2023 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Jobs


Greg Gianforte: We quadrupled the number of apprenticeship opportunities

A four-year college degree is not the best option for everyone. Many new good-paying jobs require specialized skills--skills developed through apprenticeship. When we took office, government regulations blocked access to apprenticeships. We modernized our apprenticeship system quadrupling the number of apprenticeship opportunities in Montana and we're seeing the results. In 2022 Montana added more than 1,000 apprenticeships and new employer sponsors to our Registered Apprenticeship Program.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Montana legislature Jan 25, 2023

John Carney: Today we have more jobs than we have people to fill them

The biggest challenge we have is filling the job openings that are out there. For my entire career in public service, we've been focused first on creating jobs. There have always been more people looking for work than jobs available. Today, it's just the opposite. We have thousands more job openings than we have people looking for work. Employers have 37,000 job openings in the State of Delaware. And there are just 21,000 Delawareans looking for a job. I've never seen a situation like this before.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Delaware legislature Jan 19, 2023

Kathy Hochul: I am proposing a plan to peg the minimum wage to inflation

I am proposing a plan to peg the minimum wage to inflation. If costs go up, so will wages. Like other states that have implemented this policy, we will put guardrails in place to make increases predictable for employers, and create flexibility in the event of a recession. But this important change will give the nearly 900,000 minimum-wage workers a lifeline. Those workers are more likely to be women, many of whom are single moms, and they are more likely to be people of color.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the New York legislature Jan 10, 2023

Kim Reynolds: We passed badly needed collective bargaining reform

In 2017, when Republicans took control of the legislature, we passed badly needed collective bargaining reform. Six years after these reforms were implemented, we've seen what's possible when taxpayers have a seat at the table. And we've seen employee relations improve. Public employees now get rewarded for their work, not just their seniority. And rather than seeing each other as adversaries, our managers and employees are working together.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Iowa legislature Jan 10, 2023

Laura Kelly: Increase funding for Office of Registered Apprenticeship

This past fall, I created the Office of Registered Apprenticeship in the Department of Commerce. Right now, 3,500 Kansans are gaining the skills, the mentorship, and the credentials they need to succeed in the industries driving the future of our state, from energy to healthcare to advanced manufacturing. My budget increases funding for the Office, giving more Kansans the tools they need to join the modern workforce. We must continue building on the Office's good work.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Kansas legislature Jan 24, 2023

Mike Parson: Investing $3M to expand apprenticeship opportunities

We are investing $3 million dollars in Apprenticeship Missouri to expand apprenticeship opportunities with a focus on IT, public health, education, and public safety, among others. These programs are a great way for Missourians to learn a new skill and earn a good-paying job?right out of high school. Thanks to this program, we are happy to report that we were able to achieve our goal of creating 20,000 new apprenticeships THREE years ahead of schedule.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Missouri legislature Jan 18, 2023

Ned Lamont: Medical leave & expanded childcare helps working people

We have 100,000 jobs going begging in our state. Why is that? A smaller share of our working age population is working. Many of these unfilled jobs require extra training. So, what are we doing about that? We're making it easier for people to get back to work. A workplace that meets the needs of a young family ? paid family and medical leave, expanded childcare, and paid sick days. These initiatives help young families to get back to work and stay at work.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to Connecticut legislature Jan 4, 2023

Phil Murphy: Minimum wage up to $14.13/hour, will help more than 400,000

The saving grace back then was if you worked hard you would get ahead and you would do better than your parents. But today, that notion of the American Dream is harder to achieve for too many people. And that is why I am dedicated to creating pathways to opportunity. One of these pathways just got wider. Ten days ago, the minimum wage increased to $14.13 an hour, an increase that will help more than 400,000 New Jerseyans better provide for themselves and their families.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the N.J. legislature Jan 10, 2023

Phil Murphy: Not every new job is going to be housed in a physical office

We must recognize that in the new, post-pandemic business environment, not every new job created for a New Jerseyan is going to be housed in a physical office in New Jersey. For many New Jerseyans, working remotely is here to stay. So, let's take this moment to focus on incenting jobs in New Jersey, wherever they are, regardless of whether they are in an office building in Newark or at a kitchen table in Cherry Hill.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the N.J. legislature Jan 10, 2023

Wes Moore: Create Service Year Option for young people to give back

I ordered the creation of the Department of Service and Civic Innovation. Our order consolidates and elevates the agencies of state government that support service opportunities. We need to follow it with legislation, The Serve Act, that will create a Service Year Option. While our young people give back, they also lay the foundation for their future success through job training and mentorship programs and create a lifelong habit of service to our state. Something we so desperately need.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Maryland legislature Feb 1, 2023

  • The above quotations are from 2023 Governor's State of the State speeches.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Jobs.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Andy Beshear on Jobs.
  • Click here for more quotes by Dan McKee on Jobs.
Candidates and political leaders on Jobs:

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: Apr 02, 2023