Zell Miller in Governor's State of the State speeches, late 1990s


On Crime: Drunk drivers are criminals and deserve tough punishment

We all know that DUI has been a plague on our streets and highways... that it has caused unnecessary death and bloodshed. DUI criminals -- and that’s what they are, criminals -- can terrorize any one of us at a moment’s notice. It can be prevented. That is why drunk drivers have found no mercy during the Miller Administration. We passed one of the toughest DUI laws in America: Mandatory jail time for drunk drivers. Confiscation of license plates.
Source: 1998 Georgia State of the State Address Jan 15, 1998

On Crime: Two-strikes law got 1,710 ciminals behind bars

We passed “two-strikes and you’re out.” Thanks to that law, there are 1,710 violent criminals who are locked away in Georgia prisons. Collectively, those 1,710 thugs were responsible for more than 9,800 crimes, including over 4,900 violent crimes. Thanks to the two-strikes law, they are no longer a threat to the law-abiding people of Georgia.
Source: 1998 Georgia State of the State Address Jan 15, 1998

On Education: All children should have the opportunity to attend pre-K

We became the first state to offer pre-kindergarten, free of charge, to every four-year-old. Pre-K students are more likely to stay in school, achieve higher test scores, and graduate better prepared for the workforce. More than 185,000 Georgia children have benefited from pre-K. The pre-K program reflects my philosophy of education: every Georgia child should enter school ready to learn.
Source: 1998 Georgia State of the State Address Jan 15, 1998

On Environment: Protection of 100,000 Georgia acres is great achievement

One of our biggest success stories has been Preservation 2000, our program to protect more than 100,000 acres of natural land. Places like Little Tybee Island, Tallulah Gorge and Smithgall Woods. You are looking at someone shaped by that rugged land, because your Governor is a product of the North Georgia mountains. We created Preservation 2000 with ambitious goals to protect 100,000 acres of wildlife habitat and save it for future generations.
Source: 1998 Georgia State of the State Address Jan 15, 1998

On Abortion: Promote and fund sexual abstinence programs

I also want to expand the family planning services in county health departments. We are going to expand two successful, community-based pregnancy prevention programs. One is targeted at teenage males, and it is already in operation in 15 Georgia communities. The other is Grady Hospital’s abstinence-based program for teens called “Postponing Sexual Involvement.”
Source: 1997 Georgia State of the State Address Jan 14, 1997

On Drugs: Allow people harmed by drugs to sue drug dealers

Illegal drugs continue to be a significant problem for many families. I’m going to ask you to pass a drug dealer liability law. I want Georgians who are harmed by illegal drugs to be able to sue drug dealers. I believe they ought to be able to sue drug dealers to recover their costs. This could be a start to shifting the huge cost of the damage caused by illegal drugs back to the dealers.
Source: 1997 Georgia State of the State Address Jan 14, 1997

The above quotations are from Late 1990s Governor's State of the State speeches.
Click here for other excerpts from Late 1990s Governor's State of the State speeches.
Click here for other excerpts by Zell Miller.
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Page last updated: Mar 14, 2021