Transcripts For CSPAN Rhode Island State Of The State Addres

Thank you. Thank you, and good evening. It is a good evening. Mr. Speaker, mr. Senate president , members of the general assembly, distinguished guests, my special guest, my family. My husband, my son, and my daughter. [applause] and of course, my fellow Rhode Islanders. [applause] tonight, i stand before you filled with optimism for our future. Yearht, we begin this stronger than we have been in decades. [applause] four years ago, our Unemployment Rate was the highest in america. Today, it is in line with the Natural National average. The people filing for Unemployment Insurance last year was the lowest in 50 years. [applause] our economy has more jobs than in nearly any other time in our states history. [applause] we cut our deficit in half, we are the first state in america to teach Computer Science in every public school. [applause] numbers, you the can see it all around us. Cranes rising over providence, johnston, and kingston. [applause] construction crews fixing roads in every part of our state. The best part, hope in the eyes of our friends and family who finally have a good, steady job. Weve made this progress together, and i want to thank everyone who has been a part of it. Beginning with the legislature, thank you for your partnership. [applause] i want to thank the mayors and town managers. My cabinet and my team. I want to thank every single state employee. Hard work andyour commitment to the great state of rhode island. [applause] but of course, the real credit goes to the people of rhode island. People like lisa and alan tortolani. Alan grew up in burrillville and went to school in pawtucket. After college, he fell in love with a girl from new jersey. A rhodelate to him, as island girl who fell in love with a government michigan, we hit it off right away. When he started his company, he convinced lisa to move to rhode island. He couldnt imagine chasing his dream anywhere else. Alan got started in the basement, balancing a kid on one knee and his laptop on the other, while lisa supported their family teaching italian. But when his game math bingo hit store,one in the app they knew it was time to get out of the basement. Abcya started hiring programmers, designers, and project managers from all around rhode island. When i met alan, it was clear to me that he loved rhode island, but he didnt shy away from telling me some of the things that frustrated him. Our maze of regulations drove him crazy, and it was sometimes too hard to find people with the the right skills. It seemed to him that the state was putting up barriers instead of clearing the way for him to grow. That kind of thing drives me crazy, too. I asked alan to keep believing in rhode island. I promised him that we were going to Work Together to make things better. It did keep going. It would have been easier for him to get frustrated and let cynicism slow his down slowing down. He didnt because he was part of his company and wanted to build it in rhode island. Last year, his company had a record year. Played a gameds on his website. Kids from warwick and westerly to guatemala and india. [applause] since 2015, weve come together to fix many of the things that frustrated him and so many Rhode Islanders. Weve cut over three thousand pages of regulations. We have cut red tape. And weve cut taxes every single year. [applause] if you think about it, four years ago, it didnt seem like we would have this much to celebrate tonight. At that time, our economy had run out of gas, we worked positioned for growth in the new economy. One out of four bridges in our state was crumbling and unsafe, and we didnt even have a plan to fix them. The worst part, people were they had been out of work for so long. Some people felt like our state leaders werent listening, and they were losing confidence in our whole state. We came together four years ago and decided to chart a new course. We decided to change the old way of doing things, so that we could do better by Rhode Islanders. Our progress didnt just happen, it wasnt an accident. Wouldnt have happened if we kept doing things the same way. We had a willingness to try a new approach. A commitment to build a new economy. We were not going to settle for anything less for our kids or future. Since then, we have come a long way. I say we are only in about the third inning of our economic comeback. Tonight, lets keep going. [applause] together, we have made rhode island more business friendly. Our economy is the 18th best in america. Numberar, we went from 50 two number 23 in unemployment taxes. Ago, the gallup jobs index ranked Rhode Islands economy dead last. Number 28,ome in at and we are not stopping until we are at the top. [applause] lets keep going. Weve proven that you can grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. Were the only state in america with an offshore wind farm. Were on track to make our Energy System 10 times cleaner by 2020. Added more we have than 5000 green jobs, a 66 increase. Lets keep going. [applause] weve made record investments in education, and were committed to ensuring that everyone has a shot to continue their education past high school. Today, there are three times as many public prek classrooms as there were four years ago. [applause] weve guaranteed allday kindergarten for every child in rhode island. [applause] this year, more than 1500 Rhode Islanders are getting a shot at a good career because rhode island is the first state on the east coast to provide tuition free access to community college. [applause] but there is so much more to do. So lets keep going. Lets continue to support our veterans. [applause] last year, we opened a new homeoftheart veterans in bristol. Last month, we launched a new online portal to better coordinate the services that our vets and their families have hoe in bristol. Earned. Wears, or haso ever worn, our nations uniform, and to your families, we say thank you. [applause] we have also been listening. Weve listened to Rhode Islanders. Rhode islanders have felt like their leaders werent doing enough to support them. We raised the minimum wage, and were gonna do it again next year. We passed paid sick leave, because no Rhode Islander should have to choose between a paycheck and taking care of a sick child at home. [applause] weve improved the quality of child care so parents can have peace of mind while they are at work. [applause] we have also been listening to seniors like my mom, she and so many say it is too hard to fix live on a fixed income. We cut the tax on their Social Security income. We heard you. The car tax is probably the most hated tax in rhode island. So last year, we cut it. We are going to continue to give Rhode Islanders relief. [applause] the progress weve made together is undeniable, it is all around us. The direct result of the reforms we have made together. Lets keep going with these bold reforms. Lets continue to chart our new course. Lets send a clear and loud signal that we are ready to move beyond the old way of doing things. Tonight, im asking the legislature to put the line item veto, on the ballot in november, and let Rhode Islanders decide. [applause] it is time. Fortyfour other states, massachusetts, already have it. And they use it to eliminate waste and give taxpayers confidence in their government. Rhode islanders deserve the same thing. I know that every member of this chamber cares deeply about rhode island and works hard for the people of our state. I would like to spend time at sharing stories of some Rhode Islanders. That inspire folks us to keep going and doing our work. They also give us confidence that we are on the right. Rhode islanders like alisa richardson. Her story gets right to our core make sure every Rhode Islanders can keep up and get ahead, whether or not they have a college degree. Daughterst her graduation from one of our new Job Training Programs. Elisabeth had started college, but she didnt finish. She still has a mountain of loans, they are due every month. Because of the Job Training Program she now has a good job , at guill tool in west warwick. [applause] alisas son, james, studied electronics at the warwick career and tech center. Hes now one of the thousands of Rhode Islanders electric boat has hired in recent years. [applause] and her youngest child, katie, is a senior at pilgrim high school. She is excited to go to college. Next year, she is going to ccri on a rhode island promise scholarship. [applause] alisa and her kids are here tonight. Congratulations, you you guys keep going. Here is the reality. 70 of good paying jobs in rhode island requires some degree or credential past high school. Not all of them require a college degree. It is on us to make sure that every Rhode Islander has the job training and education they need to get a good job. [applause] in 2015, we completely revamped our approach to job training. Real jobs rhode island now gives Rhode Islanders in the middle of their career the new skills they need in a changing economy. Real jobs alone has trained and placed more than 2,000 Rhode Islanders into good, solid jobs. [applause] weve also expanded more than two dozen career and tech programs in our high schools, like the Welding Program at coventry high school. Austin ferrara enrolled in that program last year. He graduated in june, and got his High School Diploma and a welding credential. One week later, he started his job as they will there at electric boat. [applause] i asked him if you liked his job as a welder. He said i was born to be a welder. He said i have a real job. He is filled with pride. Keep going, austin. [applause] tonight im proposing that we expand our job training initiatives and our Technical Training in high schools. [applause] when youre ago, one year ago, we opened the westerly Higher Education center. It trains people for jobs at local companies. It has been an unbelievable success. Peoplear, over 500 earned a certificate for a good job through that center. 345 of them already started working at electric boat. Lets keep going. [applause] lets put the same kind of center in the blackstone valley. [applause] in the weeks ahead, ill announce a new Publicprivate Partnership to establish the northern rhode island Higher Education center which will provide handson training and a path to a good job for Rhode Islanders without a college degree. [applause] you give us your passion, we will give you a pathway. [applause] Small Businesses have always been the engine of our economy. Fact, Small Businesses employ about half of our workforce. Thats why we have made investments to support Small Businesses. A couple of years ago, we announced 10,000 Small Businesses. A unique partnership at ccri that helps Small Business owners learn the skills they need to jump to the next level. Since then, more than 100 companies have gone through the program. These are local stores, jewelry shops, small food companies. These are our friends and neighbors who put everything they have into their Small Business. Nearly every one of them has added jobs, including evan oliveira, a navy veteran from east providence. For years, he worked a desk job that he tolerated. On the side, he had a small cleaning business that he loved. His company was growing, and he finally built up the courage to tell his family that he was going to quit the desk job to do the cleaning company fulltime. Make thisneeded to cleaning company work. Capital, hise business was too small so banks wouldnt lend to him. Loans throughfor a new loan program we started for Small Businesses in 2015. With that 10,000 loan, he was able to buy the equipment he needed to support his new contracts. And since then, his business has tripled. [applause] like every Rhode Islander ive ever met, evan is determined to succeed. Keep it going, we are all behind you. Rhode island Small Businesses are expanding because of these loans. We know they are working. Tonight im committing to double the number of loans awarded by the end of this year. [applause] the responsibility to support Small Businesses doesnt just lie with state government, it cant. We have to come together as a community to support one another and our Small Businesses. We need our biggest employers to use more of their spending power to support rhode island smaller companies. If ouran example, colleges, universities, and hospitals shifted just 2 of their contracts to rhode island companies, it could if our colleges, universities and hospitals shifted just two percent of their contracts to rhode island companies, it could add more than 50 million to our economy and create hundreds of new jobs. This year, well launch supply allow ournitiative to biggest employers to buy from local Companies Like evans. Andy and i do as much local shopping as we can and we want to make it easy for our biggest employers to do the same. [applause] most of ouro manufacturers are Small Businesses, too. For every electric boat, there are dozens of smaller manufacturers like farsounder in warwick and Swissline Precision in cumberland. Lester, manufacturers in roe island last year, manufacturers in rhode island created 1,500 new jobs. My dad spent his career in manufacturing, and making a living making things gave him so much pride. Lets bring that pride back. This your, i am again proposing to the legislature the rhode island manufacturing initiative. Its a good plan that helps smaller manufacturers buy new equipment and hire more people. [applause] gov. Raimondo now, our number irstpriority, our f priority will be to support the businesses that are already here. Thatf we want to make sure everyone in rhode island has a good job, we also need to recruit new companies beard the good news is that for the first time in a long time, companies are moving here and expanding here, mostly because they want to hire Rhode Islanders. But for decades, we just sat back and watched as massachusetts rebuilt. Boston and its suburbs flourished and we all saw it. The mill buildings along 95 and the Blackstone River stood vacant and crumbling. That wasnt an accident, what happened in massachusetts. They had a plan, a strategy to create jobs and put cranes in the sky. They used jobtraining and incentives to create thousands of jobs. Massachusetts, and nearly every other state in the northeast, still uses incentives and jobtraining and they have been doing it for years. Until recently, though, we didnt. Our leaders did not have much of a strategy. Islanders that, rhode got hurt. And the few times they did take action, they put all their eggs in one basket or chased special deals. Any way you slice it, Rhode Islanders got hurt. So in 2015, we created a strategy combining job training and incentives that enables us to compete and prevent the special deals of the past. The results are in. The new approach is working. In the last two years, weve recruited 22 companies to rhode island. [applause] gov. Raimondo that is 22 companies that would have gone somewhere else and hired other people, not Rhode Islanders. Because of our new approach, they are here in rhode island and those companies are on track to higher over 2000 Rhode Islanders at an average salary of more than 70,000. [applause] gov. Raimondo so, yes, our new approach is working. It is beginning to work, it is working, and Rhode Islanders are getting good jobs because of it. We need to keep going. If we go back to the same old way of doing things, Rhode Islanders are going to get hurt and left behind. Say, lets keep going. [applause] and, while we are at it, lets continue to fix our roads. When our kids were younger, andy and i would drive them to soccer practice and we would go over the newman avenue bridge in east providence. That bridge made me so mad. Half of the bridge was in massachusetts. The massachusetts half was in good shape, the lines were drawn. Rhodeou drove back into island, you could practically feel where the state line was. You know what i am talking about. Since then, we made a commitment to fix our roads. And i want to thank all of the members of this chamber for passing rhodeworks. [applause] gov. Raimondo because you did , it, because you passed it has allowed us to fix dozens and dozens of roads and bridges all over our state, and you know what . We put thousands of Rhode Islanders to work in the process. So lets keep going. [applause] gov. Raimondo i want to talk that minute about a fight we cannot afford to lose, and that is the overdose epidemic. Crisis remains the most Urgent Public Health crisis we face, and it is taking people away from us in every single city, town and Community Across the state. In the last two years, weve made it a top priority, and as a result, Rhode Islanders<\/a>. [applause] tonight, i stand before you filled with optimism for our future. Yearht, we begin this stronger than we have been in decades. [applause] four years ago, our Unemployment Rate<\/a> was the highest in america. Today, it is in line with the Natural National<\/a> average. The people filing for Unemployment Insurance<\/a> last year was the lowest in 50 years. [applause] our economy has more jobs than in nearly any other time in our states history. [applause] we cut our deficit in half, we are the first state in america to teach Computer Science<\/a> in every public school. [applause] numbers, you the can see it all around us. Cranes rising over providence, johnston, and kingston. [applause] construction crews fixing roads in every part of our state. The best part, hope in the eyes of our friends and family who finally have a good, steady job. Weve made this progress together, and i want to thank everyone who has been a part of it. Beginning with the legislature, thank you for your partnership. [applause] i want to thank the mayors and town managers. My cabinet and my team. I want to thank every single state employee. Hard work andyour commitment to the great state of rhode island. [applause] but of course, the real credit goes to the people of rhode island. People like lisa and alan tortolani. Alan grew up in burrillville and went to school in pawtucket. After college, he fell in love with a girl from new jersey. A rhodelate to him, as island girl who fell in love with a government michigan, we hit it off right away. When he started his company, he convinced lisa to move to rhode island. He couldnt imagine chasing his dream anywhere else. Alan got started in the basement, balancing a kid on one knee and his laptop on the other, while lisa supported their family teaching italian. But when his game math bingo hit store,one in the app they knew it was time to get out of the basement. Abcya started hiring programmers, designers, and project managers from all around rhode island. When i met alan, it was clear to me that he loved rhode island, but he didnt shy away from telling me some of the things that frustrated him. Our maze of regulations drove him crazy, and it was sometimes too hard to find people with the the right skills. It seemed to him that the state was putting up barriers instead of clearing the way for him to grow. That kind of thing drives me crazy, too. I asked alan to keep believing in rhode island. I promised him that we were going to Work Together<\/a> to make things better. It did keep going. It would have been easier for him to get frustrated and let cynicism slow his down slowing down. He didnt because he was part of his company and wanted to build it in rhode island. Last year, his company had a record year. Played a gameds on his website. Kids from warwick and westerly to guatemala and india. [applause] since 2015, weve come together to fix many of the things that frustrated him and so many Rhode Islanders<\/a>. Weve cut over three thousand pages of regulations. We have cut red tape. And weve cut taxes every single year. [applause] if you think about it, four years ago, it didnt seem like we would have this much to celebrate tonight. At that time, our economy had run out of gas, we worked positioned for growth in the new economy. One out of four bridges in our state was crumbling and unsafe, and we didnt even have a plan to fix them. The worst part, people were they had been out of work for so long. Some people felt like our state leaders werent listening, and they were losing confidence in our whole state. We came together four years ago and decided to chart a new course. We decided to change the old way of doing things, so that we could do better by Rhode Islanders<\/a>. Our progress didnt just happen, it wasnt an accident. Wouldnt have happened if we kept doing things the same way. We had a willingness to try a new approach. A commitment to build a new economy. We were not going to settle for anything less for our kids or future. Since then, we have come a long way. I say we are only in about the third inning of our economic comeback. Tonight, lets keep going. [applause] together, we have made rhode island more business friendly. Our economy is the 18th best in america. Numberar, we went from 50 two number 23 in unemployment taxes. Ago, the gallup jobs index ranked Rhode Islands<\/a> economy dead last. Number 28,ome in at and we are not stopping until we are at the top. [applause] lets keep going. Weve proven that you can grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. Were the only state in america with an offshore wind farm. Were on track to make our Energy System<\/a> 10 times cleaner by 2020. Added more we have than 5000 green jobs, a 66 increase. Lets keep going. [applause] weve made record investments in education, and were committed to ensuring that everyone has a shot to continue their education past high school. Today, there are three times as many public prek classrooms as there were four years ago. [applause] weve guaranteed allday kindergarten for every child in rhode island. [applause] this year, more than 1500 Rhode Islanders<\/a> are getting a shot at a good career because rhode island is the first state on the east coast to provide tuition free access to community college. [applause] but there is so much more to do. So lets keep going. Lets continue to support our veterans. [applause] last year, we opened a new homeoftheart veterans in bristol. Last month, we launched a new online portal to better coordinate the services that our vets and their families have hoe in bristol. Earned. Wears, or haso ever worn, our nations uniform, and to your families, we say thank you. [applause] we have also been listening. Weve listened to Rhode Islanders<\/a>. Rhode islanders have felt like their leaders werent doing enough to support them. We raised the minimum wage, and were gonna do it again next year. We passed paid sick leave, because no Rhode Islander<\/a> should have to choose between a paycheck and taking care of a sick child at home. [applause] weve improved the quality of child care so parents can have peace of mind while they are at work. [applause] we have also been listening to seniors like my mom, she and so many say it is too hard to fix live on a fixed income. We cut the tax on their Social Security<\/a> income. We heard you. The car tax is probably the most hated tax in rhode island. So last year, we cut it. We are going to continue to give Rhode Islanders<\/a> relief. [applause] the progress weve made together is undeniable, it is all around us. The direct result of the reforms we have made together. Lets keep going with these bold reforms. Lets continue to chart our new course. Lets send a clear and loud signal that we are ready to move beyond the old way of doing things. Tonight, im asking the legislature to put the line item veto, on the ballot in november, and let Rhode Islanders<\/a> decide. [applause] it is time. Fortyfour other states, massachusetts, already have it. And they use it to eliminate waste and give taxpayers confidence in their government. Rhode islanders deserve the same thing. I know that every member of this chamber cares deeply about rhode island and works hard for the people of our state. I would like to spend time at sharing stories of some Rhode Islanders<\/a>. That inspire folks us to keep going and doing our work. They also give us confidence that we are on the right. Rhode islanders like alisa richardson. Her story gets right to our core make sure every Rhode Islanders<\/a> can keep up and get ahead, whether or not they have a college degree. Daughterst her graduation from one of our new Job Training Program<\/a>s. Elisabeth had started college, but she didnt finish. She still has a mountain of loans, they are due every month. Because of the Job Training Program<\/a> she now has a good job , at guill tool in west warwick. [applause] alisas son, james, studied electronics at the warwick career and tech center. Hes now one of the thousands of Rhode Islanders<\/a> electric boat has hired in recent years. [applause] and her youngest child, katie, is a senior at pilgrim high school. She is excited to go to college. Next year, she is going to ccri on a rhode island promise scholarship. [applause] alisa and her kids are here tonight. Congratulations, you you guys keep going. Here is the reality. 70 of good paying jobs in rhode island requires some degree or credential past high school. Not all of them require a college degree. It is on us to make sure that every Rhode Islander<\/a> has the job training and education they need to get a good job. [applause] in 2015, we completely revamped our approach to job training. Real jobs rhode island now gives Rhode Islanders<\/a> in the middle of their career the new skills they need in a changing economy. Real jobs alone has trained and placed more than 2,000 Rhode Islanders<\/a> into good, solid jobs. [applause] weve also expanded more than two dozen career and tech programs in our high schools, like the Welding Program<\/a> at coventry high school. Austin ferrara enrolled in that program last year. He graduated in june, and got his High School Diploma<\/a> and a welding credential. One week later, he started his job as they will there at electric boat. [applause] i asked him if you liked his job as a welder. He said i was born to be a welder. He said i have a real job. He is filled with pride. Keep going, austin. [applause] tonight im proposing that we expand our job training initiatives and our Technical Training<\/a> in high schools. [applause] when youre ago, one year ago, we opened the westerly Higher Education<\/a> center. It trains people for jobs at local companies. It has been an unbelievable success. Peoplear, over 500 earned a certificate for a good job through that center. 345 of them already started working at electric boat. Lets keep going. [applause] lets put the same kind of center in the blackstone valley. [applause] in the weeks ahead, ill announce a new Publicprivate Partnership<\/a> to establish the northern rhode island Higher Education<\/a> center which will provide handson training and a path to a good job for Rhode Islanders<\/a> without a college degree. [applause] you give us your passion, we will give you a pathway. [applause] Small Businesses<\/a> have always been the engine of our economy. Fact, Small Businesses<\/a> employ about half of our workforce. Thats why we have made investments to support Small Businesses<\/a>. A couple of years ago, we announced 10,000 Small Businesses<\/a>. A unique partnership at ccri that helps Small Business<\/a> owners learn the skills they need to jump to the next level. Since then, more than 100 companies have gone through the program. These are local stores, jewelry shops, small food companies. These are our friends and neighbors who put everything they have into their Small Business<\/a>. Nearly every one of them has added jobs, including evan oliveira, a navy veteran from east providence. For years, he worked a desk job that he tolerated. On the side, he had a small cleaning business that he loved. His company was growing, and he finally built up the courage to tell his family that he was going to quit the desk job to do the cleaning company fulltime. Make thisneeded to cleaning company work. Capital, hise business was too small so banks wouldnt lend to him. Loans throughfor a new loan program we started for Small Businesses<\/a> in 2015. With that 10,000 loan, he was able to buy the equipment he needed to support his new contracts. And since then, his business has tripled. [applause] like every Rhode Islander<\/a> ive ever met, evan is determined to succeed. Keep it going, we are all behind you. Rhode island Small Businesses<\/a> are expanding because of these loans. We know they are working. Tonight im committing to double the number of loans awarded by the end of this year. [applause] the responsibility to support Small Businesses<\/a> doesnt just lie with state government, it cant. We have to come together as a community to support one another and our Small Businesses<\/a>. We need our biggest employers to use more of their spending power to support rhode island smaller companies. If ouran example, colleges, universities, and hospitals shifted just 2 of their contracts to rhode island companies, it could if our colleges, universities and hospitals shifted just two percent of their contracts to rhode island companies, it could add more than 50 million to our economy and create hundreds of new jobs. This year, well launch supply allow ournitiative to biggest employers to buy from local Companies Like<\/a> evans. Andy and i do as much local shopping as we can and we want to make it easy for our biggest employers to do the same. [applause] most of ouro manufacturers are Small Businesses<\/a>, too. For every electric boat, there are dozens of smaller manufacturers like farsounder in warwick and Swissline Precision<\/a> in cumberland. Lester, manufacturers in roe island last year, manufacturers in rhode island created 1,500 new jobs. My dad spent his career in manufacturing, and making a living making things gave him so much pride. Lets bring that pride back. This your, i am again proposing to the legislature the rhode island manufacturing initiative. Its a good plan that helps smaller manufacturers buy new equipment and hire more people. [applause] gov. Raimondo now, our number irstpriority, our f priority will be to support the businesses that are already here. Thatf we want to make sure everyone in rhode island has a good job, we also need to recruit new companies beard the good news is that for the first time in a long time, companies are moving here and expanding here, mostly because they want to hire Rhode Islanders<\/a>. But for decades, we just sat back and watched as massachusetts rebuilt. Boston and its suburbs flourished and we all saw it. The mill buildings along 95 and the Blackstone River<\/a> stood vacant and crumbling. That wasnt an accident, what happened in massachusetts. They had a plan, a strategy to create jobs and put cranes in the sky. They used jobtraining and incentives to create thousands of jobs. Massachusetts, and nearly every other state in the northeast, still uses incentives and jobtraining and they have been doing it for years. Until recently, though, we didnt. Our leaders did not have much of a strategy. Islanders that, rhode got hurt. And the few times they did take action, they put all their eggs in one basket or chased special deals. Any way you slice it, Rhode Islanders<\/a> got hurt. So in 2015, we created a strategy combining job training and incentives that enables us to compete and prevent the special deals of the past. The results are in. The new approach is working. In the last two years, weve recruited 22 companies to rhode island. [applause] gov. Raimondo that is 22 companies that would have gone somewhere else and hired other people, not Rhode Islanders<\/a>. Because of our new approach, they are here in rhode island and those companies are on track to higher over 2000 Rhode Islanders<\/a> at an average salary of more than 70,000. [applause] gov. Raimondo so, yes, our new approach is working. It is beginning to work, it is working, and Rhode Islanders<\/a> are getting good jobs because of it. We need to keep going. If we go back to the same old way of doing things, Rhode Islanders<\/a> are going to get hurt and left behind. Say, lets keep going. [applause] and, while we are at it, lets continue to fix our roads. When our kids were younger, andy and i would drive them to soccer practice and we would go over the newman avenue bridge in east providence. That bridge made me so mad. Half of the bridge was in massachusetts. The massachusetts half was in good shape, the lines were drawn. Rhodeou drove back into island, you could practically feel where the state line was. You know what i am talking about. Since then, we made a commitment to fix our roads. And i want to thank all of the members of this chamber for passing rhodeworks. [applause] gov. Raimondo because you did , it, because you passed it has allowed us to fix dozens and dozens of roads and bridges all over our state, and you know what . We put thousands of Rhode Islanders<\/a> to work in the process. So lets keep going. [applause] gov. Raimondo i want to talk that minute about a fight we cannot afford to lose, and that is the overdose epidemic. Crisis remains the most Urgent Public Health<\/a> crisis we face, and it is taking people away from us in every single city, town and Community Across<\/a> the state. In the last two years, weve made it a top priority, and as a result, Overdose Deaths<\/a> were down in rhode island last year by 8 . But even one death is too many. The budget i will send the legislature this week continues to fund what has been working, but we have to do more. If were going to save lives, we have to support peoples recovery. One of the members of our Opioid Task Force<\/a> here tonight, jonathan goyer, has often told me that his job has been critical to his recovery. Thats true for so many people. This year, were going to create a new Job Training Program<\/a> for people in recovery. Because we know [applause] gov. Raimondo we all know there is no Silver Bullet<\/a> in our fight against addiction, but we also know that helping Rhode Islanders<\/a> in recovery to get and keep a good job will save lives. [applause] i also want to talk about another topic that we dont talk enough about because of the unfortunate stigma, and thats Mental Health<\/a>. I hear from people all the time onesthey or their loved cant get access to Good Mental Health<\/a> care. Rhode islanders who are beside themselves because they cant get Good Mental Health<\/a> care. You know what the number one reason is . Their Insurance Company<\/a> wont pay for it. That needs to stop. [applause] gov. Raimondo in the coming weeks, i will be introducing legislation to make Health Insurance<\/a> companies cover addiction and Mental Health<\/a> treatment just like they cover diabetes or other chronic conditions. [applause] now lets talk a few minutes about what were going to do with our School Buildings<\/a>. [applause] gov. Raimondo last week, schools across our state had to close and send students home. All across rhode island, there are teachers, we have all seen it putting trash bins in the , middle of the classroom to collect water dripping from leaky ceilings. Teachers and students going homesick because of mold. Rhode Island School<\/a> buildings get a failing grade, it is just not acceptable. Like anything else, the longer we wait, the more expensive it gets to fix it. Rhode island hasnt made a meaningful, statewide investment in our School Buildings<\/a> in over 25 years. When i became governor, one of the first things we did was to end the previous administrations freeze on School Construction<\/a> and add funding for high priority projects. Because of that, we have been able to fund a handful of improvements at our worst schools, including Potter Burns School<\/a> in pawtucket. [applause] folks fromdo a few pawtucket in the crowd. It was a 100yearold building, and you knew it the minute you walked in the door. Today, because we came together and made an investment, its right, it is clean, it has got a new library, it is wired for 21st century learning so that kids are ready for 21st century jobs. Attendance is up, and disciplinary problems are down. I was recently at potter burns. The students and teachers are proud to be at potter burns. And there isnt a parent in rhode island who wouldnt be proud to send their kids there. So, lets keep going. [applause] gov. Raimondo because you know what . Kids deserve to know we value them. Tonight im calling on all of us , to take action. Lets come together and make a onceinageneration investment to fix our public schools. [applause] [cheering] raimondo tonight [applause] together with our cities and towns, lets commit to investing 1 billion over the next five years to finally fix our public schools. Cheering]and gov. Raimondo now, dont let anybody tell you we cant afford to do this. Because we can. I would say we cannot afford not to. We have a detailed plan that outlines how we can invest more and do it smarter so that we protect the taxpayer at the same time. But every single year that we wait, we are wasting millions of dollars putting bandaids on our crumbling schools. So lets act now. [applause] gov. Raimondo my fellow Rhode Islanders<\/a>, were making real progress. But our work is so far from done is there still to many Rhode Islanders<\/a> that arent feeling the recovery. The recovery hasnt reached them yet. We have to keep going until everybody is included. We have to keep going until every child is lifted out of poverty. [applause] until every child , until every child can attend a flourishing public school. [applause] gov. Raimondo until we meet the needs of every senior and the challenging the challenges of an aging rhode island. [applause] gov. Raimondo and until every rhode island are every Rhode Islander<\/a> has a shot at a good job. And you know what . Lets stay at it until every rhode island are can go to work free from harassment, abuse or bullying. [applause] gov. Raimondo i applaud every single woman who has had the courage to come forward and tell her story. And i fleshed work with anyone to root out harassment in this building and every other workplace in rhode island. Time is up. Cheering]and gov. Raimondo we also have to come together to make sure that the uncertainty coming out of washington doesnt derail the progress we are making here at home. Now, more than ever, we need to stand up to protect Rhode Islanders<\/a>. You know, nearly everybody in rhode island has Health Insurance<\/a> [applause] and the premiums on our Health Exchange<\/a> are the lowest in america. And, when politicians in washington tried to take Health Care Away<\/a>, we spoke out and we stopped it. We are not going to let washington take the Health Care Away<\/a> from people in rhode island. [applause] gov. Raimondo when washington took aim at our dreamers, we stood with our dreamers because this is rhode island, we dont just tolerate diversity, we celebrate it. [applause] gov. Raimondo and last week, when President Trump<\/a> announced a plan to open our coast line to drill for oil, we, the people of ,hode island stood up and said not on our watch. [applause] gov. Raimondo we have come so far and wee come so need to keep on going. Tonightlike to end where we began, and share with you the rest of alan and lisa tortolanis story. Because of this is a story that offers a window into what rhode island is all about. Into who we are, and what our state can be. About nine months ago on a friday, alan called lisa while he was heading home from work. Before they hung up, they said, i love you, just like they always did. After that, alan went out for a bike ride. But alan never came home. He was 40 years old and a dad with three kids. Ridehen he was on his bike , something happened. He collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital. And he did not make it through the night. Away that night. His wife and kids miss him every single day. Somehow, lisas found the strength to pick up the pieces. She keeps going. She is running the company now, she is honoring allens work and taking the company to new heights and deepening the commitment to rhode island. Recently i asked lisa, why are you so committed to rhode island . She wasnt born here, she did not grow up. Much of her family is still in new jersey. She told me it is the community. Livedid, i have never anyplace with the community as strong as rhode island, with a community as tightknit, as generous, as bighearted as rhode island. Alans been gone nine months. Lisa cant remember a single night that a friend or neighbor , or someone from church, hasnt brought dinner over for her and her kids. Thats who we are. Thats the state we love. Thats what rhode island is all about. [applause] gov. Raimondo lisa is here tonight. Lisa, i think you are amazing. I dont know how you are doing it, you are a model for all of us and inspire everyone of us to keep going. So lets all keep going, lets all commit ourselves to rhode island, thats commit ourselves to making this recovery real for everybody. [applause] up. Raimondo lets stand for our values and protect Rhode Islanders<\/a> and the progress we have made. You know, the tortolanis love rhode island not because its perfect, but because of the people. The people who wake up every single day determined to make our state better. They love it for the same reason we all do. Because its home. Thank you, god bless rhode island. [applause] the house and senate was with twoday sessions this week. Among the items on the agenda, funding for the government after february 8. We spoke with the capitol Hill Reporter<\/a> about the status of negotiations. 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