2013 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Corporations


Bobby Jindal: Eliminated burdensome business taxes

We have overhauled our ethics laws, revamped workforce development programs, and eliminated burdensome business taxes. Every challenge we have taken on has been about making Louisiana the best place in the world to find a job and raise a family. Our work is starting to pay off.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to La. legislature Apr 8, 2013

Bobby Jindal: We paid companies, via loopholes, to not pay corporate tax

As it stands today, we have over 460 loopholes on the books that make our system complex, volatile and unfair. Under the current system, if you have a lobbyist and lawyer, you have a loophole.

Let me put that a different way. In 2011, we actually went in the hole on corporate income tax by some $76 million. In other words, we actually paid companies through loopholes to not pay corporate income tax.

Think about that--we sent more taxpayer dollars to corporations than they paid in income taxes to the state. At the same time, the average Louisiana family of four paid nearly $2,600 in taxes.

In other words, we actually took money from families and used it to pay companies to not pay corporate income tax. That goes to show you our tax system is unfair and riddled with loopholes and exemptions.

Source: 2013 State of the State speech to La. legislature Apr 8, 2013

Rick Scott: Eliminate thousands of regulations on job creators

Two years ago, we met together facing crippling debt, record-high unemployment and a downward spiral of job losses. Today, because of the tireless work of the men and women in this room, our businesses are creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, and our unemployment rate is nearly down to the national average; and we aren't stopping there. It's working.

Two years ago, we knew we had been called here to make the difficult choices to help Florida families get back to work. Together, we faced these challenges head on. We cut taxes... We eliminated thousands of regulations on job creators... We paid down state debt for two years in a row... We invested in priorities--like education... And, now our economy is on the rebound. It's working.

Because we made the hard choices over the last two years, we are able to make the smart choices to keep our economy growing this year.

Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Florida Legislature Mar 5, 2013

Rick Scott: Remove the sales tax on manufacturing equipment

Our goal is economic growth and job creation. This year, we have two priorities to keep our economy growing: first--remove the sales tax on manufacturing equipment, and second--invest in our teachers by providing them a well-deserved pay raise.

As long as even one Florida family needs a job, our work is not done. That is why we are committed to removing the sales tax on manufacturing equipment. Florida is one of only a few states with this tax, and we lag behind the nation in per capita manufacturing jobs. We need to level the playing field to compete for manufacturing jobs. Every manufacturing job supports two to three other jobs in our state.

This year, we are also proposing that we continue to roll back the business tax by exempting 2,000 more small businesses from having to pay it. If we are successful this year, we will have removed the business tax from 70% of businesses since taking office. I am committed to getting rid of this tax entirely.

Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Florida Legislature Mar 5, 2013

Maggie Hassan: Business One Stop online; plus just one licensing system

We must continue to reform state government, and this budget moves forward with efforts to make state government more innovative and efficient.
Source: 2013 State of the State N.H. Budget Address Feb 14, 2013

Earl Ray Tomblin: Relax rules on paying terminated employees within 3 days

Under our law, employers are required to pay employees within 72 hours after leaving or face significant damages and lawsuits. Small businesses do not need the hassle of re-running payroll every time an employee moves on. Employers should be permitted more flexibility to pay these employees. It's a simple fix--but it's one that will make a big difference to our small businesses.
Source: 2013 State of the State Address to W.V. Legislature Feb 13, 2013

Mark Dayton: Lowest business tax states accompanied by lowest incomes

Those who measure "business climate" only by tax rankings will question my strategy. We're 15th among the states in taxes. However, Minnesota has not been considered a "low tax" state during my almost four decades of public service. And the facts show that states offering businesses and their top executives the lowest taxes usually offer the rest of their citizens the lowest incomes, the fewest public services, and the highest crime rates.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Minnesota Legislature Feb 6, 2013

Pat Quinn: Advantage Illinois: microloans to MWOB minority firms

Business requires capital. Four years ago, capital was hard to find as all of Illinois suffered from the Great Recession. So we invested in our small businesses, providing $23 million in federal funding to scores of companies through Advantage Illinois. We've awarded micro-loans to hundreds of businesses, primarily to minority- and women-owned small businesses in high-need communities. In the past 4 years, we've increased the participation of minority- and women-owned firms in state contracts.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Illinois Legislature Feb 6, 2013

Paul LePage: Capital investment goes where it is welcomed

Eighteen Maine communities are now designated as business-friendly. There is so much work left to do. Once again, Forbes ranks Maine dead last in the nation when it comes to being business friendly. We can disagree with Forbes analysis; however, America's job creators listen to them. Denial or sticking our heads in the sand will not change the reality. We must put ideologies aside and get to work to make Maine a competitive and prosperous state.

AL, SC, IN, and TX are attracting huge investments by companies, providing higher paying jobs for their residents, without exorbitant taxpayer subsidies. Why shouldn't Maine people benefit from the same economic opportunity? Remember one simple truth: "Capital investment goes where it is welcomed--and stays where it is appreciated."

Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Maine Legislature Feb 5, 2013

Steve Bullock: State colleges will offer certificates for needed job skills

A company recently came to the state of Montana and said they'd like to locate a manufacturing facility in Great Falls, but they needed a workforce ready for the high-tech welding and fitting they do. These high-paying jobs are exactly the kind that Montana should be attracting. That's why we've already been working with Great Falls College. They will begin training workers to fill these jobs, and this company is now committed to investing in the Electric City.

As part of this new program, we'll also ensure that students at the high schools in Great Falls can graduate with the certificates that will make them attractive candidates for these great jobs. Not only is that better jobs, but it's better schools, too.

Source: 2013 State of the State Address to Montana legislature Jan 30, 2013

Phil Bryant: Tax relief from delayed-accelerated tax payment

As all of you understand, Mississippi's business climate plays a critical role in attracting new opportunities and new jobs to our state. In my executive budget recommendation, I proposed a small business tax relief measure that will further stabilize our business climate. Each June, certain small employers in this state are required to pre-pay a portion of their taxes.

Known as the delayed-accelerated tax payment--a name only the government could create--this move puts a large burden on our state's job creators. My budget proposes relief for small employers, and I urge the Legislature to support it. The National Federation of Independent Businesses joins me in my call.

Source: 2013 State of the State address to Mississippi Legislature Jan 22, 2013

Jack Markell: Start It Up Delaware: nurture employers

Creating a Nurturing Environment for Employers: Readying a workforce for the world we now live in is a key part of making Delaware an attractive place to do business. So is providing a nurturing environment for new entrepreneurs. Let's start at the beginning. Businesses that start here are more likely to stay here. The challenge is to get the people, the ideas, and the capital together as we build The Start-Up State.

Inspired by successful models across the country, local entrepreneurs have created Start It Up Delaware. This public-private partnership will serve as a hub for entrepreneurial activity with support from Delaware's financial, accounting, legal, and real estate communities. It will build relationships with the University of Delaware, Delaware State and Delaware Tech, among other institutions of higher education.

Source: 2013 Del. State of the State speech Jan 17, 2013

Deval Patrick: Opportunity requires growth, and growth requires investment

For pilgrims seeking to worship freely, for slaves seeking freedom, for immigrants seeking a better way, for your mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers seeking a toehold in the middle class, Massachusetts has beckoned seekers as a land of opportunity.

Everybody in this Chamber gets that. You respond to seekers, just as I do. You see their craving for opportunity, and you know that opportunity is at the core of the American Dream itself. From good jobs to good communities, creating opportunity is at the center of our best work.

Opportunity is too important to leave to chance. Opportunity requires growth. And growth requires investment. It's just as true of government as in any business. The economy is not like the weather; it is not some natural force that is beyond our control, something where we have to wait for others to predict or explain. What we choose to do, and not to do, shapes our future. That is why we invest in education, innovation & infrastructure.

Source: 2013 State of the State address to Commonwealth Legislature Jan 16, 2013

Rick Snyder: Pure Michigan Business Connect: match-making for purchasing

On the jobs front, I want to mention a program that many people don't know about. It's called Pure Michigan Business Connect. It was an idea that I just viewed as common sense.

What's the concept? It's not about the government spending money, it's about asking Michiganders to do more business with Michiganders. Simply doing match-making. Getting people signed up and working together.

We started it a couple years ago, on the buying side, in terms of purchasing more with our two big utilities. Happened on the lending side with two banks. Since 2010, there has been over $800 million more purchasing done in the state of Michigan than was otherwise done and there has been almost $2 billion of additional loans made in the last two years because of these programs.

It's going so well and so exciting that I was proud yesterday to announce that Ford and Chrysler are also joining the program. Let's keep this going; let's get Michiganders buying more from Michiganders, because that's more jobs.

Source: 2013 State of the State Speech to Michigan Legislature Jan 16, 2013

Scott Walker: 300 rule changes from Small Business Regulatory Review

You may remember, last year, I called for state agencies to work with the reformed Small Business Regulatory Review Board to identify unnecessary, obsolete, and burdensome regulations.

In a survey, we asked employers what we can do to help them create jobs in the upcoming year and the most common answer was decrease the amount of state regulations. And they gave us plenty of feedback on rules to review.

Tonight, I am pleased to release this report, which identifies over 300 rule modifications in 218 administrative code chapters. Making these changes will make it easier to do business in the state, while maintaining the safety and health of our citizens.

Source: 2013 State of the State address to Wisconsin Legislature Jan 15, 2013

Susana Martinez: $4.75M investment in Job Training Incentive Program

We need to make sure all small business owners know we believe in them. That's why I'm proposing that we give every New Mexico small business a $1,000 tax credit for every job created and retained over the next two years. In these uncertain times, if a small business owner is willing to take the risk to invest in a new job, then we should stand with them.

But competing for jobs goes further than just common-sense tax policy. We need to partner with our small business owners to help them hire and train new workers now. That is why I am also requesting a $4.75 million investment to further the success of our Job Training Incentive Program, or JTIP. This is a partnership with small businesses to help them train new employees and encouraging more hiring.

Source: 2013 State of the State address to N.M. Legislature Jan 15, 2013

Jan Brewer: Lower barriers to business growth: keep regulations lean

While we lower the barriers to business growth--keeping regulations lean and taxes competitive--it's clear we have another problem: our own sales tax system. Arizona's local and state governments have created a tax system with so many twists and turns that we make it difficult for businesses to simply pay what they owe. For business owners serving customers in multiple cities...But we must do more than simply thank our small business owners. We can adopt the concrete steps outlined by the special task force--steps that will simplify our sales tax code, remove one more barrier to economic growth and make Arizona even more competitive.
Source: 2013 State of the State Address to Arizona Legislature Jan 14, 2013

John Kitzhaber: Oregon Business Plan: create jobs & income; reduce poverty

This is the legislative session to ask and answer the tough questions about what it will take to deliver:The Oregon Business Plan, which has guided our work over the past two years, is built on three pillars: creating 25,000 jobs per year through 2020; raising Oregon's personal income levels above the national average by 2020; and reducing Oregon's poverty rate to 10% by 2020. These 3 pillars recognize that private sector job creation is the foundation of an enduring prosperity in every corner of our state.
Source: 2013 State of the State Address to Ore. Legislature Jan 14, 2013

Andrew Cuomo: Innovation Hot Spots: tax-free incubator zones

To facilitate growth, Governor Cuomo will launch the Innovation Hot Spots Program. The program will designate ten higher education-private sector high-tech innovation incubators for start-up companies through a competition.

Winning Innovation Hot Spots will be tax-free zones, where start-ups and other businesses will not be subject to business, real property, and sales taxes. Any company that emerges from the incubator will be considered part of tax-free Innovation Hot Spots under which neither these companies nor their full-time employees will pay designated taxes for the first five years of the companies' existence.

These incubators will help to foster innovation by offering inventors and entrepreneurs a low-cost and supportive environment in which to work. Winning hot spots will provide start-ups with growth support funding through a one-stop shop for services such as legal and accounting, as well as with office space, networking and other technical assistance.

Source: NY Rising 2013 State of the State booklet Jan 9, 2013

Dan Malloy: First Five program: leverage public to private funding

First Five program: leverage public to private funding We must compete for every single job. With that mindset, we've begun to tackle the challenge of economic development in a holistic way.

Our First Five program, along with the addition of Jackson Laboratories, has leveraged $180 million in public First Five program: leverage public to private funding and it was because they were leaving.

On Main Streets across Connecticut, the Small Business Express program is giving local employers the chance to expand and create jobs.

Source: 2013 Connecticut State of the State address Jan 9, 2013

Chris Christie: Continue small business tax relief: no return to tax-&-spend

In the budget which governs the current year, even with growth in the national economy slowing again, we have been able to achieve balance with not only no new taxes, but with a second year of small business tax relief.

And let me make this point clearly and unequivocally. Despite the challenges, I will not let New Jersey go back to our old ways of wasteful spending and rising taxes. We will deal with our problems but we will continue to do so by protecting the hard earned money of all New Jerseyans first and foremost. We will not turn back. Look at all of those things some called impossible, that we have made a reality.

Source: N.J. 2013 State of the State Address Jan 8, 2013

Butch Otter: Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission: state plus business

Neither government nor business alone can provide all the ingredients necessary for progress. We must leverage our limited resources toward realizing unlimited opportunities together. That's the idea behind IGEM--the Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission. You will hear much more about its work as the IGEM Council reports to the germane House and Senate committees. But I can tell you that never before have our three research universities worked together more collaboratively or been more committed to finding common ground and mutual benefit with our business leaders. Together with the Idaho National Laboratory and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies--and given time and our sustained support--they will nurture a rising tide of economic activity that will lift all our boats.

I'm issuing a challenge to Idaho businesses: Make it a priority to invest here at home. Join Premier Technology and others in devoting a greater percentage of your supply-chain purchases to Idaho vendors.

Source: Idaho 2013 State of the State Address Jan 7, 2013

  • The above quotations are from 2013 Governor's State of the State speeches.
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Candidates and political leaders on Corporations:

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 05, 2018