2017 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Jobs
John Bel Edwards:
Close gender wage gap by ending corporate "pay secrecy"
I urge you to act on the wishes of an overwhelming majority of Louisianans by supporting equal pay and raising the minimum wage. Louisiana has the highest gender wage gap in the country with women making only 66 cents for every $1 a man makes. It's a
simple and unassailable idea--pay a woman, who has the same job and similar qualifications, the same you would pay a man. I'm the father of two daughters, and many of you are as well. Wouldn't you want your daughter treated fairly for her hard work.
Yes, it's a fairness issue, but it's also a family issue. When a mother goes to the grocery store to buy a gallon of milk, it doesn't cost 33 percent less because she is a woman.
The legislation I am proposing would help eliminate pay secrecy by prohibiting employers from taking actions against employees for inquiring about, discussing or disclosing their wages or another employee's wages.
Source: 2017 Louisiana State of the State address
Apr 10, 2017
John Bel Edwards:
Meaningful increase to the minimum wage
Let's truly put our citizens first by making a modest but meaningful increase to the minimum wage.Louisiana is one of only five states that have not adopted a state minimum wage. Forty percent of Louisiana working families do not
earn enough to cover basic monthly expenses. It's time--no, past time--for us to change that. What we're proposing is to increase the minimum wage to $8.50 over a two year period. It's a simple change that will produce countless benefits.
Source: 2017 Louisiana State of the State address
Apr 10, 2017
Roy Cooper:
Grow out Unemployment Trust Fund to more than $2 billion
Our economy is recovering. But our unemployment rate is still 5.3%, still slightly above the national average. Meanwhile, our Unemployment Trust Fund has grown to more than $2 billion. That's good. But we must use this opportunity and these funds to
help for those who can't find work, while also taking a deeper look at those who are chronically unemployed.The Governor and the legislature need to work together to get better-paying jobs for North Carolina.
Source: 2017 North Carolina State of the State address
Mar 13, 2017
Larry Hogan:
New jobs in manufacturing led to low unemployment
I'm proud to report to you that Maryland has now moved into the top ten states in the nation for overall economic performance. We have added 73,000 new jobs, and our unemployment rate has dropped to 4.2%. We created more new manufacturing jobs than
all the other states in the mid-Atlantic region added together! We now rank number eight in the nation in the rate of manufacturing growth.The reality is, not all Marylanders and not every jurisdiction in our state are seeing the same level of
economic success. We still have Marylanders who are struggling in parts of our state like Baltimore City, Western Maryland, and the Lower Eastern Shore, where, unfortunately, unemployment is still higher than it is in the rest of the state.
Which is why we must come together to enact the Maryland Jobs Initiative, an innovative, bipartisan proposal, which will provide incentives for the creation of thousands of jobs in the places that need them the most.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Maryland Legislature
Feb 1, 2017
Greg Abbott:
No state deductions of union dues on paychecks
We should end the practice of government deducting union dues from the paychecks of employees. Taxpayer money shouldn't be used to support the collection of union dues.
Sen. Huffman and Rep. Sarah Davis have a good bill that addresses this problem. Let's get it to my desk.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Texas Legislature
Jan 31, 2017
Phil Scott:
Deal with Vermont's shrinking workforce population
The biggest obstacle we face to economic sustainability is a shrinking workforce. From 2010 to 2016, we lost an average of 2,300 workers per year from the workforce. That's 16,000 fewer people in jobs, paying taxes. Working age Vermonters went from
nearly 29% to 23% of our population in only four years.National projections show that 34 states expect to see their working age population grow over the next 25 years. Vermont currently isn't one of them. By 2040, the number of working age people
across the country is expected to grow by 15%. But Vermont's will drop by more than 10%.
A shrinking workforce creates a downward spiral. With fewer workers, we have less revenue, and the state becomes less and less affordable. That makes it harder
and harder to rebuild, and we're already seeing these effects. We must act now. We have avoided the reality of this crisis for far too long. I am committed to doing whatever it takes to put us on a new path to a more prosperous future.
Source: 2017 Vermont State of the State address
Jan 25, 2017
Jerry Brown:
Raised minimum wage and reduced unemployment
As I reread proposals set forth in six previous State of the State speeches, I was amazed to see how much we have accomplished together. We have:- Increased--by tens of billions--support for our public schools and universities.
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Provided health insurance to over five million more Californians.
- Raised the minimum wage.
- Reduced prison overcrowding and reformed our system of crime and punishment.
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Made California a world leader in the fight against climate change.
- Passed a water bond.
- Built up a rainy day fund.
- And closed a huge $27 billion deficit.
And during the last seven years, California has reduced the unemployment rate from 12.1 percent to 5.2 percent and created almost 2.5 million jobs. And that's not all.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to California Legislature
Jan 24, 2017
Mark Dayton:
Unemployment is down, but average family is poorer
In my first Inaugural Address, I said that my top priority was to bring more jobs to our state. When I took office in 2011, there were 202,000 Minnesotans unemployed. Since then, our growing businesses have added 255,400 jobs. Our state's unemployment
rate has been at or below 4% for the past 30 months. And there are more jobs in Minnesota now than ever before.Nevertheless, the Great Recession has had severe and lasting effects. Inflation-adjusted, real household income in Minnesota averages
$68,730 today, which is 22% above the national average. However, it is 8% less than it was at the turn of the century. To repeat, the average Minnesota family is relatively poorer than sixteen years ago.
From 2007 to 2015, the average real incomes of the richest 20% of Minnesotans increased. The average real incomes for everyone else fell. And the incomes of the wealthiest 5% increased the most of anyone.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Minnesota Legislature
Jan 23, 2017
Eric Greitens:
Right to Work instead of Project Labor Agreements
Since 2009, the country has had 10% private sector job growth. If we had grown just as fast as the rest of the country since `09, we would have 120,000 more jobs in Missouri today. Instead, we've fallen behind.The people have sent us a message:
We must do everything in our power to put people back to work in good, high-paying jobs. That's why we must join 27 other states and sign Right to Work. That's why we must do away with expensive Project Labor Agreements that drive up the costs
of construction and slow down important projects in our communities.
We must repeal our state's version of the Davis-Bacon act, which drives up the cost of important construction work that needs to get done. It hurts rural workers.
It sets back rural families. We will eliminate these ineffective and outdated laws. And we will tap into the ingenuity and hard work of Missourians, because Missourians are ready to work.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Missouri Legislature
Jan 17, 2017
Eric Holcomb:
Five pillars: 21st century workforce is magnet for jobs
Over the next 10 years we'll need to find 1 million new skilled workers to replace the 700,000 baby boomers who will retire plus the 300,000 new jobs we'll need to create. So I am proposing a set of transformational priorities--my five pillars--aimed
at doing exactly that. Most will require long-term commitment and focus. Some will require new resources and new ways of doing business. But all of them must begin today. For 2017, we must:- ONE: Cultivate a strong and diverse economy to ensure
that Indiana remains a magnet for jobs
- TWO: Fund a long-term roads and bridges plan that takes the greatest advantage of our location
- THREE: Develop a 21st century skilled and ready workforce
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FOUR: Attack the drug epidemic, and
- FIVE: Provide great government service at a great value to taxpayers.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Indiana Legislature
Jan 17, 2017
Gina Raimondo:
Give everyone chance for dignified work at a decent wage
We still have a lot of work to do to ensure that every Rhode Islander has a chance for dignified work at a decent wage. When I was a kid, most people earned a high school diploma and went right to work. There was a pretty simple deal back then:
Finish high school. Work hard. And get a decent job to support your family. You could buy a house, take a modest vacation--maybe to one of our beaches in South County or on Block Island.There was dignity in work.
There was pride in what you built and what you made. For too many though, that deal is now out of reach. So let's invest in our middle class. Let's put that deal back on the table here in Rhode Island.
In 2015 we raised the minimum wage.
Last year, I stood with many of you to try raise it again. And we fell short. The budget I'll submit will once again raise the minimum wage. This time to $10.50 an hour. No one working full time should live in poverty.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Rhode Island Legislature
Jan 17, 2017
Rick Snyder:
People now moving to Michigan for good jobs
We are at the lowest unemployment in 15 years, 10 points below our high of June 2009 and it's a broad-based comeback. With respect to population, we have had five years of population growth in a row. Do you remember what it was like when we heard
about our kids having to leave the state? [Usually people] who had to leave Michigan because there was not a job opportunity in the last decade or so. Those days have changed. They no longer have to leave Michigan; we are creating opportunities.
To give you a fact you might be amazed by, but we should be really proud, our state has the highest net-bound inward migration of people with bachelor's degrees of any state in the Great Lakes region. We are winning the national and international
competition for quality minds, for career opportunities for quality people and we are going to keep it up. Business in Michigan is growing with exciting expansions and new investors. We are growing a more diverse, vibrant and healthier economy.
Source: 2017 Michigan State of the State address
Jan 17, 2017
Kate Brown:
Raised minimum wage for struggling Oregon families
We passed paid sick leave [in the 2015 session] so that more workers would no longer have to choose between keeping their job or paying their rent.
We also got stuff done during the 2016 short session. We raised the minimum wage, thereby supporting Oregon families struggling to make ends meet, and making the statement that no one working full time should be living in poverty.
Source: 2017 State of the State/inaugural address to Ore.Legislature
Jan 9, 2017
Dan Malloy:
Pushed bill to protect advanced manufacturing jobs
This past September, the Connecticut General Assembly met in a special session, to take historic action in support of our state's economy and our incredible workforce. The legislation you voted to support--and that I signed into law--protected
8,000 jobs at Sikorsky Aircraft. Equally importantly, it shored up thousands more jobs up and down Sikorsky's supply chain, and across every corner of our great state.
It nearly doubled their spending with local suppliers to almost $700 million per year over the next decade and beyond.In recent years we've secured similar investments from United Technologies and Electric Boat.
Taken together, these agreements cement our leadership in advanced manufacturing around the globe. Together we've protected Connecticut's aerospace and defense industries for a generation and likely beyond. We've given them predictability.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Connecticut Legislature
Jan 4, 2017
Page last updated: Dec 10, 2018