2011 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Environment


Rick Perry: Flexible permitting to reduce ozone & NOx levels

We've created a predictable regulatory environment, so that employers know what to expect from one quarter to the next. I'm talking about programs like our flexible permitting program that has contributed to cleaner air and economic development in Texas.

Between 2000 and 2009, this program helped Texas achieve a 27% reduction of statewide ozone levels, more than any other state. NOx has fallen by 53% and almost every metropolitan area is meeting the current air standard. For those of you keeping track, Dallas is within just one part per billion of meeting the standard as well. In true Texas style, we made those air quality improvements, while Texas employers were creating more private sector jobs, than any other big state in the nation.

Source: 2011 Texas State of the State Address Feb 8, 2011

Peter Shumlin: Clean up Lake Champlain: federal waivers & local flexibility

A clean Lake Champlain is critical to our quality of life and our attractiveness to tourists, anglers, boaters and birders who share our love of our lake. Although we protect our great lake with Quebec and New York, much of the water runs through our state, and its cleanliness is as crucial to our economic vitality as it is to our culture and our health. Lake Champlain provides drinking water for more than 200,000 people, while the state's reputation for environmental quality and lake stewardship reflects upon all of us. We must make faster progress in cleaning up the lake. I will work together with our Congressional delegation and President Obama to seek waivers that will enable us to place federal dollars in a central pool that would give our communities and farmers the flexibility to maximize our efforts and get results. The time for talk is over; we must clean up Lake Champlain.
Source: 2011 Vermont State of the State Address Jan 25, 2011

Neil Abercrombie: New Day Work Projects: transit-oriented development

I will convene a group of experts and University officials to consider the future of sports & the future of development on Oahu to make a definitive decision on Aloha Stadium and any future stadium we might build. Other than maintenance related to health and safety, I will divert all other capital improvement dollars for Aloha Stadium to other projects. Right now, multimillion dollar plans to extend the life of Aloha Stadium by 20 years could take 40 years to implement. It is time to reprioritize. The Ne Day Work Projects will look to the future and what our community and economy will look like decades from now. For example, as Honolulu moves on its transit plans, the state will actively support attractive, sustainable transit-oriented redevelopment. The legislature has proposals on these concepts, including looking at density rights and other zoning initiatives. I look forward to participating in the discussion and moving quickly. The people of Hawaii are going to get to work and build our future.
Source: 2011 Hawaii State of the State Address Jan 24, 2011

Jay Nixon: State Parks Youth Corps: employ kids in state parks

Like thousands of Missourians, I grew up hunting, fishing and canoeing with my Mom and Dad. At a time when it's been especially tough for young people to find jobs, the State Parks Youth Corps put money in the pockets of more than 1,000 young workers--at no cost to the state. The National Association of State Park Directors gave our State Parks Youth Corps its top award for innovation in 2010. And I'm pleased to report that the Youth Corps will put hundreds more kids to work in our parks this summer.
Source: 2011 Missouri State of the State Address Jan 19, 2011

Sean Parnell: AK statehood was a mandate for resource development

When nearly 50,000 Alaskans cast their ballots for statehood in 1958, Governor Hickel said they "signed a contract. They didn't just say 'yes' to statehood. They agreed to the terms of statehood. And, that contract cannot be changed without the consent o both parties." The federal government's expectation, its terms, were that together we Alaskans would develop our resources, build our own economic system, and become largely self-sustaining. We did just that, by logging our timber, mining our minerals an metals, exploring for oil and gas, and harvesting seafood from our waters. These are the engines of our economy: past, present, and future. But today, the federal government owns 240 million acres, almost two-thirds, of Alaska's 371 million acres, and Uncle Sam has posted a virtual "Keep Out" sign on those lands. This is contrary to the federal government's promise, made not so long ago, that Alaska's resources would be available to economically support the people of this great land.
Source: 2011 Alaska State of the State Address Jan 19, 2011

Butch Otter: To EPA: Delist wolves and restore state management

We know what happens when that government-first mindset takes hold. We wind up in court to stop the federal government from breaking its promises on delisting and restoring State management of wolves that are killing our big game and livestock. We wind up fighting to stop the EPA from imposing unreasonable restrictions on the people of the Silver Valley. Folks, we've got to turn this discussion back to personal responsibility. We've got to turn it back to our communities.
Source: Idaho 2011 State of the State and Budget Address Jan 10, 2011

  • The above quotations are from 2011 Governor's State of the State speeches.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Environment.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Andrew Cuomo on Environment.
  • Click here for more quotes by Jack Dalrymple on Environment.
Candidates and political leaders on Environment:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R)
Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R)
Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Dec 04, 2018