that matters the most is your own. this is what democracy looks cable. republican bill lee has been governor tennessee's prioritizing economic investments across rural counties, statewide permitting reform and increasing access to healthcare. he also talks about $140 million in public school resource officers. following last you're shooting at the covenant school in nashville. during this speech governor lee commented on civility the protester interrupted his remarks this runs just under an hour. [cheering] thank you. thank you. thank you. sure glad you are here. thank you. thank y

i am really glad you are here sir. we have been praying for your recovery. and it is not the same not having you sit right here. not seem right but it does seem right to have you here so thank you sir. [applause] speaker saxton, speaker pro tem hale speaker pro tem marsh deputy speaker members of the one or 14 general assembly, and justicesjustices constitutional officers cabinet members staff, friends and my family.

together as we celebrate on our state reflect on our incredible success advance towards her bright future it is my highest honor to serve you. thank you i want to give a sp person on this year, this time last year it looks really different for maria and for me after receiving a challenging diagnosis six months earlier maria had completed her theme chemotherapy was preparing i'm sorry a bone marrow transplant. so last year for the first time i became governor maria was not here. she did not attend the statef the state in percent that person that night we did not know her healing journey it was going to be. maria and i want to thank you tonight and all across the state

for your love, for your encouragement most of all for healing and i want to thank you for all that you do for me. what you do for tennessee and for being y thank you. [applause] [applause] we are entering our sixth year in the state of the state is strong and resilient and ready for the future. that's thanks to the hard work to the people in this room. but there is more work to do. the world around us is changing every day brings uniques are can counting

on us to face those challenges with the wisdom and discernment. so tonight something i've three years left and there is a lot to do. we cannot and should not slow s period tennessee is a remarkable place the richness of the passionat kinds with an unrivaled culture deep rooted traditions we are state that is focused on opportunity and security and freedom for all of her people. so in 2024 and for the remainder of my time in office i believe our is to fortify that which has been built over the years and to remember the work it took to get he. when thinking about what lies ahead i am reminded of a historical account of a jewish man name nehemiah from the old testament. nehemiah was a high official persian cake he hears king he hears

his beloved city oal is in overa run so nehemiah sets off on a mission to rebuild the city and the wall that surrounded it. small tasks he enlists the people of jerusalem he directs every person of all ages and trades and abilities to take their spot on the wall that surrounds the city as the story goes. in order to protect the progress that was to be made and ensure the work done was not to be done in vain. story the people of jerusalem find success thanks to their work together and it becomes clear through the expeence of city and restoring the wall the people restore themselves as well. throughout my life i have often come back to the story of nehemiah. even to people who can be very

different can stand side-by-side and work together for a shared purpose and each individual has a responsibility to hold their spot on the wall. in 2024 tennessee is as strong as er for generations before us have done their part in building our state into what it is today. and now we must keep it for future generations. holding our spot on the wall to protect our lives our way of life further enriching this place that we call home. it's up to us to hold our spot on this wall. it all starts with the foundation tennessee's firm foundation is possible to a legacy of fiscal responsibility. ever people across this nation are trying to tennessee as a model for economic prosperity and it is clear why. the past five yearsbeen ranked as the fastest growing economy of all 50 states the number one state for fiscal

stability atop state for business the second lowest in the nation the lowest debt state in america.nvy the position we have been in. [cheering] [applause] the members of this tennessee general assembly, you are here tonight and your predecessors you are the ones to think and because of your unwavering commitment to keeping our state in a strong financial position. maintaining a healthy savings account cutting taxes for tennesseans year after year. in tennessee we spend within our means. we steward dollars wisely, we plan ahead. this mentality that has garnered aaa bond rat nine consecutive years.

keeps us well-positioned to flourish. over the past few years we have had extraordinarywth. so this year, while our revenue growth is returning to normal that new normal is 40% higher than it was three years ago. we have a very strong economy in tennessee. it's built to withsta pressure of our country's uncertain economic future. so this year will bolster our decades long commi responsibility starting with a 20 million-dollar investment in tennessee's rainy day fund. building our state reserves to $2 billion [applause] we will also propose tax cuts again by simplifying our franchise checks making tax making tennessee and even stronger cice for companies that choose to do business in our great state. there is a lot of talk and conversation about this change to our franchise in credibly important.

the need to change the law which is been in place for almost 90 years. we can move forward now. strategy we do right by tennessee taxpayers. because we have budgeted wisely three years revenue growth tennessee is now equipped to make tennessee an even better place to live and work and raise a family. this is an example of how we turn a child into a better outcome for tenness the fiscal management approach has set the standard for estates across the country should operate. families and businesses nationwide have taken notes. everyone knows tennessee continues with the most move to states in the country. but did you know this? in the last three years people

and companies have shifted to the southeast, so has america'seconomy. for the first time in our nations history just six states in the southeast including tennessee are con gdp than the entire northeast. that includes a new york, new jersey, massachu[applause] [applause] tennessee has emerged as an economic powerhouse in this all of this incredible growth is exactly why we need to think about what tennessee will look like not just next year or 10 years from now but 25 and 50 now. that is why we have made infrastructure a top priority building roads and bridges and sewer systems and more for the future after passing transportation modernization act atlast year a bipartisan effort with the men al assembly our plan

isn't motion all across urban communities in rural communities alike. just a few weeks ago tennessee wasight thanks sort work together if a that way. [applause] speaking of roads i want to take a minute to thank our workers who were everywhere just a few weeks ago. [applause] [applause] they were everywhere. taking care of tennesseans now they'rethere everywhere taking car tdot workers are public

servants. companies h invested $35 billion in our state since 2019. creating more than 211,000 new bs counting for tennesseans. that means real opportunities for families across our state from rogersville to today tennessee's unemployment rate is well below the national average the state unemployment rate saw an all-time low. our rural counties are no exception. since day one i believe tennessee success can be measured in part the strength of our rural communities street we prioritize epic economic investment developed a workforce for all tennesseans and it is paying off. five years ago with 15 distressed counties. today we have just eight.

[applause] and the statistic tha tells the story or certainly puts an important point on that, for the first time in history tennessee's poverty rate is below the national poverty rate. [applause] we talk about tennessee record economic growth, many people might think it's biggest beneficiary is in nashville one of our large urban centers in 2023 haywood county in rural west tennessee had the largest amount of capitol investment the second number of new jobs announced of all 95 counties. [applause]

[applause] [applause] you heard oftentimes. part of expanding working

tennesseans. employs tens of thousand. 21% in the last five years.

>> we are calling thisl the elvis act to honor our very own king of rock rock well as his family. tonight i want to acknowledge national song writer who has been at the forefront of the effort to protect ordinance of all kinds tom douglas the house that built me, many, many more. please join me in welcoming tom douglas. [applause] >> tennessee has the first to be the first -- to be the first state in the nation to enact this legislation and we hope that the elevate act will serve as blueprint for states across the country. it's only right that effort. tennessee is the music capital

of the world and we intend to keep it that way. to continue to build on foundation, nothing is more important than expanding opportunities for our children, the ability for young tennesseans to succeed is the key to tennessee's long-term success. and without a doubt education has the power to change the trajectory of a child's lifeforever. >> we have done a lot of work in tennessee but we still have a ways to go and providing the best possible education for every student in the state. so 2024 is the year to make school choice a reality for every tennessee family, every family.

[applause] >> the premise behind education freedom and the one thing that most of us do agreen is that parents know what's best for their child's education. [applause] >> there are thousands of nantz the state that know that their student would drive in a different setting but the financial barrier is simply too high. it's time that we change that. it's time that we let parents decide and not the government where their child goes to school

and what they learn. [applause] >> more choic schools means fewer resources to school is not true. as having been in public schools i feel strongly public schools have invaluable. over the working together we have invested historic amounts in public education and that will continue. [applause]

>> we've increased public funding, funding for public education $1.8 billion since i became governor, by far the most in our state's history. [applause] >> and with that increase investment we've also modernized the way that we schools for the first time in 30 years. last year we gave teachers the largest annual pay raise in state history.

[applause] and we are not done, we are not done we will make another significant investment in the formula this year and we are plan to help public schools retain the best and brightest teachers in their individual districts. we have placed an unprecedented focu in public education and i intend to continue to do that every year. we can give parents choice and support public schools at the same time. [applause] you'll hear me say that over and over again because it's true. these two ideas are not in conflict. there are some who will say parents don't belong in the decision-make progresses about their child's education but our

responsibility is to the student and the family not to the status quo. [applause] >> when you empower parents and we already have success stories all across our state. tonight i want to welcome ariel and her two sons nigel and steven. i had incredible opportunity meet and their current education wasn't serving them well and

what worked for nigel didn't work so well for steven but as a single parent options were limited. she knew that the past paying for independent school district would be difficult even as she worked two jobs but as their biggest champion ariel knew she had to do something to set them up to success. she enrolledn charter school and perfect fit for learning school but steven still needed something different. that was right about the time when tennessee's current choice program became available in shelby county and she applied. she was quickly accepteds ariel calls it answered prayer. today steven isg in st. georgia school in memphis he joined outdoor club and st dream being atologist.

list of scholarship opportunity at 9 colleges across the nation and because ariel realize what many of us have come to know and each student has unique needs and when parents have a choice that child's life has changed farever. please join me in welcoming ariel and her son steven and nigel. [applause]

>> parents also know best what social media does to kids, depression, anxiety, loneliness all skyrocketing among children. study after study tells us how damaging social media is for children. we must empower parents with the their kids online so this year i'm bringing a bill -- this year i'm bringing a bill -- it's a very good time to remind everyone that as it has been civility is a strength, it is not a weakness. [applause]

>> so we have to empower parents with the tools to help their kids online. this year we are bringing together a bill that will give parents tools to oial media activity. it'll require social media companies to give parental consent for minors to create their own social media account in tennessee. [applause] moving from the youngest tennessean to the oldest across our state those 65 and older make up theastest growing group of tennesseans. nearly a quarter of tennesseans

will be over 60 by 2030 and more and more older americans as know are choosing to retire here and enjoy all that the volunteer state has to offer because of that we made an important decision to take what was previously our commission on aging and disability and combine it with our department of intellectual and developmental disabilities to better serve tennesseans. this proposal will create a new department of disability and aging headedly commissioner brad turner that would enable better coordination and stronger advocacy. ultimately it'll get bureaucracy out populations to live and wage this much independence possible. [applause] >> as y'all know, i

the business world and since i became governor one of our top objectives has been making government work better for the people in my view less government is better government. [applause] >> though this year working with the family will bring forward a plan to repeal or streamline nearly 40% o a existing rules across the executive branch. [applause] >> that a to 4,000 rules eliminated or streamlined i'm proud that this will be one to cutting red tape

not any state -- [applae]i mentioned earlier since 2019 we've head great strides in expanding economic opportunity for rural tennesseans. now we have to have accelerate our focus on the advancement of rural health. we know we have challenges with access to care and work -- we have challenges, access to care, workforce shortages and that's why i formed the rural task in 2021 -- [shouting] >> let the governor speak [cheers and applause]

>> we have great challenges in rural healthcare and that's why i formed the rural healthcare task force in 2021 to explore solutions to address the issues head on and now the solutions are becoming a reality. we will be expanding providing greater access to specialty care, telehealth better pathways from high school careers and much more and so this year building off the recommendations from the task force we will propose the largest single investment in rural health care in state the next five years.

[applause] >> and this is important -- this is important and because this is he remarkable opportunity that we have thanks to the success of tennessee's one of a kind ten care waiver exceed expectations and allows to heavily invest in biggest healthcare challenges that we have in our state and because these are shared save that is we will spend this investment in rural health care will come at no added cost to tennessee taxpayers. [applause] >> we don't it's only possible thanks to the strong partnership and leadership of the general assembly. we will continue to see success. we maintain concerted or

remarkable principle that got us here. i want to thank all of you again for the work that you've done to make the ten-care waiver a reality for [applause] >> in addition to rural health the funds from the sheriff's saving from this year's shared invest in mental health. another challenge that is prevalent not just in our state but all across the countrynearly 4 in 10 tennesseans report symptoms of anxiety or depression drug and opioid overdoses challenge. we've done a lot of work in the last five years to boost message health resources across our state and we will do it again. than a hundred million dollars over five years from the sheriff's savings in behavioral health and substance abuse.

[applause] >> as i mentioned earlier tennessee is in demand with that comes growth and new homnd new businesses and with that comes reviews and reviews and inspections and permits. when demand is high the projects get bigger and easier to fall behind and time is money and building delays drive up the cost in tennessee. and that matters to hard-working families all across the state. 's why this year we we are we are proposing statewide permitting reform to access streamline construction in tennessee.

>> legislation about permitting reform might not sound like front page news but from someone who is in the construction industry for 35 years a bureaucratic permitting everybody but the government. this proposal will make it easier and more cost effective to build homes and businesses and child care facilities and everything. tennessee is in demand, people are moving here, one of the reasons is that we a committed to making it a safe place to live. they will always be more work to be done when it comes to public safety. it is a huge challenge and we all know that. but i want to thank all of you for partnering with us to prioritize major investments to keep tennessee communities safe. we are creating -- we are

creating innovative programs across our justice system, resulting in tennessee's lowest recidivism rate in state history. [applause] we provided fund to go hire 200 new tennessee highway patrol troopers and this year we additional 60 troopers to continue growing the force. [applause] >> i'm incredibly proud together to support local law enforcement agencies with

150 million-dollar violent crime intervention grant fund. right now in the areas of the state that need it most like shelby county where i believe that state and local par can and will make a real diffe [applause] >> last year's state of address i talked about the importance of public safety and why school safety matters to every single tennessean. at that time we had no idea that we were about to face one of themost difficult moments that our state had ever seen. covenant experience unimaginable tragedy, tragedy doesn't have to be the end of the story. tragedy doesn't have to be the end of the story. there's redemption in struggle if we lean into it. that's why over the last year, we've worked together and made

significant progress building on our strong foundation of school safety starting with 140 million-dollar grant to place a trained armed school resource officer in every tennessee public school. [applause] >> these brave tennesseans are the first line of protection for our students and for our teachers. we appreciate your unwavering commitment to keep -- a great example of that is the leadersh of sriff clyce crockett county has made tremendous strides in sro

staffing and joins three other counties in tennessee that moved from zero sro's to fully staffed in under a year which is a truly ç remarkable achievement. join me -- [applause] >> please join me in welcoming sheriff clyce newly hired sro from crockett county. [applause] >> over the past five years marie and i traveled to every rner of our state in all of

tennessee's natural beauty and rich resources from the flats of the wolf river to mountain out to alcoe river this is a beautiful place. last year we created a new conservation strategy to preserve the state for generations to come but there's more work to do, we continually made investments in our state parks in the cornerstone of effort. this year's proposed budget will take it to the next level with eight new state parks. pplause] >> tennessee's outdoor heritage, our outdoor heritage extends to our rivers in our lakes our streams and we are proposing -- weposing a blue way trail development to improve access to state waterways investing in dozen of state

lakes, boosting eco welcoming more tennesseans to visit kayak canoe and fish our beautiful waters. we are also proposing investment to improve water quality across rivers and streams making them safe to enjoy.r proposed budget will also include fund to go provide natural resourceshere tourists are most likely to see them from the road with plan scenic beauty along the major h [applause] >> off the major highways are the drivers of tennessee's economy, tennessee farmers.

our -- that's right. [applause] >> our agriculture industry, our ag industry employs 360,000 tennesseans and generates $89 billion annually making agriculture the number one cont state's economy yet today today we are ranked the third most threatened state for farmland loss in theuntry. so this year we are proposing a farmland conservation fund, a plan to partner with tennessee farm nears who voluntarily place their land in a conservation easement just as 28 other states do today. this will give farm families ability to preserve and protect

for generations securing rich rural h to opportunity. [applause] >> i've often said that a conservation strategy must include investments not just for the environment but for reliable energy for the future. over the past year thanks to your partnership we have made great strides along with the 50 million-dollar nuclear energy fund that was included in our budget last year we have established the tennessee nuclear energy advisory council that just produced first report to help guide our strategy using the knowledge and experience of te while more work needs to be done it is being done tennessee is well positioned to protect the foundation layed decades ago at

oak ridge to not only lead the southeast but the country in a new era of energy in america. [applause] >> tonight i have to give a glimpse of the state of our great state the foundations that were layed by the the city on a hill that we call tennessee. the gates that welcome those who security and freedom the walls that protect fiscal stewardship a public safety and our variability. we recognize the great challenges that lay before us

whether it's rural health care, protection of others, we have opportunity and obligation and it'll take each one of us as we debate and agree and disagree about the path forward to accomplish that which we all believe in serving our tennesseans, recognizing the dignity of each one of them, each person's god giving value a better life and future for them all. we each have our spot on the wall an important spot, no one greater than the other but each one greatly necessary and just like in the day they'll be those who criticize those who see tennessee success and they'll try to stop it andhat by trying to divide us. we shouldn't let them do that. we shouldn't let that happen.

[applause] let us stand together and only when we work together side by side will we build upon, protect and create that