Roundup: Dem Govs Lay Out Bold Futures in State of the State Addresses

This week, Democratic governors across the country touted the success of their policy plans focused on expanding health care access, building economies that work for all, and combating climate change.
Newly inaugurated Governors Laura Kelly (KS), Steve Sisolak (NV), and Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM) laid out bold agendas to build a better future for their states.
Here are some highlights of the state of the states:
DGA Chair Governor Gina Raimondo
“This week, I’ll send to you a budget that expands our investments in job creation and job training; protects our most vulnerable; preserves our investments to finally end the opioid and overdose crisis; gives every Rhode Islander a big cut in their car tax; invests in our beautiful, cherished public parks, beaches and public spaces; and sets Rhode Island on a path for long-term prosperity.”
 
DGA Chair-elect New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
“It comes down to this — you can’t have economic progress without social progress, and you can’t have social progress without economic progress. That’s where this journey is taking us – to a New Jersey that is both strong and fair. It’s not one or the other. It’s both. I was not sent here to continue peddling the false choices of the past. I was sent here to build a brighter future for our people and change our state for the better.”
 
DGA Policy Chair New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
“This is a true Justice Agenda that ensures our neediest schools receive an equitable share of funds, advances historic criminal justice reform, safeguards our health care, protects the rights of women in our state from the federal government, and leads the nation in fight against climate change and contaminants in our environment and our water.”
 
Oregon Governor Kate Brown
“Now is the time to put our state on a better path forward.” said Governor Brown, “the first step is to ensure that our democracy is strong, and fight every effort to undermine it.”
 
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham
“Together, we are going to show New Mexico how much good can be done when our two branches of government communicate clearly with each other, when we do the hard work to find consensus, when we win with humility and lose with grace, when we express our disagreements with civility and we always, always keep the honest, hardworking people of this state foremost in our thoughts.”
 
Washington Governor Jay Inslee
“Though we’ve accomplished much, we still face challenges that require us to push further. At the top of that list is the imminent threat of climate change. I don’t know of any other issue that touches the heart of things so many of us care about: our jobs, our health, our safety and our children’s future. We will pass legislation to transition to 100 percent clean electricity, transform our buildings with cost-saving efficiencies, and modernize and electrify our transportation system. We’ll phase down super-pollutants and phase in cleaner fuels. It’s going to feel really good to be part of the solution. It’s going to feel really good to make history.”
 
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak
“The time is here to ask what kind of a state we want to be. It’s on all of us — Democrats and Republicans alike — to reach higher than we’ve ever reached and to ensure economic success makes it to every dinner table in Nevada,” said Gov. Sisolak
 
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
“It’s going to take time for Kansas to heal from the damage inflicted over the last eight years, so we don’t have a moment to lose,” Gov. Kelly said. “I worked diligently to craft a balanced budget that will usher in a new era of shared prosperity and growth.”
 
Delaware Governor John Carney
“Delawareans are tired of the fighting in Washington, D.C.,” said Gov. Carney “They’re tired of gridlock and negativity, and of politics as usual. They want us – they’re asking us – to be different. To be better.  They think it’s a ‘win’ when we get something done. Not when we score political points. They don’t want us to shut down the government. They want us to make the government work for them. Working hard, and working together, we can do this. We can make the people who sent us here proud of what we do.”