recruiting law enforcement and mental health.

[applause]

>> is my pleasure to present to you, governor of the commonwealth of virginia, the

honorable glenn youngkin. [applause] gov. youngkin: thank you. thank you. thank you thank you. [laughter] [applause] good afternoon. thank you. let's try that again. thank you so much for the warm welcome. mr. speaker, lieutenant governor , madam president, chief justice goodwin, members of the general

assembly, members of the cabinet , members of our supreme court. my fellow virginians, i am honored to be with you again in the story hall of mr. jefferson's capital. the first version of the virginia constitution was written in 1776 in the first spring of the american revolution. the second version and everyone since requires the wisdom, the governor to communicate to the general assembly the condition of the commonwealth. the challenges we face today are different from those our founders faced in 1776. virginias determination, innovation, faith, hope remains the same. it is my honor to be with all of you.

also, to call upon all of us to focus on the work yet to be done . fortunately, i am not alone in this task or on this journey. i'm joined this afternoon by two of our four children, grant and john. i joined everyday by the love of my life, who stands by me as a devoted partner, in marriage, parenting, service to this great commonwealth. our first lady, suzanne youngkin. [applause] i know that many in this room understand what the love and devotion of a spouse means during the season of service. that is true for one of our

bodies newest members, elegant ellen campbell. ellen carries the torch of service for her late husband and our friend, running campbell. ellen, please know we are praying for you. we are welcoming you in your service to the commonwealth. [applause] >> we also have other new members of this esteemed body this afternoon. we welcome delegates probably. -- we welcome delegates, holly sewell. [applause]

and senator aaron ralph. [applause] i want to thank all of you for your willingness to serve this great commonwealth. now, consistent with my constitutional responsibility and my great honor and privilege of serving all of virginians, i hear this afternoon to communicate the state of our commonwealth is substantially better than it was last year. [applause]

and yet, we are still in great distance from our destination, a destination were virginia truly is the best place to live, work and raise a family. i am here this afternoon to urge us to accelerate our efforts to get more done, and to get it done faster, and to make virginia stronger so we can compete to win economically, attract the best jobs and unlock the dream and rich talents of all virginians. [applause] i am here today to remind us, that the people sent me here and all of you to deliver on a vision, a vision to lower costs and a restore to excellence in school to make our committee

safe again, government work for the people, to clear a path to opportunity and prosperity. i'm here this afternoon to celebrate the unbreakable foundation of the spirit of virginia, a spirit that is alive and well, a fire burning deep inside the resourceful and kindhearted virginia, who make our commonwealth a better place every day. [applause] i am here this afternoon to challenge us. challenge us to build the people's confidence in their elected leaders, to demonstrate to our children the best of representative government. not just by what we accomplish, but even more so about how we conduct ourselves. and to bring us closer together

as brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors. a year ago i stood here as a newcomer, energized by the perspective of having spent a year listening everyday to virginians. then able to echo their calls for change. virginians spoke loudly that they were ready for a new day, a new path forward, virginians were tired of the cold halls of government being disconnected from the cold realities that they were facing everyday. they were tired of rising prices at the grocery store, gas pumps, they were tired of politics as usual. they wanted their elected leaders to deliver results, not a divided impasse. they wanted virginia to soar, not stall. today i carry with me the stories, concerns, ideas from the millions of virginians that we all serve.

once again, i'm here to carry my message -- not to carry my message, there's only the year we work together, we have had substantial progress. we are on the right. [applause] we are on the right path and virginians know it. they see the transformation underway and they want more progress and they wanted faster. we provided historic tax relief on a bipartisan basis, including eliminating the states grocery tax. [applause]

>> i was so pleased to see my democratic friends join us recently and celebrating the end of this regressive tax, something virginians came around through the campaign. there is a clear sign there are bipartisan momentum for more taxable event in session. [applause] i look forward to giving those on both sides of the aisle, more opportunities to celebrate tax breaks in the coming weeks. we raised teacher paid and made record investments between k-12

education. we empowered parents because they matter, giving them the choice and whether their child wears a mask in school. [applause] again, on a bipartisan basis, we finally started being honest about the state of our education in the commonwealth. virginias children were falling further behind and we took necessary steps to get our children back on track. we embraced through the virginia literacy act. on a bipartisan basis, the sign of reading. [applause]

we are launching lab schools and reestablishing virginias standards from last to first. we grew tuition in every public college and university. [applause] we backed the blue with historic investments in salaries, trading, equipment. [applause] gov. youngkin: we reopened the commonwealth for business, recruiting iconic companies like boeing, raytheon technologies, welcoming legos first ever manufacturing facility.

[applause] we watched companies like rocket lab, -- launched mix gin, -- nexgen rockets and drones right here in virginia. [applause] we changed the way government works. the virginia employment commission's or through 900,000 backlog -- my hundred thousand backlog claims. we saved over $1.2 billion in taxpayer money. [applause] gov. youngkin: through sheer

force of will, we gave the children of our foster care system, warm beds to sleep in instead of cold office floors. we started to work and modernizing our regulatory process. most importantly, we stood together. we stood together in times of trial and tribulations, devastating floods in southwest virginia. terrible acts of violence in bridgewater, charlottesville, chesapeake,, most recently in newport news. in each case we have seen the love, compassion, fortitude, courage of our fellow virginians on display. we began working with cities that were falling further and further behind. we have launched a comprehensive partnership for petersburg. state, local government,

businesses, nonprofit organizations and faith leaders bringing together more than 75 stakeholders. we were implementing over 40 initiatives to address the challenges in the petersburg community by keeping their neighborhood safe, fostering business and economic growth, improving access to health care, preparing petersburg students for life, keeping people moving with transportation. bringing together communities and faith leaders. our partnership for petersburg is demonstrating what we can't accomplish with comprehensive commitment and cooperation. the goal is to transform petersburg for a future because petersburg matters. [applause]

>> this partnership is the catalyst for the city's renewal. a template for other struggling cities. two of the central parts in the effort have been mayor and police chief travis kristin who are here today, as not only as my guests, but also as guests as delegate kim pao. the mayor and the chief embody the spirit of virginia. they represent the millions of virginians who desperately want their leaders to set aside politics and focus on delivering results. would you please stand and all of my colleagues please express gratitude for your leadership. . [applause]

yes, virginia we are on the right impact. this -- for right path. this is no time to set the country -- cruise control because we have a long way to go into short time to get there. it is time to press the accelerator. for the commonwealth, it means getting more done and doing it faster. virginias -- virginians do not have time for foot posturing, they want results now, not next year, now.

identify things can get going. as i traveled the commonwealth and listen closely to the story of virginians, we are on a path to a better future. we are nowhere near done. virginias strengths are clear, extraordinary workforce, leading education. just to name a few. there are some concerning signs that we must pay attention. today we need to be clear about the challenges that we face. at the heart of our economic challenges growth, growing economy, growing jobs, growing work force.

inflation is stealing virginians hard earned money. growth is more important than ever. in this endeavor is different because our success is not gained in isolation, we face relentless competition from surrounding states. we have to compete to win, despite the progress we have made over the past year, our path forward is directed by a undeniable set of disturbing facts. since the start of the pen, virginia has been at the bottle bottom 10 opportunity are on the opposite end of that spectrum. north carolina, tennessee, florida, texas are all in the top 10 for 10 migration.

virginia has lost over 32,000. this trend started before the pandemic. 2013 was when the states would compete with four people, talents and job started lowering tax rates for businesses, families, or both and started moving aggressively to make their business climates competitive. regina fell behind. when i took off his comer virginia was 47 in the nation for job recovery from the pandemic since then, more than 85,000 virginians are working, placing regina as top 20 for job growth -- placing virginia as top 20 for job growth of the year. [applause]

gov. youngkin: we still have 125,000 fewer virginians working today than before the pandemic. those states we complete -- compete with, georgia, florida, texas, have not only recovered all of their job loss, but they added 1.3 million new jobs. that tells a undeniable story. virginians are moving the steaks with lower taxes and a lower cost of living. notice virginians pack up, move away, so greater jobs -- go their jobs and tax revenue they

driver. . what does virginia share of the projects? 3.4%. all of our competitors stakes are better than reaching your, some doubled. as i said in december, our competitor wants these projects to be done because we were not cultivating the project fast enough. the tax burden was increasingly uncompetitive. we were not competing to win. we were not even in the ballgame. that can change, it must change and it must change now. [applause]

gov. youngkin: i know there is bipartisan support in this chamber when it comes to harvesting our talent. i know there is bipartisan support when it comes to building shovel ready sites. for the commonwealth to become competitive with our neighboring states, we are going to have to systematically move to lower taxes. [applause] the budget amendment i put forward calls for immediate tax cuts for businesses and

individuals. key visual commitments in modern-day shot heard around the world to say virginia is here to compete and here to win. [applause] gov. youngkin: we want all of our veterans to stay here. they made our communities better . i am asking you to eliminate the tax on military income regardless of their age. [applause]

i am asking you to finish the work we started last year, increase standard deduction by another 20%. a change that helps all virginians. [applause] >> this is a change that helps all virginians, especially the lower and middle income taxpayers. the plan utilizes one billion through -- of the 3.6 virginia surplus. even with the impending

recession, we will continue to grow. the writing on the wall cannot be simple. the people in virginia are overtaxed, not with government money, their money. they are voting with their feet in their wallets. [applause] gov. youngkin: when combined with last year's tax relief, our plan would save typical families more than $1900. in over 40,000 working virginians would have their tax liability eliminated entirely. before we go too much further, cutting taxes does nothing to be a choice between republicans and democrats. democrats led north carolina recently plan to lower its tax rates 4% from 2027 and business

tax to zero by the end of the decade. we will be moving for the high-speed lane to the breakdown lane willfully watching our commonwealth while behind. the revenues are there to lower tax rates. we can keep virginians here, check businesses from other states and fueled the economic engine that will drive further growth, further taxes, further tax reduction and keep virginia in the high-speed lane. one of the most encouraging moments that i had as governor was judging a shark tank contest in virginia beach. watching that entrepreneurialism beginning to grow. one of the entrepreneurs i met

that knights were developing a tool for health care products. they won the confidence of well the other judges. she joins us here this afternoon. will you please stand? [applause] gov. youngkin: on the behalf of the commonwealth of virginia, i want to thank you for using your entrepreneurial spirit to enrich your community. we cannot wait to see how your small business grows into a great big business. congratulations.

[applause] jaden's story is a inspiring one. our collective goal must be for our school to equipped all of virginia students every jaden in the commonwealth with the skills and knowledge to thrive, so they can dream big and confidently pursue those dreams. when it comes to what is truly at the heart of our commonwealth future, our children. we know that we haven't will work. -- we know that we have real work to do. virginia's children suffered the largest decline of any state in the country for fourth grade literacy and chart -- tied for the largest decline in fourth grade math. every parent in virginia is

aware that years ago, the educational standards were systematically lower. sadly, those lowered expectations were met. virginia's children bear the brunt of those misguided decisions is unacceptable by any standard. we must teach our kids to read. i am asking you to extend the reading specialist through the fifth grade. we must teach our math. i am asking you to provide specialist for those poorest performing schools. we must teach our children all of our history, the good and bad . parents matter. we must protect the fundamental rights concerning the up bringing, education and care of their children. [applause] we must provide.

gov. youngkin: we must provide choice within the public school system by accelerating our bipartisan efforts to build schools appeared we must accelerate dual enrollment partnerships, partnerships between our high schools and community college system. we will realize the day when every child graduates with the industry recognized credential. [applause] gov. youngkin: these article steps we must take.

of those are the words of a famous virginia, -- virginian, george washington. i would add, in direct support of their parents and in the right support of their teachers. the right education of our youth is impossible without great teachers. i am constantly reminded of a mr. betty weaver, my fourth-grade teacher in watkins elementary school in midlothian. she challenged me, pushed me, encouraged me. that is why i'm asking you to build on the bipartisan 10% pay raise record investment that we made in education last year together. join me in providing additional retention bonus to our teachers, as well as 50 million dollars in performance-based bonuses for the very best teachers. [applause]

gov. youngkin: our teachers are important. the best teacher should be rewarded for their performance. along with our teachers, there are other heroes in our communities. our brave men and women in law enforcement who see the effects of our policy decision on the frontline each day. because of crime policies from previous administrations, the record murder rate in 2020 persists across the commonwealth. every law enforcement agency had a 20% or greater staffing vacancies. the heartbreaking news flow continues everyday. the extensive work of our violent crime task force working

with city leaders, some of our toughest cities hurt clearly. we need more police in the streets. more prosecutors to put criminals behind bars. tougher penalties for those who commit crimes with guns, more support for witnesses and community prevention. [applause] gov. youngkin: operation bold blue lines focus on that area. more of the quiet heroes who put on a bullet-proof vest everyday who go to work. we must improve badges that focus on high school programs, college programs, retiring

military personnel and attracting law enforcement officers out-of-state. great law enforcement officers can bring their skill and service to the commonwealth. i am pleased today to welcome marine veteran, officer juan hernandez. officer hernandez, would you please stand? [applause] officer hernandez recently joined at the winchester police department from california. he took advantage of the option five trading academy, leading -- leaving california with his wife and two children, joseph and

melina. thank you for choosing to make the commonwealth your home and thank you for bringing your service heart to all virginians. [applause] i want to extend my thanks to all of the law enforcement heroes, troopers, share of, police officers, every person behind the badge who keeps their families safe to create skill and courage. you are also on the frontlines of the challenges facing our behavioral health system and our ongoing fight against fentanyl. virginia is experiencing a behavioral health crisis. it is over held grappling with a level of mental health and substance abuse issues never seen before, all too often resulting in violence, suicide,

murder. last month i stood at a doctor's hospital to announce a three year to fundamentally transform our behavioral health system. the right health plan is comprehensive. i asked the general assembly to fully fond of the $230 million dollars cap of this plan. -- step of this plan. [applause] gov. youngkin: this funding rapidly accelerates the transformation toward a strong and stable behavioral health safety net. it is part of a bold approach that will expand system capacity. same-day care, relieving the burden on law enforcement, greater free right to service

capacity schools, a focus on substance abuse disorders, he started behavioral workforce, service emissions. the plan includes $20 million to fund the necessary mobile crisis units across the commonwealth can insure that the right help when they need it. we are asking for 58 million dollars to increase the number of crisis receiving centers, this includes fully funding the numbers of necessary veterans in regions that happen often look behind. $20 million to contract with hospitals to increase emergency services. we need to make our workforce a priority. we are investing in ways we can train health professionals, like

psychiatrist. the valid care support professionals who work beside them every day. a key part of the right health, right now plan is to ensure targeted support for virginia's suffering of a substance abuse disorder. the painful truth, each of us in this room has a personal story or a moment in our lives we are faced with a behavioral health challenge or crisis, with a family member, loved one, friend , neighbor. that is true for suzanne and me. suzanne and i have been blessed in many ways. two of them are with us today. three strong boys capable and raised by loving parents.

in september 2020, our doorbell rang, three police officers were there to share in common their son grayson was dead. he was valuing ammonia from his normal. we took a pill to help him go to sleep. he never woke up. the toxicology report was tragic, fentanyl poison. since his death, his parents have dedicated their lives of spreading hope, acronym of action to encourage families and communities to have conversations, observe their children, prosecute the orders, and the stigma around opioid abuse.

i pray no one in this room ever feels the pain and grief that the family endured. too many experience the same pain everyday. they represent so many parents who had suffered powerful brief -- and grief losing a child appeared to all of my colleagues here, ask you to please stand to show your support. [applause] gov. youngkin: to all of the other parents out there, know

that you are not alone. know that we are working together to take action. actions like statewide prevention efforts directed and funded by the opioid authority, along with full funding for narcan training. we must combat the source . despite the fact it could have and would have saved countless lives. send me that bill again, i promise you i will fight it. [applause]

another group of heroes, our nurses. we are well aware of the substance of these prices. we have a serious shortage of nurses. virginia hospitals have identified a shortage of more than 4000 nurses at their facilities. vacancy rates are as high as 40% across health care. we must accelerate the education and licensing of thousands of nurses. $35 million for the urn to learn accelerate, a program designed to get more nurses from the classroom to the front line faster. a nurse from stafford county, she is here with us in the gallery this afternoon.

caitlin, would you please stand? [applause] gov. youngkin: calen was one of the earliest enrollees in our turn to learn program. today, she is a registered nurse. caitlin, thank you for being one of virginia's quiet heroes. let's get caitlin some reinforcements. [applause] as we embark on the next 46 days , when it comes to unborn children, we can come together,

we can choose life, choose to support mothers, fathers, families, difficult decisions. i have asked the general assembly to come together to protect life at 15 weeks, a point at the baby -- a point at when the baby can feel pain. it is clear virginia wants fewer abortions, not more. [applause] gov. youngkin: as we shift into high gear, we have some common sense decisions to make and actions to take. common sense sense is something that is something that is all too in government and politics these days. too often bogged down by the

gymnastics of bipartisanship, the heavy in hands that do too much finger-pointing, in a media culture that stokes controversy. in a commonwealth that was funded -- founded for the, by the people, we must change course. with courage and conviction, we can and we will restore common sense. in choosing common sense, we can start with virginia's energy policy. energy is vital. it is a vital commodity we used to keep a newborn baby warm in the nicu. citizen seniors cool on a hot summer day. . it should not and will not be subject to politics as usual. we will reject the order of energy politics with our all american approach, virginians

will get affordable and reliable, increasingly clean energy without being tied to unattainable long-term requirements. that is why i am committed in working in partnership with each and any of you with legislation to end the rapidly rising electricity rates that are hurting families and making businesses less competitive. [applause] gov. youngkin: let's fund the research to drive innovation and light hydrogen, carbon capture and more effective battery storage. let's set realistic carbon reduction goals as opposed to etching in stone 30 year plans based more on hope than reality. that is common sense.

[applause] gov. youngkin: it defies common sense that in 2021, lawmakers decided that instead of writing our own electric vehicle laws, virginia will do whatever california decides to do. because lawmakers outsource the responsibilities and rendered our values to california, virginia faced a demanding that limits to eventually buying gas powered cars and truck, unless we act, virginia is hostage to the extreme houses of california. the law abridging a should be written by elected leaders in virginia -- the law-abiding by elected leaders -- should be written by elected leaders in

virginia. [applause] friends, let's not force virginia to california -- outsource virginia to california. it should be common sense to set realistic goals when it comes to preserving and cleaning up the chesapeake bay. as i reaffirmed our administration's commitment to working with you to lead the natural wonders of virginia in a better place than we found them. i shared with the money committee that we inherited a bridge junior your will fully behind on its 2025 chesapeake bay goals. now we are taking a new direction. the budget i am asking to adopt includes $200 million for the revolving loan fund. $237 million for nutrient. removal process $100 million for

richmond's family providing overflow system. we do not need a carbon tax to do what is right for the chesapeake bay. [applause] gov. youngkin: when the commonwealth sets goals, we take the steps necessary to achieve them. we have proven this by making investments in roles and broadband to help -- roads and broadband to help you virginians stay connected. the threat that it poses to our national security, privacy and

the way of life in virginia. we know that our children use technology at a unthinkable pace . the data that our teenagers use should not be manipulated by big tech companies. [applause] gov. youngkin: i am asking you, to pass a bill that prohibits tech companies from selling the data of children under the age of 18. [applause] last month i signed an executive order banning tiktok on state owned devices. [applause] everyone knows tiktok is a tool of the chinese communist party.

a political party that only has one goal, global dominance at the expense of the united states. the national security concerns and privacy implications of ccp technology are well known, i believe reunions should be weary of -- believe virginians should be weary. we welcome and encouraged economic collaboration with international companies. i have said before, i want made and america to mean made in virginia. [applause] let me be clear. made in virginia cannot be a front for the chinese communist party. [applause] in addition, virginians, the ccp

should not own the rich cultural lands god has blessed us with. [applause] gov. youngkin: that is why i am asking this general assembly to send me a bill to prohibit dangerous foreign entities tied to ccp from purchasing virginia farmlands. [applause] gov. youngkin: the stakes are too high and the consequences are two great. that is just common sense. i hope throughout our time here, as we reach moments of impasse,

whether it is on who should own virginia's arm land, how to protect the privacy of our children online or whether virginia's loss should be written in virginia or california, we will find the courage and the confidence to choose common sense. this afternoon, i have been honored to welcome if you our fellow virginians to the capital . you met jay watts, officer rodriguez. you have heard the gutwrenching stories of our friend tom and elaine, and the way they turned their grief into hope. i shared you because they embody the spirit of virginia and there are so many more stories behind them. suzanne and i were blessed with the opportunity to present six spirit of virginia awards to deserving individuals and

organizations who are strengthening the spirit of virginia. these awards recognize the unique qualities and stand out achievements of incredible men, women, organizations doing great thing across the commonwealth like our friend brigadier general jeff horn at that center for healthy veterans in altavista. [applause] gov. youngkin: the farm is a shining example of the embodiment of the spirit of virginia, to lift up those who have sacrificed in the name of freedom and the defense of liberty. thank you. to all of virginia's veterans and those currently serving at home and abroad, i want to say

thank you. thank you for entering the call to service, sacrifice, and to protect. our citizen soldiers and their families are highly adaptable and critical to the commonwealth security. we also owe special gratitude to those families and employers who

support is so critical to the success of the guards mission and virginia and across the globe. thank you. [applause] to shine a light on more incredible virginians, the first lady has also had a chance to feature women from across the commonwealth. whether it is the amazing women in virginia's cabinet, the lieutenant governor, carmen williams and her inspiring work as it messed it violence advocate, or baroque efforts to flee communist china.

each of these women carries the flame that is the spirit of virginia. these individuals give us hope, they give us reason to believe that just as they believed in 1776, the spirit upper genia is alive and well today. [applause] i hope that spirit is what motivates us to take on the challenges ahead of us. it is what virginians deserve. there are a few who inexplicably will put more value on political stalemate than unified achievement. today i stand before you to say virginians expect more from us. while the people expect us to

debate and argue over what divides us, virginians demand we come together on what unites us. in his letter to the thessalonians, the apostle paul guides us in what this can look like. he says we should admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all, see that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seeks to do good to one another and to everyone. now is no time for idleness, no time for fate heartedness. it is time to seek to do good. virginia is the birthplace of america. the most exceptional nation the world has ever known. while we have not always lived up to those ideals, through the faith and determination that has been seared in our hearts by a

loving and almighty creator, we have always strived to do better. i am here to ask each of you as partners with me to summon the courage and confidence to set aside acrimony and partisanship and to do better. to press forward seeking to do good to one another. to collaborate for a stronger and better virginia. virginia where children get the first class education they deserve, where the next generation can live out their dreams building ships and submarines in newport news, becoming an engineer at lego, launching rockets into space. a virginia where citizens in crisis can get the right help right now. are with safe streets the neighborhoods where law enforcement heroes are lifted up , celebrated, and thanked.

a virginia where energy is increasingly clean. we are of the commonwealth govern and make decisions for themselves. a virginia with a vibrant and growing population because our foot is on the economic accelerator. a virginia where we are winning. [applause] this is our own moment to internalize in the books of history how we live up to the spirit of virginia. how we did not shy away from challenges but we rose to meet them. let's find the courage and conviction to lock arms. let's find the courage and conviction to do the work, and

let's find the courage and the conviction to do it together. god bless you and god bless the great commonwealth of virginia. [applause]