available on student cam.org. c-span has been delivering unfiltered congressional coverage for five years and here is the highlight from the key moment. spa, although the city was the nation's capital for a short time. from the early days, the eyes of the world have continued the on new york. one year ago, this great center of history, enterprising creativity suffered a cruelty and showed itself to be a place of value valor and generosity and grace. here where so many innocent lives were taken the world sought acts of kindness and heroism that will be remembered forever. .

this is 45 republican mark gordon has been the governor there since 2019 after serving as state treasurer. in february he spoke to a joint legislation session in cheyenne to share his vision for energy production and education. this runs 45 minutes. thank you. good to see you. >> thank you. it is good to e]see you. good morning. thank you. good morning. it is an honor to be here.

president driscoll, speakers summers and members of the 67th legislature. jenny and i say thank you for the opportunity to be here but before i begin i would like to take a moment to remember two remarkable people. senator hines who served in this chamber and bobby -- the beloved wife of our senior senator john barrasso. please let us take a moment. both of those individuals lived each day for wyoming and thank you for honoring them. secretary gray, treasurer meyer, superintendent --. chief justice fox. i do look forward to your remark is.

justice baumgarten, justice -- and i would like to ask justice counts to stand for a moment so that we may recognize him. he is right there. thank you! thank you. justice, i never miss anything. he will be retiring next month and so, your service not only to the judiciary but also the supreme court, we truly appreciate.

i am going to ask you to stand as we have several people i would like to recognize. i have to be the chief justice for the shortest speech so, i would like to honor -- from the eastern shoshone tribe. but he had an emergency on the way down here. he is in wheatland and will try to get down here, but we can honor him as well. i have to say with both tribes it's been an chairman -- would be here but nc he had an emergency and is in wheatland and will try to get here. i have to say for both tribes it has been an incredible honor and we have made remarkable progress over the years. i would also like to recognize

major -- of the global strike command stationed at francis e warren. welcome. us safe. thank you.us safe. major general,he thank you and thank you to all members of the armed forces for your service and for keeping us safe. here at home our national guard is the sword and shield and currently we have more than 150 air guard members deployed overseas and far from their families. the general and i visited last month and we can be very proud of the air guard. we can pray for them and their safety and to all members of the wyoming national guard.

brigadier general. he is here. we congratulate you on your recent appointment as direct your -- thank you for your service. i think you all just heard rebecca burger seeing the sweetest national anthem on earth. she is also miss wyoming. ll of our military and their ll families for their these men and women know the meaning of service.

please join me in saying thank you to the military and their families for their service. let us never forget let us never forget our prisoners of war and those missing in action. we want them home. god bless america. please be seated. distinguished guests, friends, family. here in the chamber and online, without further ado, thank you for your warm welcome. it is a privilege to have the opportunity to address you again at the commencement of this session. let me begin by reporting to you that wyoming is as strong as it has ever been.

our economy is growing and spirits are soaring and the future is ours. we have made tremendous progress over the last several years. even through adversity. thank you for your collaboration that has kept wyoming moving forward. it is right for us to take a moment to recognize our successes because they have not come easily. a healthy economy means new businesses are relocating to wyoming and businesses are looking to expand of entrepreneurs are starting new enterprises. unemployment is at its lowest mark in 15 years and wages are growing. we should celebrate that more people are working in wyoming today than there was in february 2020. wyoming his earned national recognition as a leader in balancing energy and the environment. today wyoming agriculture is expanding and is more diverse.

and enjoys greater marketing opportunities. manufacturing is advancing and continues to gain and tourism is on the rise. our work in education and workforce development shows an ambitious and capable workforce. these are good things. wyoming is open for is this and constantly seeking to innovate and improve and i can probably say that wyoming is on a roll. that is despite a we know best federal government that openly obstructs the industries that have been part of our economy for over a century. it citizens know just how misguided the administration

warped and unwise pursuit of its agenda to limit domestic production of coal, oil, and gas is. we all pay for it in higher electricity rates, gas prices, and heating cost. people know how these policies have left our nation more vulnerable and put our economy and way of life at risk. as governor i cannot be as blunt as i want to be so in telling you how bad the biden administration policy is, let me borrow a phrase from general norman schwarzkopf and declared to one and all that the biden energy policy is pure, unadulterated, bovine scatology. tony, i did it.

every spring before turning out we brand our cabs. it is an important job that establishes ownership and prepares cabs for life on the range. everybody has their favorite approach. i am a bit more traditional but i have to admit that branding can turn into a circus or a demolition derby, especially if your crew is not focused. a good experienced crew works magic and cobs can process properly and efficiently and with a minimum of stress. a well executed branding is a thing of beauty and an achievement to be proud of. a bad one is just misery. a good crew gets asked back year after year. legislatures are a bit like branding. the come together every year

for a few days with specific work to get done. job one this year is to pass a budget. we have a good crew and although there are lots of opinions there is commitment and expertise. there are times that branding said when someone will try to tackle a calf like a linebacker. the calf will get loose, a horse starts bucking and everyone tries to catch the calf. people know that or have seen it? chaos ensues. chaos like what we see in dc. an excellent legislature. like a branding crew does its job and knows what it is important. we all know there might be 10 tatian for someone to try to tackle a calf during this session but i am confident the task at hand, setting the budget over the next few years is there is enough that folks will keep their attention on meeting the needs of people.

this is not washington. folks are focused on solutions and not politics. this year will be a new experience for some of you. it has been a while since wyoming has seen a normal budget cycle. we have weathered extreme fluctuation in revenue because we are conservative with peoples money. we say for unexpected challenges and address them prudently. the budget that i presented to you keeps general funding flat when compared to 2021. i am grateful for the work of the joint appropriations committee as well as its chairs for their careful scrutiny. at its core, this is a conservative and balanced budget oriented to address citizen concerns, economic well- being and --.

others share my appreciation for the wyoming approach to government because many have decided to make wyoming their new home. i imagine they admire our commitment to freedom and our independent nature. it is great to have new neighbors but still, we hope they respect the legacy of those that have made wyoming what it is. this hits those living on low on fixed incomes, especially hard. last year i asked for and you provided $8 million to fund the property tax relief fund. it was a success by most accounts. 9000 households got an average refund of more than $900.

the experience with the program prompted me to request $20 million in the proposed budget to provide expanded relief for those who need it. when you vote yes on this budget you will be voting for tax relief for vulnerable wyoming citizens. any of them are seniors. the property tax relief fund comes out of each county office. my colleagues can attest to the long meetings we sometimes had and the difficult choices we had to come to. we have had to allocate funding to meet the extraordinary needs of counties and municipalities. it is 12 to tell the community that we cannot replace their

faulty ambulance. the reality is we are forced to stretch funding for other emergencies wherever these emergencies might occur. we could only partially fund one request because we don't know when another emergency might occur. these funds are really important and they help to defray extraordinary expenses that taxpayers would otherwise have to shoulder alone. your yes on this budget will demonstrate your support for the safety net for our communities and for the people that live in them. you know, county government is about the closest never meant

to the people in county treasurers ran the program. they and their colleagues are working with great skill every day to make sure counties have the money to paul rhoads and protect county interest. with that in mind i want to take a moment to recognize the county treasurer. should help to gently but firmly break in two treasurers. she is also the president of the wyoming county officers and she is a valuable mentor for newly elected treasurers. for your service, it has been exceptional. will you please stand and be recognized by those you serve in this great state.

property tax reform is a complex issue impacting county resources but it is also pressing. this legislature will seek a balance that addresses citizen concerns about rising assessed valuations without leaving counties and schools high and dry. a quick examination of employment trends suggest that the economic future is gaining steam. our gdp is the highest it has ever been. wyoming is brimming with economic promise and we must

greet opportunity when it knocks with a well-trained prepared workforce. that is what the partnership is all about. you will remember we set a goal two years ago that wyoming would establish a world-class approach the plan called for linking the economic strategy with community goals and then engaged our university and community colleges to provide a -- for economic growth. it has taken a while to align. one example is how with launch the daft after an initial investment it is selfsustaining. owen grew up in the state and has the ambition we value. he saw how wyoming is

empowering the nation and understood what it would take to modernize and explain -- expand. he recognized an opportunity and seized it. now he is a with program graduate living in miami and working in the energy industry. 01, we know you have a risky job, to maintain power lines and bring power to the people and industries of america. you helped keep the lights on and make sure businesses have access to affordable power. on behalf of with, students across wyoming, and your hard- working colleague, will you please stand and be recognized. thank you. [ applause ] the lower valley

has a great person there. when you vote yes on the budget this year you are investing in the men and women who, like owen, a finding work in wyoming. allow me to take a moment to recognize our state employees and they provide many of the essential services and infrastructure that we rely on. all of which keeps our state moving forward. boats facilitate the movement of wyoming -- and they facilitate the movement of livestock to market and her kids to school and our visitors across the state. last winter southwest wyoming was buried under several feet

of snow. those shorthanded wyoming transportation department crews step up to meet unprecedented demands there and elsewhere. plows from all over the state came to assist and someone had to coordinate that effort while assisting with plowing and removing snow. a foreman of the rollins crew stepped up. everyone needs to know that rick worked 59 consecutive days and endured three vehicle heads while plowing interstate 80. he aided in the rescues of several stranded motorists. thank you for living with courage and doing what has to be done and keeping your promises. rick, please stand and be recognized.

now i want to know when this administration started, wyoming employees were underpaid. with some even having to make ends meet with food stamps otherwise known i want to note that when this administration started, wyoming state employees were underpaid. some even had to make ends meet with food stamps. that is not conservative. that is just cheap! state employees state we have changed this unacceptable situation, even after your efforts wyoming still only compensates its state employees at almost the 2022 averages for the regions. let me emphasize that rick and all of our state employees deserve a fair wage for the

work they do serving us, the citizens of wyoming. and when you vote yes on the budget, you are supporting people like rick and many oi others who need and deserve a wage that keeps up with at least the regional average. last year i stood before you to outline the work we were doing, to reimagine and innovate the delivery of education in our schools. i said we must be bold and take action. that we must respect parents. that we must equip our students for success. a year later i am proud to say that we are doing just that. superintendent, you have been a wonderful colleague in that ni effort. last fall she and i, the board of education, the university of wyoming, and my office launched the wyoming future learning partnership.

we recently expanded this unique collaboration to include additional key partners, our community colleges and our school district leaders. the effort led to pilot programs in nine school districts around the state, focused on student centered learning. this initiative, along with the newly established charter schools are augmenting the educational opportunities and choices for parents and their children. we are seizing an opportunity we are seizing an opportunity educate students in creating the conditions so that every child can thrive in wyoming. and i commend districts, our teachers in the board of education for their willingness to be bold and to rethink policies and practices to achieve student outcomes. this budget funds schools. and schools of choice fully for the next biennium. but you

know, all of our innovative efforts to increase funding, unique partnerships, and goals would not be possible without the professional teachers in our classrooms. with us today is wyoming teacher of the year john corbin. he has been teaching social studies for my wyoming students for 16 years. he is an advocate for civics education and is a participant in one of our ride pilots. thank you, john, for recognizing the importance of adapting our educational approaches to meet the needs of the new generation of students. john, would you please rise so that we may thank you? congratulations. over this past year i and others have crisscrossed wyoming and visited communities that listen to the concerns and personal stories of you know, over this past year i and others have crisscrossed

wyoming and visited communities to listen to the concerns and personal stories of wyoming people touched by mental health concerns and suicide. the stories about substance abuse and suicide have been heartbreaking. thankfully, they have been tempered by remarkable stories of recovery and hope. we have heard about what is happening in our schools. we heard about one mother's agonizing struggle to locate resources before her son ultimately took his life. we heard loud and clear about our jails, filling with people needing treatment more than incarceration. and we heard from organizations and from pastors about how they try to address the needs that come through their doors. in all of that, what came through is that wyoming people care. they care about our kids, about

our veterans, about our seniors. most importantly, about each other. they are tired of senselessly losing friends and family members. i want to recognize chief justice fox and the members of the judicial branch and legislators who have been able to attend our town halls. and for their work to help citizens and their insights on how we can best optimize taxpayer dollars. wyoming's three branch approaches bolstering what individuals, nonprofits, and faith-based efforts all across the state are doing. an example of that is less summer i learned about the j foundation. it was founded by a young man searching for a way to honor his best friends passing. jay was a gregarious fellow who grew up a cowboy. he loved wyoming and our way of life. in particular, he loved to swing dance. no one, least of all his family

and friends knew the demons he was dealing with. sadly, he took his own life, leaving his family and friends wondering why and dealing with an enormous loss. today i am wearing some very special cowboy boots. julie mackey, who danced with jay, gave me these boots. when she gave them to me she asked one thing. that i commit to doing a boot check with someone every day. so here is what the j foundation boot check is. it is taking a moment to reach out to someone and ask them how they are doing. and remind them that it's okay not to be okay. in fact, it is a mark of strength to pull your boots up and be able to talk about it. julie is here today, and i would ask her to stand and be recognized for the foundation's amazing work paying it forward.

julie. god bless you. thank you. you will see in this budget that i've included mental health funding to ensure through the yes vote it you will see in this budget dv that i have included mental health funding package to include we buttress our services. your yes vote on this budget advances are mental health efforts significantly. but mental health is also an issue for our sheriffs and police departments who are all too often upon to address issues. county sheriff john harland is an example of leaders in law enforcement that have engaged in supporting their teams mental health and addressing

issues in our communities. i also want to thank sheriff harland for allowing members of his department to go to the texas border, along with our states department of corrections officers to provide needed and requested relief to texas personnel. . our federal government has been shameful in neglecting its profound responsibility to secure our our federal government has been shameful in neglecting its profound responsibility to secure our southern border. their decision-making is an

excellent level, and may i say, as a wyoming rancher, i think it is absolutely asinine. illegal immigration is our nation's greatest threat. last week when i spoke to my friend, greg abbott, governor of texas, i told him wyoming stands fully behind him. the federal government has, thank you. the federal government has lost control, or should i say given up control of our southern border. it is a direct result that we have seen here in wyoming. drastic increases in drug and fentanyl traffic, as well as overdose deaths. without effective border control, our security and safety even here in wyoming is compromised. the fact is that we are all border states now. sheriff harland, thank you for being here today. and we thank all of the brave officers from across our state who have assisted in protecting our homeland, our homes, and

our way of life. would you please recognize our law enforcement. it's ironic while the biden administration won't secure the border or regulation on every industry in the state wyoming fights now, you know it's ironic that b while the biden administration won't secure our border, they won't press oppressive regulation on every industry in our state. wyoming fights back to preserve our rights and our way of life, using every legal and political resource available to us. and i will never shy away from our responsibility to stand up to the federal government. today i want to highlight the rock springs resource management plan task force. it was about taking the lead. we put together a group of stakeholders who work to identify appropriate remedies

for wyoming to use in reforming an unwarranted and unprecedented federal action. it is only our first step, but it is an effective one. our work on the rock springs rnp is ongoing and critical to everyone in wyoming. and know this. we are not timid when it comes to seeking legal remedies either. currently we have 39 pending cases before courts across the spectrum of matters protecting wyoming's interest. but we have not only fought back, we have won. we have compelled the department of interior to offer oil and gas leases on federal lands again. we have beat back attempts to shut down the county oil and gas project. we were successful in defending the coal plant. we have extended the life of the generator power plant, and i could go on. but to members of this legislature, i want you to know that attorney general and i

appreciate your support for the resources you provide so that we can protect the rights of wyoming's people. general hill, i applaud you for the work you and your staff do in protecting wyoming from federal overreach. again your vote provides the resources for wyoming to continue to fight the feds. i will say a few words about energy. i will begin with an event that took place and again, your vote for this budget provides the resources for wyoming to continue to take that fight to the feds. let me now say a few words about energy. i will begin with an event that took place last summer. a group of workers were taking a break during a crew change. it was just before 6:00 p.m.. when they saw a funnel cloud

charging over a nearby hill. minutes later a tornado descended on the mind. as many as 600 employees have less than 500 -- five minutes to seek shelter. from one of the most destructive storms in wyoming's history. it was simply a miracle that only eight workers were injured. the devastation was shocking. wyoming's largest, the world's largest mine was a mess when i arrived the next day. the offer resources to get workers and families in the mine back on its feet. in all that fury, there was one woman, a contractor up in the crows nest. her job was to spray surfactant on loaded coal cars so dust would not blow off. she had hoped to seek shelter in the building below, but the storm prevented that. so kylie van camp bravely wrote out that storm in the crows nest

, and it is simply astounding that she survived. and, by the way, the building she was trying to seek safety in was completely demolished. kylie, you lived that day with faith and courage. you are representative of all of our workers in the coal industry, fearless and resilient. kylie, would you stand and be recognized? kylie, thank you. and i won't make you say too many words here. i want to emphasize, and this is really important. despite all that devastation we

produce more tons of coal last year than the year before. that is how good they are. and kylie, i commit to you and your coworkers that this governor and this legislature will use every single means at our disposal to standby and defend the coal and all our fossil fuel industries in wyoming. wyoming despite there's so much energy wyoming is bullish on energy. all energy. despite our misguided federal government, there is just so much energy opportunity here in wyoming. we need to capitalize on it.

we can certainly do even more with coal, innovation is happening right now in gillette and at the uw school of resources. a vote on this budget supports those innovations with coal and our fossil industries. but there is so much more. for instance, we are witnessing the revitalization of our domestic nuclear industry. in fact, wyoming has made itself essential to american energy independence. we need to eliminate the need to import enriched uranium from russia. we can produce it right here. we can enrich it direct sickly. but there is also a great deal of excitement about technologies being perfected at the university of wyoming. which can be used to find and recover lithium and critical minerals. rare earth element processing in upton is bringing life to an industry that wyoming has dreamt about and worked to

build for years. in many ways, for our mining industry, it is back to the future. wyoming continues to prove the value of balance and care between the environment and the production of mineral resources our nation needs. wyoming embraces and all of the above energy policy. we believe that america is best powered by american energy. and what's more, wyoming demands the right to develop our resources and drive our economy. wyoming people don't need convincing on any of this. they know our mineral and industry have built our schools, they pay the majority of our taxes and provide the good paying, quality jobs that we all depend on.

as governor i have and will continue to use the open pulpit of my office to engage friends and skeptics alike across the country about the necessity of investing in fossil energy and mining natural resources. and while i felt like a pilgrim in an unholy land, i took this case to harvard university this past year, to the very belly of the beast. and i delivered to them an inconvenient truth, that coal, oil, and natural gas are vital to all of our futures. to our nation. and to their future, as well. so, in closing, i ask that we never lose sight of the determination and resolve of wyoming people. to see an example of that, we need look no further than the university of wyoming cowboy football teams victory at the arizona bowl. remember that game? the cowboys were trailing by

nine points entering the fourth quarter and coach craig bowles final game. but they did not give up. they dug deep. and they found a way to pull out the win. reflecting the grit and hard work of that team is wyoming native frank crum. he is a laramie high school graduate and third-generation wyoming cowboy football player. frank will be representing wyoming at the nfl combine at the end of the month, and the nfl draft in april. let's honor frank for his determined innovation and focus. we would like to have craig but

he can't come. congra and ondr. seidel, it's great to have you here, too. we would have loved to have craig but he can't come. it is fabulous to have the university, congratulations on a phenomenal season. so, finally, i ask you, ladies and gentlemen of the 67th legislature please stay resolute and focused on the task at hand. just like frank and his teammates. let's put our heads down and do it needs to be done during this legislative session. finally, god bless wyoming and her people, and god bless these united states. thank you.

>> today fbi director christopher wray testifies on the bureaus 2025 budget request before a house appropriations subcommittee. watch live coverage beginning at 2:00 p.m. eastern on c-span3, c-span now, or online at c-span .org. >> the house is now planning to send impeachment articles against homeland security secretary alejandro mayorkas next week. several aliens requested the delay to have the chamber conduct a full trial instead of the democrat plan to quickly dismiss or table the articles. live coverage next week on c- span now, and online at c-

span.org . >> c-span has been delivering unfiltered congressional coverage for 45 years. here is a highlight from a key moment. >> and although the city was the nation's capital for only a short time, from those early days the eyes of the world have continued to be on new york. one year ago this great center of history, enterprise, and creativity suffered the greatest of cruelties and showed itself to be a place of valor and generosity and grace. here, where so many innocent lives were suddenly taken, the world saw acts of kindness and heroism that will be remembered forever. >> c-span. powered by cable. >> democrat laura kelly has been the