Tim Kaine in 2007 Governor's State of the State speeches

On Education: We raised teacher pay & required regular teacher evaluations

Together, we raised teacher pay, required regular teacher evaluations and invested in community colleges and higher education research. As a result, national publications and rankings acknowledge that our K/12 and higher education systems are among the best in the nation. In fact, Education Week recently published an extensive survey indicating that children born in Virginia have a better chance for life success than those born in any other state in this nation.

Together, we've helped make health insurance more available to small businesses and expanded children's access to health care services. As a result, more Virginia children are getting the health care they need.

On Education: Include private & church schools in kindergarten & pre-K

Studies show that 90% of a child's brain development occurs before the age of five. And that high-quality pre-kindergarten programs can have a dramatic effect on all children's readiness for school and can reduce expensive remedial education and social costs later in life. The gains are most pronounced for at-risk students, but there are clear benefits for all children who get an early start in a high-quality environment.

I have proposed pilot projects to expand the Virginia Preschool Initiative by including high quality private pre-school programs, including church programs, in our efforts to expand early learning.

On Energy & Oil: Key to success is availability of reliable, low-cost power

On Environment: Historic investments in water quality & open space

Together, we've embraced innovative management practices like the Council on Virginia's Future and the new Virginia Performs website. As a result, we've cemented our reputation as the best managed state in America and continued to win accolades for our financial management and service to citizens.

Together, we changed the way we think about transportation and land use in Virginia. Last year's traffic impact statement legislation was a turning point in connecting state transportation planning with local land use planning. As a result, we are beginning to make better decisions in managing Virginia's growth.

On Families & Children: Prevent childhood obesity by improving health education

Accordingly, I have tasked my Secretary of Health and Human Resources and my Secretary of Education to work together to improve health education in our schools and improve the food that is available to our students every day.

On Free Trade: Virginia began as an experiment in global trade

In the past year, we have made exciting job announcements in virtually every community in the Commonwealth. We've announced over $1 billion in investment and 5000 new jobs with good wages and benefits throughout Virginia--jobs created and filled using tools like the Governor's Opportunity Fund, Enterprise Zone Grants, workforce investments, and tobacco settlement funds.

We can bring more good jobs into Virginia and bolster our reputation for innovation. Together, we can bring a global research leader, SRI International, to the Shenandoah Valley. The partnership between SRI and James Madison University, initially focusing on cutting-edge pharmaceutical research, will create great jobs and complement our growing expertise in biomedical research.

On Health Care: 1 million Virginians do not have health insurance

The cost of these services has significantly increased the cost of health insurance, moving it beyond the reach of many small employers and the self-employed. An estimated 1 million Virginians do not have health insurance. As a result, many of our citizens often do not receive the preventive care that is so important in reducing the onset of more serious health problems.

We must continue to work together to strengthen health and health care in Virginia. And there is so much that we can do to improve. The first step is helping Virginians take better care of themselves. While there are a growing number of exceptions, our health care system does not consistently encourage healthy living in a meaningful way

On Homeland Security: Expand job benefits for members of the Virginia Guard

On Jobs: Today's minimum wage is not enough to take care of a family

And we have to reward work. Today's minimum wage means that some Virginians work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, and earn less than $11,000. That is not enough to take care of a family, not enough to buy a home, not enough to afford health insurance. I look forward to working with you to make a change for the better for our working families by passing a fair increase in our minimum wage.

On Tax Reform: Increase income tax filing threshold from $7,000 to $12,000

Let's provide meaningful tax relief for hundreds of thousands of Virginians by increasing the filing threshold for state income tax from $7,000 to $12,000 for an individual and from $14,000 to $24,000 for a married couple. With this change, we can eliminate income tax liability for an estimated 147,000 Virginians. And we can save approximately 176,000 more people from the hassle of having taxes deducted from their paychecks, only to file a tax return at year's end to receive a complete refund.

On Tax Reform: Exempt first 20% of home value from property taxes

On Technology: Re-zoning to account for transportation infrastructure

Creating a stronger connection between land use and transportation planning will help us build better communities and slow the growth of congestion. Let's begin by finally guaranteeing Virginians that their transportation dollars from the Transportation Trust Fund will never be spent for any other purpose.

On War & Peace: Visited VA National Guard members in Green Zone in Baghdad

I was thrilled to welcome the 654th Military Police Company--Virginia Guard troops from all over the Commonwealth--back from Iraq. I visited the 654th in the Green Zone in Baghdad in March and, as Commander in Chief of the Virginia Guard, expressed the gratitude of all Virginians for their service.