2020 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Budget & Economy
Kay Ivey:
$122 million to Rebuild Alabama infrastructure
I want to thank you for helping us address one problem that other legislatures and governors put off for 27 years... dealing openly and honestly with our aging, crumbling infrastructure. We have announced the state's portion of $122
million worth of road and bridge projects in more than 48 of Alabama's 67 counties. As I promised, Rebuild Alabama will only be spent on building roads and bridges. In fact, we added strong accountability measures to make certain of this.
Source: 2020 Alabama State of the State address
Feb 4, 2020
Kay Ivey:
Gather the facts on whether to allow state gaming & lottery
For years, we've been hearing that expanding gaming, perhaps a lottery, would solve all our problems and provide money for all sorts of good ideas. That is why I will be signing an Executive Order to establish a working group to gather the facts on how
much money we could really gain if some form of gaming expansion occurred. While I, personally, have never believed we should fund essential state services on such an unstable source, the people of Alabama should have the final say.
Source: 2020 Alabama State of the State address
Feb 4, 2020
Bill Lee:
Investment & incentives to support rural counties
I'm also recommending $20 million for ECD's Rural Opportunity Fund, which supports site development, main-street development, and critical infrastructure assistance. We expanded an incentive program in
Tennessee medical schools that will grow the pipeline of primary care doctors locating in rural communities. We're adding more than $4 million for payment increases to rural health clinics and expanding rural access to dental care.
We're adding $7 million to the Ag Enhancement program and an additional $2 million for UT Extension Agents in distressed rural counties.
The Department of Tourism has created an Office of Rural Tourism, and we've set aside nearly $2.4 million for their efforts to draw attention to beautiful parts of Tennessee that are off the beaten path.
Source: 2020 State of the State Address to the Tennessee legislature
Feb 3, 2020
Gary Herbert:
Efforts to develop rural Utah are paying off
Many Utahns don't want to just vacation in rural Utah, they want to live there, and to work there, and to raise their families there. The Utah Rural Online Initiative is empowering rural residents with new career options. Our successful efforts
to develop broadband throughout the state are setting the foundation for opportunities we can't yet even imagine. And thanks to technology and our telecommuting initiative, we've moved many state jobs to communities off of the Wasatch Front.
Source: 2020 Utah State of the State address
Jan 30, 2020
Doug Burgum:
Increased teacher & state employee pay without raising taxes
Working with our legislative partners, you can see from 2016 to the current thing, we've reduced the general fund budget by over $1 billion. In that same timeframe we've increased teacher and state employee pay, we've made key
infrastructure investments, we've reduced property taxes and we've done all of this without raising taxes. And so with great collaboration, we've been able to stabilize the state's finances and begin building our reserves.
Source: 2020 North Dakota State of the State address
Jan 29, 2020
J.B. Pritzker:
A balanced budget reflects our values as a state
We passed a bipartisan, truly balanced budget on time, with renewed investments in job creation, cradle to career education, and physical and mental healthcare. Even the credit rating agencies and financial analysts described a "distinct improvement" in
our fiscal stability, and investors took notice and lowered our state's borrowing rate. A balanced budget is an important accomplishment, but it's more than just about fiscal discipline. It's a moral document that reflects our values as a state.
Source: 2020 Illinois State of the State address
Jan 29, 2020
Mike Dunleavy:
We can't spend what we don't have
Last year's budget was a shock to many Alaskans. But it did demonstrate we can't continue to spend what we don't have. We still have a significant fiscal issue that needs to be addressed for the long term. This initial budget, absent the large
reductions introduced last year, should allow us the ability to focus on a sustainable long-term plan. This must include controlling our spending and deciding the future of the permanent fund and the PFD.
Source: 2020 Alaska State of the State address
Jan 27, 2020
Mike Dunleavy:
Create a statewide lottery
I'll soon be introducing legislation to create a statewide lottery. Forty-five states have lotteries in place, and its past time for
Alaskans and visitors to have the option to individually contribute to fixing Alaska's fiscal issue.
Source: 2020 Alaska State of the State address
Jan 27, 2020
Janet Mills:
Tax credit for new business will diversify economy
To foster innovation, my Administration will also support increased funding for the Maine Seed Capital Tax Credit.
By helping new businesses take root and grow, we will create jobs and diversify our economy.
Source: 2020 Maine State of the State address
Jan 21, 2020
Andy Beshear:
Fully supports legalized sports betting
A commitment to the future also requires that we create new revenue to meet the growing needs of our state. Right now we are watching more than $500 million dollars in gaming revenue go across the border to states like Indiana, Ohio and Illinois.
It's time to stop that flow. To use that money for our needs. Representative Adam Koenig has filed a sports betting bill. I fully support it, and we should pass it.
Source: 2020 Kentucky State of the State address
Jan 14, 2020
Eric Holcomb:
Building "One Indiana" border to border
A booming economy requires a strong infrastructure and our growth has enabled us to make unprecedented investments into building "One Indiana," border to border. We're completing I-69 from Evansville to Indy three years ahead of schedule,
and we're making US 31 stoplight-free all the way up to South Bend.
Source: 2020 Indiana State of the State address
Jan 14, 2020
Gina Raimondo:
We've made it easier to do business in Rhode Island
We've made it easier to do business in Rhode Island, cutting thousands of pages of regulations and providing 120 loans to small business--more than half of
which have gone to women and minority-owned businesses. That small business loan fund didn't even exist when I became governor.
Source: 2020 Rhode Island State of the State address
Jan 14, 2020
Gina Raimondo:
Put line-item veto on the ballot
It is time to pass line item veto. We know this is something the vast majority of Rhode Islanders want. Nearly every other state uses line item veto to reduce waste in government spending and corruption--and to ensure that tax dollars help all citizens,
not just those with connections. Let's restore Rhode Islanders' confidence in government and put line item veto on the ballot.
Source: 2020 Rhode Island State of the State address
Jan 14, 2020
Phil Scott:
We don't need more taxes; we need more taxpayers
These trends not only mean fewer in our workforce and schools, but fewer customers at businesses, ratepayers for utilities, fewer available for our volunteer fire departments and others who support the needs of our communities. On the campaign trail, a
Burlington business owner told me, "We don't need more taxes--we need more taxpayers." So, this session, let's focus on strengthening those assets to keep and attract more working families, with an eye on reversing our population trends.
Last term, we worked together to create more housing Vermonters can afford. My budget will propose a package focused on growing the housing supply by revitalizing properties and investing in existing neighborhoods. It's not enough. We must do
a better job telling our story and use it to aggressively recruit new Vermonters. Last year we launched a program offering incentives to remote workers who moved here. My budget will again propose a package that targets those likely to move.
Source: 2020 Vermont State of the State address
Jan 9, 2020
Andrew Cuomo:
Many building projects; all on budget
We're building more renewable energy projects than any state in the United States of America. We're doing the largest development of offshore wind in the western hemisphere off Long Island right now. We did a new Rochester Airport, a new
Syracuse Airport, a new Albany Airport--all on time and all on budget. And we balanced budgets all in the middle of it. Everyone in this room pays a lower tax rate today than the day I was elected.
You go to build an airport, you make people uncomfortable during the process, maybe you're going to be over budget, maybe you're going to run into a problem. It's risky, politicians avoid risk. It's expensive and I believe it actually makes you
money long term and costs you money not to do, but short-term it's expensive. I really do believe you don't have an alternative. If we don't do these changes and grow, our children inherit a different New York than we inherited.
Source: 2020 New York State of the State address
Jan 8, 2020
Andrew Cuomo:
I'm not in business of papering over problems with money
I believe we have the most active state government in modern history. And we're spending less money than other state governments. How can it be? How can you be spending less and doing more? Because you can scrutinize the process and be more efficient
and be more effective like companies are every day. You have to remain competitive and you have to remain efficient and effective and the answer isn't always more money. Money tries to paper over the problem, and I'm not a papering over business.
Source: 2020 New York State of the State address
Jan 8, 2020
Ralph Northam:
Built up financial reserves six times to $1.9 billion
As a doctor, I swore an oath--first, to do no harm. I've learned that's a pretty good lesson for a public official too. We start by protecting people's money. This means building up financial reserves and preserving our AAA bond rating.
This is really important because it makes everything we do easier, and less expensive. So I've sent you a budget that boosts our financial reserves to $1.9 billion dollars. This is six times what we had in the bank when I came into office.
Source: 2020 Virginia State of the State address
Jan 8, 2020
Page last updated: Dec 01, 2021
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