[ applause ] members of the cabinet and legislature, distinguished guests and most them rightly, fellow citizens of wisconsin. It is an honor to come before you this afternoon to report on the state of our great state. Before we start, i want to recognize the first lady of wisconsin, my wife and our two sons, matt and alex. [ applause ] last year as you might remember, my wife joined me at this podium to talk about her groundbreaking work called fostering futures. She and her team continue their efforts regarding tribal council, county governments, nonprofits, colleges and universities and employers across wisconsin. Our state agencies have been trained how to incorporate trauma informed care. She brought together a group of for spouses and staff to wisconsin to talk about this work and she went to washington to get the federal government more involved in syria. I want to thank you for your leadership, jeanette, leadership that will change the lives of children, adults and families across wisconsin. [ applause ] next to my wife is Major GeneralDonald Dunbar who is the adjutant general of the 10,000 strong men and women of the Wisconsin National guard. Thank you for your service, general. [ applause ] and next to him, this is a great treat, next to him is Major General mark anderson. It was my privilege to administer the oath earlier this month to our second 2 star general, what an honor for wisconsin. Congratulations general anderson [ applause ] september, general dunbar, and i had the opportunity to visit members of the 150 fighter wing from right here in madison while they were deployed in south korea. Commanding officer is with us who actually had a chance to fly in with an f16. He andairmen were deployed to one of the most intense spots in the world, south korea. While we were there, i met the commander of the seventh air force. Lieutenant general thomas burke. Is a 1981 from Wisconsin Rapids high school. [ applause ] he told me of the incredible skill of our air men and women. If that wasnt enough, the commander of the 115, colonel Eric Peterson and many of the remarkable men and women of those counsel National Guard during the last month as we announced that wisconsin had been selected to host the brand new at 35 lightning 2 writer jet [ applause ] out of all the states in america, we had the number one location. Im looking forward to hearing the f35s takeoff. That is a sound of freedom. Congratulations to these outstanding men and women. [ applause ] today i am proud to declare that the state of our state, it is historically strong. [ applause ] in wisconsin, employment is at historic highs and unemployment is at historic lows. The date property state property tax is gone. Our Healthcare System is ranked number one in the nation for quality. We announced the Largest Economic Development project in state history. It has been an amazing year, as stark year. [ applause ] you we are getting positive things done for the people of wisconsin. As mentioned, more people are employed in wisconsin the never before in the history of our state. Just last week, the department of Workforce Development announced that the l employment rate had dropped to 3 . [ applause ] the only other time it was that low was in may, june and july 1999 when Tommy Thompson was our governor. These are pretty good back then and there pretty good now and theyre only getting better. [ applause ] we are getting positive things done for the people of wisconsin. Students in our schools have some of the highest act scores and some of the us Graduation Rates in the country. We just invested more actual dollars into k12 education the never before. An extra 20 for every student in every school in every part of our state this year and another 204 increase for every student on top of that next year. Our children deserve a great education that prepares them for college, careers and in real life, we are getting positive things done for the people wisconsin. [ applause ] to make college more affordable for students and working families, we froze University Wisconsin tuition for 6 years in a row. [ applause ] we are partnering with Financial Institutions to graduate refinance Student Loans and Financial Assistance for students in need that is at all time high making Higher Education possible for thousands of students at colleges and universities across the state. We are getting positive things done for the people wisconsin. [ applause ] we were able to make record investments in education while still continue to reduce the burden on hard working taxpayers. According to the nonpartisan legislative fiscal bureau, both property and income taxes will be lower in 2018 and they were in 2010. [ applause ] and we are eliminating the state property tax. 100 of the property tax saw a 100 reduction in our state property tax bills. We are getting positive things done for the people wisconsin. [ applause ] Healthcare Systems in our state ranked number 1 in the nation for quality. This is according to the agency for Healthcare Research and quality. Plus, everyone living in poverty is now covered under better care for the first time in history of the state. According to the u. S. Census bureau, the percentage of people with access to Health Coverage in wisconsin is now one of the best in the nation, we are getting positive things done for the people wisconsin. [ applause ] wisconsin is number one in cheese, cranberries engine sing. We are one of the top states for milk, corn, soybeans, apples, cherries and vegetables. Im just getting hungry thinking about that. Ever told your is a big part of our economy. For families its more than that, is a way of life. We are getting positive things done for the people wisconsin. [ applause ] no state in the nation provides more benefits for veterans than wisconsin. We offer 23 benefits for veterans while the next close estate offers 21. Our veterans can attend College Tuition free and we expanded eligibility so more our veterans spouses and families can also. In u. S. News report reports our veterans homes are amongst the best in the country we are getting positive things done for the people wisconsin. [ applause ] more people working the never before. Unemployment is at historic lows. Record investments in our kids education, poor health for our colleges and universities. Or taxes, quality healthcare, growing agriculture and industry, taking care of our veterans. Yes, we are getting things done, we are getting positive things done for the people wisconsin. [ applause ] but as you might recall that was always the case. 8 years ago things are much different. The state was headed in the wrong direction. And so going forward, the state was going backward. 8 years ago in january 2010, the Unemployment Rate was 9. 2 , today you employment rate is down to 3 . That is well below the National Rate of 4. 1 and as i mentioned before, it is tied to the lowest on implement rate in the history of wisconsin. [ applause ] more people are working wisconsin the never before. People like brooke and cliff, and sarah, broad cliff and sarah all became employed throughout wisconsin fast forward work and Training Program during the past year. [ applause ] 8 years ago, the State Government can pleaded a 3. 6 billion budget deficit. The previous governor and legislators rated the transportation fund. They even missed a payment in minnesota for tax reciprocity. Today, the state ended the last fiscal year with more than half 1 billion surplus in the nonpartisan legislative fiscal bill just predicted we will end the current budget with a larger surplus the first projected. [ applause ] our pension is fully funded. The Rainy Day Fund is 160 times then when we took first office. Wisconsins outstanding debt is one the lowest and the best in the nation. Were paying off our obligations faster than we take on debt and 3 National Agencies upgraded our bond ratings this year. Or moodys thousand First Time Since 1973, for fiction call, it is the first time ever. That is historic, this is more proof that our Financial Management is working. [ applause ] we invested more than 6 billion into the Transportation System in our recent state budget. This brings our total investment to 24 billion over 8 years. That is 3 to billion dollars more in the former governor spent on transportation during the is imperative time. Your that right, we invested 3 billion more into transportation then jim doyle did in the same amount of time. In our budget, the increases we gave to local governments, to fix roads, to repair bridges and to fill potholes are some of the largest in 20 years. We also put large amounts into state highway rehab and thanks to the diligent work of secretary dave ross and his team who found savings, we are able to move art projects by interstate 39 and 90 and wisconsin for 41 while still keeping Major Projects on time. [ applause ] overall these 126 projects like highway 18, highway 45, highway 16, and highway 172 in brown county. [ applause ] 8 years ago the previous governor and legislature actually cut, cut funding for schools and local governments. I remember that well because i was a county official at the time and the state did not give us the tools to deal with a reduction in state aid. Many local leaders had to lay off workers and our orcad services. Today we made the largest investment in actual dollars for k12 education through history. A increase of 200 and another 204 increase on top of that next year. Plus we gave schools extra resources to cover transportation costs, to add Mental Health services and to put new technology in the classrooms. [ applause ] and the reforms we passed years ago have say school districts, local and State Governments, more than 5 billion according to independent reviews. Most important lay, they allow School Leaders to staff based on merit and pay based on performance. That means they can put the best and the brightest in the classrooms and pay them to be there. [ applause ] nolg Work Programs doubled in this past budget, we are giving our students ahead start on outstanding careers, eight years ago tuition went up for College Students in the university of wisconsin system. In the decade before our term, tuition went up 118 , today we froze tuition for six years in a row, we did that to make college more affordable for students and working families. The nonpartisan legislative bureau estimates that the average student saves 6,000 during the freeze, thats real money. Eight years ago, there were actually People Living in porty on a waiting list for Health Coverage under badger care, today for the first time in the history of the state, everyone living in poverty is covered under badger care, we had, according to the keiser family foundation, no gap in coverage and we are one of the top states in the nation for access to Health Coverage according to United States sense United States bureau. Beur census bureau, eight years ago there were 4,000 people with disables including children and adults on waiting lists for Long Term Care facilities, this year we are expanding family care and iris to provide Long Term Care for Senior Citizens and people with disabilities, to allow them to live as independently as possible. By the end of the year we will eliminate wait lists for children that need Long Term Services in every county in the state. Ending wait lists for long term Case Services means children like malik will get the service that he needs. He lives with autism and has limited mobility. Today he gets in home therapy, he has a modified bathroom that gives him independence and it helps the family. His mother said all of this has been a game changer. Malik and his mother are here with us tonight. Access to Long Term CareServices Also means freedom for people like nick and helen, 91 years young, nick fell but he was able to return home to his wife thanks to the services he receives with family care, they call the woman that comes to their apartment to help with their daily tasks, their visiting angel. Ending wait lists for Long Term Care helps people like melissa, she was born with a disorder that effected her cognitive development. After high school she landed her dream job but she does not drive and transportation was an issue, through her program, she guess help from transportation and Long Term Care services which has helped improve her life. People like this should not have to put their lives on hold to get the help that they need to end pent and live their best lives, these are Success Stories and i am glad that these services will be available call over the state. Since 2011, wisconsin has been recognized as a National Leader in helping people with disabilities enter the work force, today we rank in the top 10 states for hiring people with disabilities. Thats very good news for people like mar marcus, he was in a program that helps High School Students with disabilities prepare to ent the work force, i love to go to the graduation, its one of the most inspirational things you can do. Their success rate is 88 , that makes that school one of the best in the whole one. Country eight years ago there was just one program for the project in the state. When School Starts in the fall, there have been 27 cites across the state of wisconsin. Eight careers ago, governor doyle had closed all of the Visitors Centers around the state. Today we have seen a 35 increase in the Economic Impact of tourism. We market the fun that people have in wisconsin, we partnered with local chambers of commerce to open Visitor Centers across the state. Check out travelwisconsin. Com for more details. Its pretty good. Would you like it more if i repeated it, travelwisconsin. Com, eight years ago, the State Government did not have any state funded Grant Programs for the expansion of broadband infrastructure, today we do and in the last budget we had an increase of 35 million to connect communities across the state to high Speed Internet as well as give schools access to the latest technology and training, our goal is to connect every part of the state of wisconsin over the next two years in 2007, the Economic Impact of agriculture was estimated at 59. 2 billion. Today a report estimates that agriculture has an 88 billion impact on the wisconsin economy. Lower property and agriculture taxes, science based and predictable regulations, limits on frivolous lawsuits will help our family farmers continue to grow in 2018 and beyond eight years ago, taxes were going up. In fact, during the decade before we took office, property taxes alone went up 27 , people were telling me about how they felt that they were being taxed out of their homes, today, both property and income taxes are lower than in 2010, property taxes at a median value home are 100 lower than in the year before. If the trend happened before i took office, the estimated bills would be 612 higher than they were this year. For the First Time Since 1931, there is no state property tax in fact, property taxes, as a percentage of personal income are now the lowest that they have been since the end of world war two, plus we cut income taxes. So a typical family will have saved 1,400 since 2010, the overall state and local tax bird in wisconsin, once one of the highest in the country is now below the national average, based on data from the United States census bureau, its lower than it has been in the last 50 years, 50 years. Through the end of this budget, the cumulative impacts of our savings to the hard working people of wisconsin will exceed 8 billion, thats right, 8 billion. Only two other states in the country have reduced their tax burden more than we have since 2011, eight years ago according to the chief executive magazine, wisconsin was 41st for business, the state was cooperate lu in the bottom 10 for people to do business in. Today for the first time in the history of the sur survey, wisconsin ranked in the top 10 states for business thats why global businesses like foxconn are coming to wisconsin, its why fleet farm is expanding in chippewa falls, generac is growing in waukesha, u. S. Venture is expanding in appleton, kwik trip is building in la crosse, Great Lakes Cheese Com