Last year, he was kind enough to join my wife Jessica and a group of middle school students for "Reading Day at the Residence." Because there is no better way to encourage reading than a good book.
Kevin, thank you for your service, and let's all work together to ensure every child has the chance to spark their imagination through reading.
We're also joined by Nick Cochart. Nick joined the Wisconsin Badgers football team as a walk-on. Through hard work, a drive for perfection, and a sheer love of the game, he has not only earned himself a spot on the team roster, but has grown to become an emotional leader. He is what a student athlete is all about.
But what is really extraordinary about Nick is the commitment he's making outside of sports. He aspires to be Wisconsin's youngest principal.
Won't you join me in thanking this future educator.
But you know something, if this talented young man does get a teaching job in Wisconsin - and we hope he will - he'll make $11,000 a year less than he would in Michigan. $8,000 less than he would in Illinois.
In fact, our starting salary is now $3,500 below the national average. Less than Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio.
While the arguments over this issue have been the same for many years, the facts have changed. We're no longer fourteenth in the nation in teacher salaries - we're below the national average … and falling. It has become a direct threat to the quality of education. And I'm pleased that Representative Gary Bies, four other Republicans, and many Democrats have recognized this new reality, and introduced legislation to repeal the QEO.
No matter what your opinions are on the QEO, we need to increase teacher compensation and ensure that Wisconsin can attract and retain the best teachers for our kids.
Last year, I began to detail my Healthy Kids initiatives - encouraging a focus on fitness in our schools, launching a multimillion dollar anti-tobacco campaign, and making school breakfast available to more of our students.
Tonight, I am announcing a $10 million public-private partnership to improve fitness equipment and physical education curriculum in schools across the state. Working with the National School Fitness Foundation, we will put nearly 100 state-of-the-art fitness programs into schools that need the help the most over the next three years.
There's another issue that affects the health of our kids and their ability to learn. And that's school breakfast.
I see this in pretty basic terms. We're last in the country. We have 150,000 kids who are eligible for free and reduced breakfast, but they're not getting it. We have schools turning down millions in federal money.
And so I ask you to join me to make sure that more kids get a healthy breakfast. Because if West Virginia can do this, and Mississippi can do this, so can Wisconsin.
There is a lot that our government can and must do. But one thing it can't do is raise our kids. Only families can do that.
At the same time, government should make a parent's job easier, not harder.
We need to have quality child care, access to home visits, nutrition programs, and other support for families.
Most of all, we need a strong economy so parents can provide for their children and give them all the opportunities life has to offer.
Because when it comes right down to it, there's no better social program than a good paying job.
From balancing the budget without raising taxes … to passing the single factor tax reform … to streamlining regulations, we are positioning our state to start creating jobs again.
Wisconsin is a national leader in developing innovative new ideas and business models, but at the height of the economic boom, Minnesota got six times as much venture capital as we did.
The Senate has passed legislation to address this shortage, thanks to the leadership of Senators Ted Kanavas and Gwen Moore.
Tonight, I'm calling on the full Legislature to pass venture capital legislation, so we can start turning highly promising ideas into high paying jobs.
Let me give you an example.
A few years ago, UW Professor Lynn Allen-Hoffman made a remarkable discovery in her lab. She developed a skin-grafting technology that holds the potential to grow new skin cells for burn victims - relieving their intense pain and dramatically improving their chances of survival.
She has founded a small company - Statratech - in the University Research Park. What she needs now is the venture capital that will turn her discovery into high-wage jobs, and unlock its great potential for the human race.
Professor Lynn Allen Hoffman is here tonight. Let's pass this legislation and help people like her make miracles happen in Wisconsin.
One area we have to get back on track is our manufacturing industry.
We should pass the Manufacturing Competitiveness Program, introduced by Representatives Lena Taylor, Jennifer Schilling and Senator Dave Hansen. This proposal takes advantage of the great expertise we have at our universities, technical colleges and manufacturing extension partnerships to help manufacturers become more competitive.
The bill is affordable, it's a job creator, and it's time to get it done.
The main thing Wisconsin has to sell is the dedicated, well-educated and highly skilled men and women who make the products and deliver the services that fuel our economy.
Let's pass my worker training initiatives - from providing training to help workers and businesses become more competitive, to expanding the youth apprenticeship program under legislation sponsored by Representative Terry Van Akkeren.
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And let's not forget about those who so often work the most and earn the least. Working full time at the minimum wage of $5.15 an hour, they are paid less than $11,000 a year - not enough to live on, much less raise a family.
There's something we can do today that would help more than 130,000 Wisconsin citizens - most of them adults, most of them women, and many of them with children.
Fellow citizens, these workers haven't had a raise in seven years. It is time to increase the minimum wage.
There's another group of hardworking people in our state who are struggling - family farmers.
From encouraging the sale and production of ethanol, to promoting Wisconsin's leadership in organic foods, to launching a new online farmers market, to preserving the farmland preservation tax credit, we are helping farmers add value to their products … and profits to their bottom line.
We're developing balanced, sensible livestock siting legislation, and we're leading the way in protecting consumers and producers in the event of a Mad Cow outbreak. Now, you can strengthen our efforts by passing the Premise Identification bill.
Last year you passed tax incentives for manufacturers. Now join with me and Representatives Al Ott and Bobbie Gronemus to help small and medium-sized dairy farmers afford the investments to make their farms more competitive.
Over the past two weeks, I've held town halls on the State of our State - and from Monona to Milwaukee, from Stevens Point to Superior, one of the top issues on people's minds is the rising cost of health care.
