Investments, recovery from natural disasters, and plans for the upcoming year. This is about 40 minutes. Members of the General Assembly, constitutional officers, justices of the supreme court, our adjutant general, former governor steve bashir, and former first lady beshear. Lieutenant governor coleman, we are glad you are with us tonight along with the second gentleman. [applause] gov. Beshear first Lady Brittany beshear, thank you for all you do for our family and all kentucky families. I love you. And to all our kentucky families watching from home, good evening and everybody please be seated. Tonight i am speaking from the house chambers grateful for the invitation from our legislative leaders to offer this important annual review. It is a new year and everyone has something to be excited about. Many of you are excited i will be serving as your governor for the next four years. [applause] gov. Beshear and the rest are excited that i have now term limited. I am now term limited. [laughter] gov. Beshear regardless of your perspective it does give us a chance to put politics aside and move this commonwealth Forward Together. Tonight i am proud to report that thanks to the strength of our people and our redhot economy, the state of our commonwealth is stronger than it has ever been. [applause] over the past four years, we have gotten through so many hard times together. Now we are getting to the good times together. We have arrived here by leading with kindness, compassion, and empathy for one another. That is what my faith teaches me. To love my neighbor as myself. It is that golden rule and the parable of the Good Samaritan that have guided us and should guide us. Those who have stepped up, put politics and division aside just to help each other, because that is who we are as kentuckians. No pandemic, no tornado, no flood or any other challenge will ever change that. How we dealt with these historic challenges was not red or blue. It was not r or d. It was us, team kentucky, where everybody matters. Tonight we are going to discuss how we can embrace a new era as an economic and moral leader in this country. We will take the time to highlight Amazing Stories of those who are helping us to turn the last four years of progress into decades of prosperity. As we look forward to brighter days, i want you to hear about our Good Samaritans, our helpers, our heroes, who are out there day in and day out making a difference. Or as a pole laureate described it, those who carry us poet laureate described it, those who carry us. We entered 2024 after securing the best four year period for Economic Growth in our history. We set a record for private sector investments. More than 28. 7 billion. The most secure during the tenure of any governor. Together we created more than 51,200 new jobs for our communities and families and at some of the highest wages weve ever seen last year. We averaged 26 and . 67 26. 67 an hour before benefits. It takes the executive and legislative branches along with so many hardworking local officials and business leaders. Because of our work, because of all of our work, the eyes of the world around kentucky and what we are doing world are on kentucky and what we are doing. [applause] ford and its partner are building the two Largest Electric vehicle battery plants on planet earth in glendale, kentucky. It is the largest single Economic Development project in state history. It has cemented our status as an ev battery production capital of the united states. It secures our future as an automotive leader with a chance to be the automotive leader. The project is also a fast start. Approximately 400 kentuckians have already been hired and they are just getting started. Beginning this year, they plan to hire 2000 more people to work in hardin county. Among those helping to get our people to work are jamie low and ryan wheeler and both are here with us tonight. Ryan grew up in e town and had dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. He was drafted by the yankees. No clapping for the yankees tonight . [applause] he started his career with ford and he has come back home to lead as a plant manager. Jamie as part of their hr team to help bring on engineers, production, and make them supervisors. She will not stop until she provides Career Opportunity to 5000 kentuckians. Thank you jamie, ryan, sk, and ford for leading us into the future. Now lets look to henderson. They opened the cleanest greenest recycle paper mill in the country with over 320 jobs paying almost 40 per hour. Transformational for our western kentucky families. Tonight we have the global ceo here with us. He sees what others are seeing more clearly every day. Kentuckys workforce is second to none. There is no better place to do business. Thank you, and thanks to executive chairman Anthony Pratt for your investment in us. If you think one kentucky plant is great, imagine what you could do with 2, 3, maybe even more. [applause] gov. Beshear tonight we are joined by pratts newest electrical and instrumentation supervisor. He is from henderson and hes making sure pratt is rooted in western kentucky. He for a nationally recognized apprenticeship program. Now pratt is sponsoring two students starting in the spring. Thank you and thank pratt for all these opportunities for our people. [applause] gov. Beshear creating this economy takes all of us moving Forward Together. I want to thank the General Assembly for coming together to pass legislation needed to secure Major Projects like the 2 billiondollar 2000 job ev giga factory in bowling green. Another project that shows we are on a roll but also highlights the site preparation, the work it takes to lead the country and to secure these wins. You, the General Assembly, recognize this work and invested in the last budget session providing 200 million for Site Development across the commonwealth as well as a closing fund to keep us competitive. It is paying off. We have investments in 85 counties stretching from fulton to and the closing fund has been critical of macron landing critical in landing projects that create jobs. Im asking we move Forward Together and we reup this is our chance to build a top 10 economy with good jobs for all of our people. Lets make it happen together. As our economy is growing stronger so are our people. We have grown more resilient thanks to the kentuckians helping us rebuild after tornadoes devastated the west. Historic flooding ravaged the east. Just over two years ago, the deadliest tornadoes in our state history took the lives of 81 kentuckians. Together we mourned each one lost. We wrapped our arms around each of those families. In just six months later, Eastern Kentucky was hit with the deadliest flooding in my lifetime which took the lives of 45 kentuckians. In both areas, we came together to lift up those families. We committed to being there every step of the way to rebuild better than before. [applause] and that is exactly what we are doing. We have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in state and federal funding and raised millions more in donated funds for each region. We are rebuilding roads and bridges, water and wastewater systems, and building new homes for families who lost everything. We have pledged 21. 6 million to build and repair 300 homes with the help of nonprofit partners in the west. 175 of them are completed, under construction, or approved to start construction. We have project in called will, fulton, graves, hopkins, marshall, ohio, and warren counties. In the east we have announced seven sites for new developments on higher ground. They include skyview in perry county, Chestnut Ridge and olive branch in not county, wayland in floyd county, the cottages of thompson branch. Each site gives us the chance to start anew, to reimagine neighborhoods that bring revitalization and not just rebuilding. These homes are not just a safe place to call home, they are symbols of hope. We cannot be making this progress without leaders like pastor stephen boykin, president at the Hope Initiative and lead pastor of his House Ministry who is here with us tonight. [applause] pastor boykin and his team are living the word and they are relentless in working to build the next home and the next home and the next home after that. They have helped so many families like jackie and her mom who are also here with us tonight. Their home was destroyed by the commonwealth by the tornado but the family began working to make a difference in the lives of others instead of focusing on her own needs, jackie went to work at the district and Center Distribution center to take care of her neighbors. When their new home was built with funds from the key Tornado Relief fund, the Hope Initiative wanted to make sure it was acceptable. We celebrate that not only do they have a new home, but due to surgery, tammy is able to walk again. [applause] pastor boykin, jackie, and tammy, thank you for your work and strength. And happy birthday. We have seen leaders in the east like scott mcreynolds, executive director of the Housing Development alliance out of perry county. After the flood, scott and his team got to work tilting houses for people like the white family who are here tonight. William, cheyenne, and their son caleb were living in troublesome creek in not county. The family had just saved enough to start making their home their own and william was putting new floors in is the flooded their neighborhood. He watched as their home was washed away but thanks to scott and his team as well as so many generous donors to the flood relief fund, william, cheyenne, caleb, and their newest addition, maggie, have a new home and they do not have to worry about flooding ever again. Lets thank scott and his family for everything they are doing. [applause] gov. Beshear pastor boykin and scott are just two among so many people, nonprofits and volunteers, who have come together to help their neighbors in need after unimaginable natural disasters. Because of them, we are keeping our promise to help these families rebuild. As part of keeping that promise, in my Budget Proposal, i have 75 million for the Eastern Kentucky safe funds to continue rebuilding efforts and another 10 billion in the general fund for the Affordable Housing trust fund. Our Community Needs additional funds. With a recordsetting economy we can and should be there for them. [applause] to our families in the east and west, we will be there every step of the way. By working together and by leading with our kentucky values of faith, family, and community, we will continue to march Forward Together with each one of you. Our commonwealth future grows brighter every day because of our Public Schools and our Public School educators. [applause] look, our School Employees show up for our kids every single day. That includes the toughest days. When the tornadoes hit western kentucky i went to assess the damage. There was a man driving a big pickup truck. He stopped and we talked for a bit. Turns out hes an educator. He has been a teacher for more than 20 years. He was volunteering with cleanup efforts by driving that truck to haul the debris. It was a special moment to meet one of our amazing teachers who is doing even more to help this community. His name is Matthew Oates and he is here with us tonight. [applause] matthew was a fourthgeneration coalminer. His wife who is here with us tonight is a third grade teacher at longest elementary. She has been a teacher for over 20 years. They grew up attending the Public Schools they now teach act. Teach at. [applause] gov. Beshear but to support themselves and their kids, matthew and jamie oates are both working two jobs. Our Public School employees deserve better than that. It is families like the oates who need us to step up right now and pay our Public School employees closer to what they deserve. [applause] our educators are difference makers every single day. Lets show them that we appreciate what they do by funding an 11 raise for every Public School employee. [applause] gov. Beshear we do not just need to. We have two. See, we have fallen behind. Kentucky ranks 44th in starting teacher pay and 40th in average teacher pay. That is unacceptable, and it is hard to understand why we have not been able to come together and get this done for our educators, especially when our neighbors are figuring it out. The republican governor of tennessee signed a bill last year to provide their teachers the largest pay raise in their states history, and indiana is looking to do the same. Folks, that is our competition. Our competition to the north and the south are showing us the way. This budget is our opportunity, our chance, to make things right here in kentucky. Lets Work Together and get it done, in this session. While we are at it, lets fund Student Transportation fully. [applause] if we want more bus drivers, lets pay them more and provide the support School Districts need. As for our youngest learners, its time to pass universal prek for all our 4yearolds. [applause] gov. Beshear we are rightfully concerned about learning loss. So, we should address it where it begins. In the last academic year, only 46 of kindergartners were considered kindergartenready. Instituting universal prek the right way means investing in both prek and our childcare providers. Thats why my Budget Proposal provides record funding to help our childcare providers in their transition to serve both younger children and provide afterschool program. Funding both, together, can be transformational. If we pass universal prek plus our childcare plan, an additional 34,000 kentucky children will receive prek services and thousands of additional childcare spots will open up. So where is the appetite for this . With 34,000 sets of parents per year and thousands more who cannot find childcare. Providing this opportunity serving that many citizens would not only make us more competitive, it would be a true legacy of this session of the General Assembly. See, i believe, more than ever, that we can do it because of what we have already accomplished and so many other important areas. Like building safer roads, bridges, and water systems. And moving ahead on so many megaprojects. All at the same time. When it comes to infrastructure we are truly in our eisenhower moment. Look at what we are doing together. Were building the brent spence companion bridge without tolls, [applause] gov. Beshear were fourlaning the entire mountain parkway and were pushing i69 forward. So fast indiana just did a wedding to catch up. Folks, we secured federal funding to make sure highspeed internet gets to every home in kentucky. And families are getting clean Drinking Water, many of them for the first time. Look to pendleton county, one of those homes belongs to tom and lori himmelsbach, who could not be with us tonight because they own a restaurant in butler called the kentucky millstone. They teach baking classes there and work to give back to their community. Like when a neighbors house burned down and they hosted a donation drive at the restaurant. But for 34 years tom and lori had been hauling water to their home. Thanks to the cleaner Water Program we were able to bring public water directly to their house for the first time ever. I have seen firsthand what this cleaner Water Program makes. Its lifechanging, and its something we owe to all our people. Thats why im proposing we invest another 500 Million Dollars in grants to our counties and local governments to continue this vital work. [applause] folks, this is not a partisan issue. Clean Drinking Water is a basic human right, and this program is building on what we created together. To build this better, stronger kentucky, im also seeking 300 Million Dollars to speed up the mountain parkway in the east and the i69 River Crossing in the west, as well as 50 Million Dollars to help repair local bridges. Those are bridges that get our people to school, to work and to church. We will keep moving forward, together by strengthening the infrastructure that keeps our families healthy, safe and connected and by modernizing the infrastructure that businesses rely on to succeed. These investments are our way pathway to progress. They help our communities bring in new investment and new opportunities. Our future is also brighter thanks to the healthcare heroes in our communities. Health care is also a basic human right, and ive spent my entire public career working to increase access to Quality Health care for our people. From keeping us safe during the Global Pandemic to caring for those affected by historic natural disasters, our healthcare heroes have more than proven their worth these past four years. And in that time, weve seen some amazing progress. We protected Health Care Access