salaries. this is about 50 minutes. [a >> thank you. thank you. mam mr. speaker, lieutenant governor, legislative leaders and members, justices and judges, my fellow iowans. last week the unthinkable happened in iowa when shots were fired in the halls of perry high school. taking the lives of an 11 -year-old and injuring seven others. our hearts are still heavy and our prayers continue for the

victims and their families and for the entire perry community. it is impossible to understand why things like this happen. the senselessness of it shakes us to our very core. yet even in the darkest hour, light and hope break through. this was certainly the case on that day. principal dan marburger was nearby when the shooting began. despite the danger, he put himself in harm's way risking his life to protect his students dan sustained multiple gunshot wounds at close range. his unflinching bravery saved life that morning. dan is a hero and we pray that he is back where he belongs soon with the students who are so lucky to have him. i also want to recognize the courageous action of the local

law enforcement officers, first responders and state and federal agents who were on the scene that day. the first officers arrived just minutes after the shooting began and immediately entered the building. within 30 minutes of that schools calls for help and army of more than 150 officers and first responders from across the metro and surrounding communities arrived on the scene to assist. officers who heard the dispatch while bartel called everyone found it. how focused they were. how well they work together in the midst of such a tragedy. this is who iowans are and what we deal. whether in person or in spirit, iowans showed up that day and perry and will be there every day through their recovery. please join me in expressing our

gratitude to the brave men and women who courageously serve that day.■v [applause] i was law enforcement officers, first responders and perry service members live up to their oath to protect their communities and citizens every day. these jobs demand service above self and great personal

sacrifice. this past year officer kevin kram of the algona police department and hoffman a firefighter with the iona fire department gave the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. please join me in a moment of silence to honor these two fallen heroes and their families all of those affected by the tragic events and perry. thank you. this is the seventh time i have addressed this body to report on the condition of the state. the first time the workforce was one of the top issues. at that time only about 58% of all iowans in the workforce have education training beyond high

school. the result was thousands of high quality jobs going unfilled and missing out on a rewarding career. to gather we set out to increase that number to0% by 2025. i introduced the acton a few months later it passed the le support. tonight i am happy to say that we reached our ambitious goal and we did it ahead of schedule. i want to be clear this is not mission accomplished. the work of connecting iowa employers will continue this session. reaching this milestone serves as a powerful lesson in how real change happens. born in this order and bipartisn leat foundation but

elected leaders are not the ones that got it done. it was theo=eople of iowa, the teachers, administrators, business owners, community colleges and countlessdents and adult learners. they are the ones that created the new culture. education like never before. they created apprenticeship programs and brought the workplace into the classroom. they mentor young iowans and encourage your friends to go back to school in support of their loved ones dreams. iowans took the tools we gave them and built something extraordinary. to those that have contributed, thank you. you are one of the many reasons i can stand before you tonight. the condition of our state as strong. [applause]

's. [applause] everything that we do in this pattern. set a vision, build the infrastructure and turn it over to the people i -- iowa for what they do best. school choice is yet another. last year we made it our top priority to give all of our children a quality education that meets their needs. that meant giving families a choice and that is exactly■j wht we did. in the face of intense pressure to keep the status quo, we passed one of the boldest in the country. kicking off a national

resolution. we laid the foundation and regardless of the income can decide what is best for the children. the new educational freedom is already changing lives. i heard from a family whose autistic son is thriving in a caic school .... .... it is about public versus private, it's for each individual child. there is an just one way to educate, this is why am happy to announce the state board of education on eight new public

charter schools including schools that focus on career training. public school districts extend their efforts to attract everything. efforts to deliver products and public school and after hearing about the altar andhe great things they are doing, i understand why. it really does go to show the choice really can lift our votes. our education policies are working because together the lockets islands in charge of the

children. [applause] [applause] [applause] by locking in educational freedom, a system however long-standing we must be guided in the same vegetables. another long-standing system. special education is what we

call the area of education agency. they operate without any oversight and provide special education support. this type of system. and little room for accountability. parents, teachers, school advice leaders and staff, it's clear while some are d, others are underperforming. aea will is well beyond this

reading complex organizations and they are below the national average and they were nine of 12 national assessments. i would spend 83 hundred hours more in thel average. tonight am announcing legislation to change this. aea will focus solely on students as they should. the department of education and most important it will now control the special education firm.

with other districts to share. and me each of those students. i know they are not parents with disabilities in the aea's. so let me dec you.

the claim is categorically false. those who work directly on a daily basis. the transformational change and do what is right for our children. [applause]

being read as a key component is a key to every child success. holding steady is in good or bad especially with this learning. children who can't read by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school with and it dramatically increases illegal drugs and having poor health. iowa third-graders are reading with about 50% of california legislators but something is clearly not working. really only stay in the country

that doesn't requirency in early literacy for licensure. over the last few decades, but what we know works, sounding out letters, phonics.■:z. many educators. teachers reading to high school students who don't speak english is the priority language. and has done amazing things. evidence-based grounded in the scientific reading, reading proficiency of des moines hoover by 25%. as she herself puts it, she's getting the students one of the

most fundamental human rights in education and i agree. in recognition of her success, and has been made the 2024owa teacher of the year. she's here with us tonight so please join me in recognizing her outstanding efforts. [applause]úú would you spread what she's doing to every school in our state to make teaching techniques are grounded.

we are well on our way through a partnership of learning state is providing a training program to all elementary schools. this has reading scores, i'm confident you will do the same. nearly 2000 teachers and the teachers have started training for the registered start. but every other state does that our teachers have. making the foundation requirement for education majors.

a top priority in every iowa classroom. [applause] whatever advancements we make to our education system, successful always depend on great teachers. aside from parents, teachers are some of the most influential figures. to be the best, set them on the path and impart the love of learning tt

something to aspire to. one of the highest callings one could have. it sends the message. tonight i am announcing the legislature to $96 million in new money to increase starting pay by 50% to $50000 and a minimum salary of 620004 teachers with at least 12 years of experience. in addition, i'm allocating $10 million for mit-bas programs that will reward teachers to help their students succeed.■> put iowa in the top five states and help recruit to join.

a rare special session a lot of fetal heartbeat bill for the first time. as an act of courage and. i want to thank you for putting iowa and. passing the heartbeat bill

proving every i would counts. they have what they need to make ends meet. today postpartum care, i am proposing to extend■ recovery fr new moms for $2000 a year. get off to a good start.

critical for families working to get back on their feet the government support is the first step on the road self-sufficient c. nonprofits and so many wonderful organizations, they are doing work every single day. to amplify and facilitate. i am thrilled to announce iowa, a remarkable initiative for faith-based organizations and networks to connect individuals, families to support outside of

government assistance. countless lives will surely change for the better. [applause] in the aftermath of covid the influence of social media around

the state. one of those projects have a pivotal moment for iowa beers. this year, a nonprofit open and recovery. with us tonight is ceo andrew

allen and we are especially proud to andrew, siblings who recently graduated with this program. shared battle against substance abuse disorder is all-too-familiar for families struggling for the opioid pandemic. today's proof in the midst of deprivation there is hope. please join me in recognizing them and congratulate. [applause]■ç■'

[applause]■ú there's so more work to be done. in iowa there is little to no coordination for mental health in 19 substance use. it's a problem because over 25 with serious mental health challenges, our state cares about eating iowa the support they need the dedication shortchanged by a fractured system that makes it almost impossible. too better serve iowa, i am proposing substance use mental health region together intol

seven new unified behavioral health. the results will be a greater investment on thezo ground and conductivity between providers, districts and states and mostimo iowa when and where. [applause] 's center customer service for islands we produce from 65 days.

to top it off, we made these while at the same time reducing this legislation, 21 agencies from a cabinet, 620 open million the first year. that's about more than just numbers.

motor vehicle enforcement officer with the department of transportationnd realign state government. as part of standard training, underwent a tactical course. because of the new role in the right training for the situation. he was directed for a critically injured victim. he saved a life. [applause]

[applause] while we've made a lot of progress, there's one more area, boards and commissions. the alignment passed last year with representation from the legislature to review all 256 boards and commissions. after for public meetings, 300,

the committee submitted the final in september. for my proposal, rom eliminatine boards which is a decrease of 33% streamlining those that remain. this is the first boards and commissions in 175 year history. it seems a little long. this requires we evaluate every five years to ensure they are meeting the needs of each one. the discrete a policy! and to outsource to others. this will continue to play an

important role. this is the best way in this bill empowers us the oversight people of iowa expect. [applause] efficient and effective government in a way that helps them meet long-term goals. that's why we turned our system into a system with the facts.

islands are now spending on average less than ten weeks on unemployment, the lowest rate in 56 years and turns out good things happened when we promote work. [applause] [applause] so many islands are drawing a paycheck instead of government check, unemployment is full. we can reduce unemployment

insurance payment employers make a half. the result will be significant for employers of all sizes, saving more than a hundred miles over five years. these business can create more increased salaries into their communities. this will create even greater prosperity's throughout our state. [applause] states are generally focused on

connected policies on what's happening in our communities but the last few years sometimes because the federal government refused to carry out constitutional thankfully how are men and women in uniform continue to answer the call and step in for national leaders. in august and september, 109 national guard soldiers and 31 state troopers and special agents from the deparent of public safety were deployed to the u.s. border in texas to support operations lone star. they work with the highway patrol of any criminal activity following 1200 at the rio

grande. points of entry, human smuggling and apprehended nearly 3000 illegal migrants. they have the opportunity to visit the border during deployment. one of the soldiers i hope to told me operations lone star had given service in his country is ever known. because of the mission, every older who served at the border did so voluntarily. many are here with us tonight so please join me in heartfeltgrath and every day.

[applause]■é , the crisis on the southern border isn't the only threat was statesf china continues to grow more and buying american land is one of the many ways in this new battle. some of the strongest laws in the country ownership of land.

a model for their own policies. we cannot let it undermine the agriculture dominance we have that our farmers have worked so hard. working in conjunction with secretary of agriculture made attorney general and we developed a bill to further protect farmland and foreign interests. legislation will enhance reporting an increase penalties provide more transparency foreign ownership. let's make sure american soil remains in american hands. [applause]

[applause] you know what wouldn't be a condition of the state without talking about your money. the government called taxes. when we started this journey in 2018, our income tax rate was the sixth highest in the nation at 8.98% it was clear we needed to make a change. that year we passed legislation that cut rates even more important that would guide us over the next five yrs.

a sense of responsibilityey dest exercises and disciplines strength to live within its means and humility to collect only what it needs. this approach has served us well. we've delivered two more major reform texas cutting rates, eliminating incomes and made more money to farm familie and we did so while continuing to make investments key priorities. our most recent income tax bill established flat rate of 3.0% until finally taking effect in 2026.

it was an aggressive policy and responsible in this time i. this would break the government one called it a recipe for disaster. two years later it is clear to go further and faster. state revenue ending the year with $1.83 billion here, the surplus does not mean we are extending enough. we're still taking too much of i was hard earned money,=.

[applause]

look back the last year when i look at the results of our hard work, i made a difference the drives me to do it again and iowa rise

and over this next week what they are going to see it. one of the most affordable states in the country. young professional homeownership what they are going to see what it's like to be in a state, cut taxes and reward economic growth and innovatn at its educational to parents and teachers and family comes first community runs deep. is has been recognized as one of the best states in the country. ,in this nation, i will stand

out with prosperity and stability as a reminder that remarkable people always be trusted to build remarkable things. it's because of that, the condition of our state and our future is truly bright. thank you, god bless you and god

bless the great state of iowa.