Missouri Governor Jay Nixon State of State Address
By: Governor Jay Nixon
Updated: January 28, 2013
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon lays out his goals for his 2nd term in office, below is his state of state address.
Thank you, President Pro Tem Dempsey, Speaker Jones, judges of the Missouri Supreme Court, Lieutenant Governor Kinder, state officials, members of the legislature, members of my cabinet, and my fellow Missourians.
Thank you, President Pro Tem Dempsey, Speaker Jones, judges of the Missouri Supreme Court, Lieutenant Governor Kinder, state officials, members of the legislature, members of my cabinet, and my fellow Missourians.
This evening it is my pleasure to be joined by Missouri's outstanding First Lady, Georganne Nixon, and our son Jeremiah.
Before I begin to lay out our states agenda for the year, I would like to thank the people of Missouri for the privilege of serving a second term as Governor. I am grateful for your continued trust and support, and the opportunity to lead our great state forward.
Looking around this chamber tonight, I see folks with different backgrounds, different ideologies, and different interests.
Whatever our small differences may be, we are united in a common purpose: to serve all the people of Missouri, to make their lives better, and to make life better for our children and grandchildren.
These past 4 years, Missouri has weathered historic challenges - from nearly double-digit unemployment to the tornado in Joplin. Together, we met each challenge with courage and conviction, and moved our state forward. That makes me proud to be a Missourian.
That makes me more optimistic than ever about our future. Because the people of the Show-Me State know how to work together. And once our minds are made up, nothing can stop us. That's who we are. That's what we do. Some who answer the call of service put their lives at risk to protect the lives of others.
They serve here at home whenever danger and disaster threaten. They serve in perilous outposts in every corner of the globe, to defend our freedom and liberty. We call them heroes. They make us proud.
Last December, I again had the opportunity to visit our troops in Afghanistan and Kuwait. Sergeant Joseph Schicker served with the Guard's Agribusiness Development Team in Afghanistan. Just hours after his team arrived at their base, Taliban insurgents attacked.
In successfully repelling the attack, several Missouri Guardsmen, including Sergeant Schicker, were wounded. For his part in the battle, Sergeant Schicker received the Combat Infantry Badge and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor.
I personally had the honor of pinning Sergeant Schicker with the Purple Heart during the ADT's welcome home ceremony in September. Sergeant Schicker, you represent every man and every woman who has ever fought to defend our great nation, in every era and on every field of battle.
Will you please stand, with all the members of our military past and present, and accept the heartfelt gratitude of your state? In the last 4 years, we've overcome our share of challenges. Missouri was hit by unprecedented natural disasters.
We came together to help our neighbors hit hard by twisters and ice storms, floods and drought. In the grip of an historic recession, we did what every family in Missouri did: we tightened our belts and cut spending. Together, we balanced the budget while holding the line on taxes.
We dramatically reduced the size of state government, while making it more efficient. We protected our spotless Triple-A credit rating. And unlike most states, we did it without reaching into taxpayers' wallets, or putting it on the credit card. And you know what? It worked. As a result, our economy is moving forward.
Last year, Missouri employers added more than 40,000 new jobs. We're exporting more goods than ever before, training more workers than ever before, and bringing Missouri's auto industry back to life.
2 weeks ago, on the day after my inauguration, I went back to Detroit to meet with auto suppliers and manufacturers. We got our first good look at the Ford Transit, one of the fantastic new vehicles we're going to build right here in the Show-Me State.
A top Ford exec said that if we hadn't come together during that special session two years ago, the Claycomo plant would have closed. That would have put those 4,000 workers out of a job, and pushed Missouri's auto industry to the brink.
Instead? Automakers are investing more than $1.5 billion in Missouri, creating thousands of jobs at the Ford plant in Claycomo, the GM plant in Wentzville, and suppliers in every corner of our state. By coming together in that special session, we saved Missouri's auto industry.
So when the skeptics say that nothing gets done in this building, or when the press writes that the two parties can't come together, think of those workers and their families. Remember that what we do here really matters.
That same spirit is needed now more than ever, to keep Missouri moving forward. Together, we've kept our fiscal discipline, and our economy is gaining ground.
We now have a unique opportunity to build a better future for our children. We must seize it. Nothing will have a greater impact on our children's future than the commitment we make now to their education.
So in my budget, we increase funding for education. And we increase it by $150 million.
That's $17 million more for early childhood education.
That's $34 million more for higher education;
And that's $100 million more for our K-12 classrooms.
Our children are our first priority. They are Missouri's future. Of course, with increased funding, come higher expectations. We expect better test scores, better graduation rates, more college degrees and more Missourians ready to compete for the best jobs in a global economy.
We've all got to do better, and that means everybody: students and teachers; parents and principals; coaches and college presidents. Increased funding means increased accountability.
We know the early years of a child's life are critical. Over the past few weeks I've visited preschool classrooms in Greenville, Nixa, Parkway and St. Joseph, local communities committed to giving their kids a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
The first official business of my second term was to meet with leaders in preschool education. We discussed ways to ensure that every young child comes to school ready to learn, and ready to succeed.
The clear consensus: early childhood education is a smart investment, with a big return. We want every child, in every Missouri community, no matter their family's circumstances, to get the best possible start.
That is why, with an increase of $17 million, we'll more than double funding for our Missouri Preschool Program, and put more money into programs like Early Head Start.
Tonight, we are fortunate to be joined by the St. Louis Pre-School Teacher of the Year, Linda Smith, of Dewey International School. Joining her is St. Louis Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Kelvin Adams.
Under Dr. Adams' strong leadership, the St. Louis schools have made steady progress over the past five years, as they work to earn full accreditation. That kind of progress is only possible when everyone pulls together toward a shared goal.
Mrs. Smith and Dr. Adams, please stand. Thank you for the lifelong commitment you've made to our children. In the past 4 years, our schools have made steady gains. Math scores are up. Reading scores are up.
I'm proud to report that Missouri's high school graduation rate is now the seventh-highest in the nation. We must commit to even higher goals. That's why my budget includes $100 million in new funding for our K-12 classrooms. We'll use it to train more teachers, modernize equipment, and lengthen the school year.
Readers Feel...
hello
©1998 - 2013 Fourstateshomepage.com
Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
All Rights Reserved