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iowa governor, kim reynolds from her condition of the state address in des moines. she begins by addressing the perry high school shooting where the principal died along with the shooter himself. she outlines legislative proposals including lowering the state income tax rate. she has been governor since 2017. this is about 50 minutes. you. madam president, mr. speakerou. >> thank you.

thank you. madam president, mr. speaker, lieutenant governor, legislative leaders and members, justices and judges, my fellow iowans. last week, the unthinkable happened in iowa when shots were fired in the halls of perry high school. taking the life of 11-year-old -- and injuring seven others. our hearts are still heavy and our prayers continue for the victims and their families and for the entire perry community. it is impossible to understand why things like this happen. the senselessness of it shakes us to our very core. even in the darkest hour, light and hope break through it. this was certainly the case on that day. the principal was nearby when

the shooting began. despite the danger, he put himself in harms way, risking his life to protect his students. dan sustained multiple gunshot wounds at close range. his unflinching bravery save lives that morning. dan is a hero and we pray that he is back where he belongs soon and will be with the students you are so lucky to have him. i want to recognize the courageous actions of the local law enforcement officers, first responders, and state and federal agents that were on the scene that day. the first officers arrived just minutes after the shooting began and immediately entered the building. within 30 minutes of that schools call for help, an army of more than 150 officers and first responders from across the metro and surrounding communities arrived on the

scene to assist. officers that heard the dispatch remarked how calm everyone sounded, how focused they were. how well they work together in the midst of such a tragedy. this is who iowans are and what we do. whether in person or in spirit, iowa showed up that day and perry and will be there every day through their recovery. please join me in expressing our gratitude to the brave men and women who courageously served that day.

i was law enforcement officers, first responders and perry service members live up to their oath to protect their communities and citizens every day. these jobs demand service above >> i was law enforcement t officers, first responders and military service members live up to their oath to protect our communities and citizens every day. these jobs demand service above self and great personal sacrifice. this past year, kevin kram of the police department and tony hoffman, a firefighter with the iowa fire department gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. please join me in a moment of silence to honor these two fallen heroes and their families as well as all those affected by the tragic events

in perry. you. this is the seventh time i have addressed this body to report on the condition of the state. the first time the workforce thank you. this is the second time i have addressed this body to report on the condition of the state. in 2018, workforce was one of the top issues. at that time, 58% of all iowans in the workforce had education or training beyond high school. the result was thousands of high-quality jobs going on field and thousands of iowans missing out on a rewarding career. together, we set out to increase the number to 70% by 2025. i introduced the future ready iowa act and a few months later, it passed the legislature with unanimous support. tonight, i am happy to say that

we have reached our ambitious goal and we did it ahead of schedule. now, i want to be clear, this is not mission accomplished. the work of connecting iowa's employers with dozens of skilled workers will continue the session. reaching this milestone serves as a powerful lesson in how real change happens. future ready iowa was born in this building with an executive order and bipartisan legislation. we set the vision and laid the foundation and elected leaders are not the ones who got it done. it was the people of iowa, the teachers, administrators, business owners, community colleges, and of course, countless students and adult learners, they created a new culture merging the worlds of work and education like never before. they created apprenticeship programs and brought the workplace into the classroom,

they meant toward young iowans including their friends to go back to school and supported their loved ones dreams. they took the tools we gave them and build something extraordinary. you are one of the many reasons i can stand before you tonight and say that the condition of our state is strong. everything that we do in this building should follow that same pattern. set a vision, build the infrastructure and turn it over to the people everything that we do in this building should follow that

same pattern. build the infrastructure and turn it over to the people of iowa to do what they do best. future ready iowa is one example. school choice is another. last year, we made it our top priority to give all children a quality education that meets their needs. that meant giving families a choice. that is exactly what we did. in the face of intense pressure to keep the status quo, we passed one of the boldest school choice programs in the country kicking off a national revolution. we laid the foundation and now iowa appearance, regardless of their income, can decide what is best for their children. one semester in, this new educational freedom is already changing lives. just recently i heard from a family who is autistic son is thriving in an autistic -- catholic school that welcomed him with open arms. he now had a new shot at the

american dream. i want to emphasize that the change we are seeing is not limited to those who choose private schools. educational freedom is not about public versus private. it is about what is best for each individual child and about understanding that there is not just one way to educate our kids. which is why i am so happy to announce that this month, the state board of education will vote on eight new public charter school applications including schools that focus on career training and at risk youth. public school districts are also stepping up their efforts to attract and retain students. here in des moines, the superintendent highlighted the district efforts to deliver an educational product that attractors our students and attracts parents to stay with

us or come back. the public schools saw a net gain of students this year from private school and after hearing about the culture, they have created great things they are doing. i understand why. it goes to show that a rising tide of competition and choice really can lift all boats. our education policies are working because together, we stood firm and passed a law that puts iowans in charge of their children's future. [applause] by locking in educational freedom, a system however

long-standing we must by logging in educational freedom, we send a powerful message. no system, no matter how long- standing is above reform, we must be guided by that same principle once again, there is still a group of students being left behind. and another long-standing system in need of reform. special education is overseen by the area education agencies or aea. they were created in the 70s to provide educational support for school districts. this type of regional system makes sense and is not unique to iowa.

what is unique is that our school districts are forced to give special education funding to the aeas and this mandate leaves little room for accountability. over the last year in dozens of conversations with parents, teachers, school administrators, it has become clear that while some are doing great work, others are underperforming. we have superintendents that are still required to pay for them andhave gone beyond their core mission of helping students with disabilities creating top-heavy organizations with higher top- heavy expenses. iowa students with disabilities are performing below the national average. in the last five years, they have ranked 30th or worse on nine of 12 national assessments. iowa spends $5300 more per pupil

on special education than the national average, that is unacceptable. tonight i am announcing legislation to change it. under my proposal, aeas will focus solely on students with disabilities as they should. oversight will move to the department of education. most importantly, school districts will now control their special education funds. meaning they will no longer be mandated to send these funds to the aeas. if a school likes the service, they can continue to use them. if they want to use a neighboring aea instead, they can do that. or they can go outside the aea system and contract with a private company or partner with other districts to share a speech or behavioral therapist.

or they can spend more on special education teachers and put the dollars right into the classroom. in short, each school will decide how best to meet the needs of their students. i know there are a lot of parents of students of disabilities that were told that we are planning to end the aeas. or even cut services that their families depend on. let me speak directly to you. this is categorically false. in fact, we are not reducing special education funding by one time. we are simply giving control of the funding to those who work directly with your child on a daily basis and taking special education off autopilot where it has been stuck for far too

long. once again, let's drive transformation and change and do what is right for our children. being read as a key component is a key to every child success. being able to read is a key component of every child's success. reading scores are held steady because unlike so many other states, we kept our kids in school throughout the pandemic. holding steady is not good enough, especially when reading is the foundation of learning.

children who cannot read by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school which dramatically increases their chances of being arrested, using illegal drugs, and having poor house. 34% of iowa third-graders are not reading proficiently. again, better than most states. something is clearly not working. we are the only state in the country that does not require competency in early literacy instruction for teacher licensure. the only state. over the last few decades, the way that we teach reading has changed from what we know works, sounding out letters, phonics has fallen out of fashion. thankfully, many educators are not learning phonics become a thing of the past.

she teaches reading to high school students who do not speak english as their primary language. what a difficult job. she has done amazing things. using evidence-based instruction, anne has increased the reading proficiency of her students by 25%. as she herself puts it, she is giving the students one of the most fundamental human rights in education. i agree. in recognition of her success, anne has been named the 2024 iowa teacher of the year. she is here with us tonight. join me in recognizing her outstanding efforts.

would you spread what she's doing to every school in our state to make teaching techniques are grounded. i want to spread what anne is doing at hoover to every school in the state to make sure that teaching is grounded in the science of reading. i am proud to announce we are well on our way. the state is providing a no charge, training program on the science of reading to all elementary school teachers. this program helped improve reading scores in other states and i will confident it will do the same thing here. 2000 teachers and administrators have started

training or are registered to start soon. we are also going to require, as every other state does, that our teachers pass a nationally recognized test and we will hold colleges and universities accountable by making the foundation of reading assessment a requirement for education majors to graduate. our talented educators will meet high expectations when they have the support that they need. i hope every legislator in this room will join me in making literacy a top priority in every iowa classroom. , successl always depend on great teachers.

aside from parents, teachers are some of the most >> whatever improvements we make to our education system, ti the success of our kids will always depend on great teachers. aside from parents, teachers are some of the most influential figures in a child's life. they push them to be their best, set them on a path to success and impart a love of learning that can change their lives for the better. we want younger iowans to see the teaching profession as something to aspire to. it is one of the highest callings that one can have. let's make sure that teacher pay sends that message. tonight, i am asking the legislature to invest $96 million in new money to increase starting pay by 50% to $50,000. and set a minimum salary of

62,000 dollars for teachers with at least 12 years of experience. i am allocating $12 million to a merit-based grant program that will reward teachers who have gone above and beyond to help their students succeed. these investments will put iowa in the top five states for starting pay and help recruit more of the best and brightest to join the teaching profession. a rare special session a lot of fetal heartbeat bill for the

first time. as an act in a rare and historic special session we voted to pass the fetal heartbeat bill by a wider margin than the first time. that was more than an ordinary vote, that was an act of courage and conviction that will save precious lives. as we continue to fight for the law in the courts, i want to thank you for putting iowa firmly on the side of life. bypassing the heartbeat bill we affirmed a special truth, every iowan counts. we must do everything in our power to ensure new moms and their families, especially those who are struggling, have what they need to make ends meet. today, medicaid covers

postpartum care two months after birth. i am proposing to extend that coverage to 12 months for new moms that make less than $42,000 per year. let's do more to help moms, babies, and their families get off to a good start. critical for families working to get back on their feet the government support is the first step on the road self-sufficient c. programs like medicaid are critical for families working to get back on their feet. government support is on the way to lasting self- sufficiency. support within the community is just as important. the good news is that many of

these resources already exist across our state from faith communities to nonprofits and so many other wonderful organizations. they are doing life-changing work every single day. there mission is to amplify them. that is why i want to introduce drive iowa to connect individuals, families to support each other outside of governor assistance. drive iowa will be there with navigators to help them find their way to lasting independence. lives will change for the better.

in the aftermath of covid and the influence of social media, mental health is a challenge for many iowans. we have made significant progress over the several years. creating the states first mental health system. and finding impactful projects around the stage. this will mark a pivotal moment for iowa's youth. this year, a youth centered nonprofit will open amber recovery campus. a ground backing facility

offering 70 behavioral health beds and focused on emergency shelter, crisis stabilization and addiction treatment. this project, the first of its kind in iowa, represents the largest private, public investment in children's behavioral health in our history. and it is truly a model for our state and the country. with us tonight, is yss ceo, andrew allen, and we are proud to have carly and andrew, siblings who recently graduated from the yss addiction treatment program. their shared battle is all too familiar for families struggling through the opioid epidemic. they are proof that in the midst of desperation, there is hope for recovery.

please join me in recognizing them and congratulating them. [applause] there's so more work to be done. in iowa there is little to no coordination for mental health in 19 substance there is still more work to be done. in iowa, there is little to no coordination between the 13 mental health and 19 substance use regions. that is a problem because over 25% of adults with serious

mental health challenges also suffer from substance use. our state is filled with capable professionals that care about getting iowans the support that they need. their talent and dedication are shortchanged by a fractured system that make coordination almost impossible. to better serve iowans, i am proposing that we combine the 32 different substance use and mental health regions together into seven new unified behavioral health districts. i also proposing to increase support for behavioral health services with a portion of ohio was opioid use settlement. a greater investment on the ground and improved connectivity between providers, districts, and the state, and most important, treatment delivered to iowans when and

where they need it. lands better customer service for iowans was the goal of the alignment bill last year. i am proud to say we've already begun to deliver. we reduced the approval time for physician licenses from 65 days to three. we have created a new building and construction division to consolidate permitting building code standards and safety inspections into a single front door. and are transitioning 80 state

websites onto a single platform to improve the user experience for all iowans. to top it off, we made these improvements while at the same time reducing the size of government. with the legislature's help we cut 21 agencies for my cabinet. removed 620 open positions and saved millions of dollars in just the first year. alignment is about more than just numbers. joseph laying was a motor vehicle enforcement officer with the department of transportation when we moved 100 officers to dps. as part of the standard training he underwent a tactical medical course. joe was one of the first to arrive on the scene at. high school last week. because of his new role, he was

outfitted with the right medical supplies and right training for this situation. when he entered the building, he was directed to a critically injured victim and applied a turn a can treated wounds exactly as trained and he saved a life. he is with us this evening and please stand to recognize him. while we've made a lot of

progress, there's one more area, boards and commissions. the alignment passed last year with representation from the legislature to while we have made a lot of progress, there is one more area in need of alignment. boards and commissions. the bill class year with representation from the legislature to review all 256 boards and commissions. after four public meetings, engagement with the boards and a review of 1300 public comments, the committee submitted their final report in september. my proposal would implement their recommendations of eliminating 111 redundant or obsolete boards which is a decrease of 43% while streamlining those that remain. this is the first comprehensive boards and commissions review that we have done in our 175

year history. that seems a little long. this bill also requires that we evaluate each board at least every five years to ensure that they are actually meeting the needs of iowans. iowans elected us to create and execute policies that execute their will, not to outsource that authority to others they cannot hold accountable at the ballot box. many boards and commissions will continue to play a very important role, the democratic process is the best way to preserve iowa was engagement in their government. this bill empowers us to carry out the kind of oversight that the people of iowa expect. goves

them meet long-term goals. goves that's why we as alignment shows, efficient and effective government dis about delivering services to iowans in a way that helps them meet their own long-term goals. this is why we turned our unemployment system into a re- employment system and it is having the intended effect. the unemployment rate remains low. we have the sixth highest labor force participation rate in the country and iowans are now spending on average less than 10 weeks on unemployment , that is the lowest rate in 56 years and it turns out, good things happen when we promote work.

so many islands are drawing a paycheck instead of government check, unemployment is full. because so many iowans are drawing a paycheck instead of a government check, the unemployment trust fund is full to the point where we can reduce the unemployment insurance payments that employers make by half. the result will be significant savings for employers of all sizes. saving more than $800 million over five years. instead of paying money into the government, these businesses can create more jobs, increase salaries or

reinvest into their communities. in short, this will create even greater prosperity throughout our state. are generally focusn connected policies on what'scusn happening in our communities but the last few years sometimes because the feder states are generally focused on domestic policies, what is happening here in our communities. over the last few years, states have been forced to deal with foreign threats. sometimes because the federal government has refused to carry out its constitutional duty. the crisis at the southern border is at the top of that list. thankfully, men and women in uniform continued to answer the

call. to step in where national leaders have failed. in august and september, 109 iowa national guard soldiers and 31 state troopers of special agents from the department of public safety were deployed to the u.s. southern border to support operation lone star. they worked alongside the texas national guard and highway patrol, combating criminal activity along the 1200 mile stretch of the rio grande. they manned illegal points of entry, work human smuggling and drug trafficking cases and apprehended nearly 3000 illegal migrants. i had the opportunity to visit the border during the guards deployment. one of the soldiers i spoke to told me that operation lone star had given him the greatest

sense of service to his country he has ever known. because they believe so strongly in the mission, every soldier and officer who served at the border, did so, voluntarily. many of them are here with us tonight. please stand enjoining me in expressing our heartfelt gratitude for what they do, each and every day. [applause] , the crisis on the southern border isn't the only threat was

states of the player role. china continues to grow more and buying american land is one of the many ways in t the crisis on the southern new border is not the only foreign threat where states have had to play a role. china continues to grow more aggressive and buying american land has been one of the many ways they have waged this new battle. fortunately, iowa has one of the strongest laws on foreign ownership of land. in fact, other states have looked to us for a model for their own policies. as china's threat adapts, our laws should too. we cannot let foreign governments undermine the agricultural dominance that we have that our farmers have worked so hard to build. to that end, working in conjunction with the secretary of agriculture, we have developed a bill to further protect our farmland from

foreign interest. the legislation will enhance reporting and enforcement, increase penalties and provide more transparency to iowans on why land is currently under foreign ownership. let's continue to lead the nation. let's make sure that american soil remains in american hands. [applause] you know what wouldn't be a condition of the state without talking about your money. the government called taxes. when we started this journey well, you know it would not be a condition of the state

address without me talking about your money. or as the government calls a, taxes. when we started this journey in 2018, our income tax rate was the sixth highest in the nation. it was clear that we needed to make a change. i year, we passed legislation that finely cut rates and even more important, established an approach that will guide us over the next five years. that is followed by a sense of responsibility to the people of iowa. they deserve a government that exercises the discipline and restraint to live within its means. as well is the humility to collect on what it needs while returning the rest of them. this approach has served us well. since 2018, we have delivered two more tax reform packages

that cut rates and made our code more friendly to farm families. we did so well making strategic investments in key priorities. the most recent income tax bill established a flat rate of 3.9% said to phase in gradually before finally taking effect in 2026. it was an aggressive growth oriented policy on a responsible conservative timeline. once again, opponents said that letting iowans keep more of their money would break the government. one group called it a recipe for disaster. well, that was wrong. two years later, it is clear, we are well-positioned to go

further faster. even with tax cuts, we have delivered, state revenue continues to grow. ending the year with a $1.83 billion surplus. and more than 900 million in reserve funds. let me be absolutely clear, the surplus does not mean that we are spending enough. we are taking too much of iowa's hard-earned money. . [applause] .

tonight i am proposing a bill that reduces the income tax rate to a flat 3.65% while allowing it to take effect this year. retroactive to january 1st. the following year in 2025, the rate will fall again to a flat 3.5%. this bill represents a total savings of almost $3.8 billion for taxpayers over the next five years. and it gets there by cutting taxes for every iowan who pays them. the average family of four with an income of about 78,000 will see a tax savings of over 25%. a single mother of two making 47,000 will see greater savings

of 42%. there will be no waiting. the cuts will show up in paychecks this year. let's not hesitate. let's stick to the approach we established in 2018 and allow iowans to keep more of their money. >> this is available on c- span.com. alejandro mayorkas testifying on the budget request. you are watching live coverage on c-span 3.