Mike Beebe in 2004 Governor's State of the State speeches


On Drugs: Rehabilitate drug offenders; more drug-court counselors

To help safeguard our communities, we will increase funding for probation monitoring by $3.4 million. Our current probation system sees the average caseload for a probation officer at more than 100 cases. We’re going to add 60 new officers, taking the average caseload to 85. We’ll increase resources for drug-court counselors to rehabilitate drug offenders and keep prison space open for violent offenders by investing roughly $5 million in the Drug Court program.
Source: 2004 State of the State Address Jan 10, 2007

On Education: Propose additional funding for students with special needs

I propose approximately $19 million in additional revenue for public education above that recommended by the education committees. This support will be devoted to school districts & students with special needs. Education is not a process that should end at the schoolhouse door. It is about continuous, lifelong learning. We provide ARKids First for children in need of health care so they can lead healthy lives, and pre-K education to at-risk children to help them begin school ready to learn.
Source: 2004 State of the State Address Jan 10, 2007

On Education: Encourage parents & state employees to volunteer at schools

We’ll create partnerships with industry to expand opportunities for parents or guardians to be able to attend parent-teacher conferences and volunteer at their children’s schools with paid leave. That means leading by example. We will propose, by legislation or rule, as appropriate, to permit state employees in the executive branch one day of paid leave each year to volunteer in their children’s schools or attend parent-teacher conferences.
Source: 2004 State of the State Address Jan 10, 2007

On Tax Reform: Phase out the sales tax on utilities for manufacturers

To help attract new manufacturers and retain the ones we have, we’ll phase out the sales tax on utilities for manufacturers, with the first step being a one-sixth reduction. I will work with the Legislature and the legislative leadership to roll back the sales tax on off-road diesel fuel and replace it with a per-gallon tax coupled with an incentive to purchase bio-diesel.
Source: 2004 State of the State Address Jan 10, 2007

On Tax Reform: Get rid of the regressive sales tax on food

We have a moral charge to rid our State of its most regressive tax, the state sales tax on food. We have the opportunity now to begin eliminating it in a responsible way that will end the tax over time and not impede state services in the interim. We all share a common desire to move our State forward and to offer help to those among us who need it most. That desire is a noble one and should drive us to work together to a common end: never making the perfect the enemy of the good.
Source: 2004 State of the State Address Jan 10, 2007

The above quotations are from 2004 Governor's State of the State speeches.
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