Lieutenant governor, aim for president pro tem.

You're speaker Ledbetter, speaker pro tem Pringle, members of the Alabama legislature.

Chief Justice Stewart, justices of the Supreme Court, distinguished guests, and my fellow Alabamians.

The momentum latest in our sales in Alabama.

And we are not done yet.

Today marks my 10th regular session as governor.

And y'all, I'll say as I look around, we haven't aged a day here, right?

Right, Jimbo?

Our state, however, looks different today than it did when I was sworn in in April 10th, 2017.

I told the people of Alabama, despite the challenges we faced, we could view the transition as a positive opportunity.

Being a former economic developer, I knew our first opportunity was to recruit and support businesses.

Since then, we have seen investments totaling 69 billion with the Me dollars, which has created 100,000 jobs and counting.

Alabama consistently ranks among the top ten states for doing business.

We are prioritizing workforce development, guaranteeing site readiness and remaining steady and reliable for economic growth.

Existing businesses are thriving, legacy sectors are growing, and still our economic landscape is transforming.

With new partners like Lily Madison, and we are aggressively working towards future projects.

And she's doing that.

They will benefit our state for generations.

In 2019.

In 2019, we saw another opportunity when President Trum officially formed Space Command.

We immediately got to work in promoting Huntsville to become its home.

Now, finally, y'all, it's official Space Command headquarter is coming to Sweet Home Alabama.

But, y'all, you can't have Lily Madison and most of Toyota manufacturing first solar meadow Novelis or even Space Command without a strong plan, one that includes reliable infrastructure.

Since 2019, Alabama generated more than $2 million passing the waiver, paving the way for 500 total road and bridge projects in all 67 counties.

None of these projects would have ever happened without the passage of Rebuild Alabama.

Now, for those of you who are here, then you'll remember it was hard.

Hey, and yes, I still have my white board.

But y'all, in my experience, making the hard decisions often pays off for our state.

Like when we first decided t invest in high speed internet.

Alabama ranked near the bottom when it came to broadband connectivity tech.

Today we are 24th and with our state plan, 100% of Alabama will soon have access through an internet service provider.

When we were projected to lose a seat in Congress, I work to ensur more than 5 million Alabamians successfully completed their 2020 census.

To prove our growing population.

In 2017, I told the people of Alabama I would work to mak that government more effective.

We consolidated our new Department of Workforce and in only the first year we have taken 25,000 workers off the sidelines.

We gave veterans a stronger voice and moved the Department of Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs into the governor's cabinet.

And yes whether it is pardons and gross Veterans affairs or the Department of Transportation, there is effectiveness that comes with being part of the governor's cabinet.

We are supporting Alabama families from our record 6000 plus foster care adoptions to our Tuesday Act education savings accounts, to paid parental leave for teachers we are taking.

We are making Alabama the best state to live, work, raise a family, and visit from our historic investments in outdoor recreation for the millions more tourist we see traveling to our state.

We are solidifying Alabama as a defense capital of the United States.

F-35 fighter jets roared through our Montgomery skies.

Black Hawk helicopters fly above Fort Rucker, and robust ships are being built.

It all also, y'all, freedom rings all the way from Rocket City to the port city.

We also tackling long neglected challenges head on.

We are nearing the completion of the construction on the new men's prison in Elmore County, and are pressing forward with work on the Escambia facility, all the while recruiting a record number of corrections officers.

And with much help from the legislature.

We have conservatively budgeted and avoided Proration.

When I took office in 2017, Alabama's education system needed immediate attention.

In fourth grade math, we ranked dead last at 52nd in fourth grade reading, we will fall in ninth.

As a former teacher, I kne there was no greater opportunity then to improve our students education.

I introduced my first policy as governor an education initiative.

Strong start, strong finish, and we got to work.

We are now 32nd in math and 34th in reading.

We ranked first in the nation in math recovery and third in reading.

We significantly increased our pre-K classrooms.

We are a top five state for computer science.

Doctor Mackey I'll keep that going on right here.

We double the special schools with the addition of the cyber technology and Engineering School and the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences.

We have our how as Costello College and Career Readiness rate, we are tied for the lowest percentage of chronic absenteeism.

Our teachers are earning high marks, and we added 500,000 more credentialed men and women to our workforce.

Truly, the tide's turning when it comes to education in Alabama.

And these next 12 months, we will also be celebrating our country's 250th birthday in Alabama.

We love America.

We respect our military and honor our veterans.

Look no further than Alabama's own Rodney Smith in 2020.

In 2015, he was studyin computer science at Alabama A&M when he offered to help an elderly man.

Mortgage loan.

That one kind gesture turn this into a 50 state mission to mow loans across our country, with a focus on helping the men and women who served our nation of veterans.

It should come to no surprise to us that Ronnie shares a birthday with America on July 4th.

Ronnie's movement has inspired some 6000 kids across the country to serve their own communitie through the 50 yard challenge.

Rodney is teaching our young people valuable lessons while providing free help to our veterans, militar families, and first responders.

I'm excited to share that Ronnie will be mowing some of the grass.

Here's the capital this spring, but his real dream is to provide his service at the white House.

So here tonight, I'm encouraging President Trump to invite Rodney to our nation's capitol.

Goodness knows, Washington, D.C.

could use a little more Alabama.

Rodney.

Rodney, thank you for your showing the rest of Americ that Alabama patriotic spirit.

Please stand and let us recognize.

Ahead of tonight's speech, we also enjoyed a performance by the incredibly talented Montgomery Academy and Chamber Chorus, led by Doctor Damien Womack.

Y'all please stand.

Let us recognize you.

Just as we look forward to celebrating our nation's 250th, I'm excited.

Alabama's best days are still ahead.

Ours.

Ladies and gentlemen, the state of our state is strong, and our future is even stronger.

Last year, public safety was my number one priority, and together we accomplished a great deal through my safe Alabama package.

But our work is never done when it comes to protecting our citizens.

Representative Matt Simpson and send them to April.

We will will carry a bil and imposing the death penalty for those who rape or sodomized a child.

I was proud to quickly offer my full and total support.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm urging you to pass this legislation so I can sign it into law.

Government at all levels should always prioritiz public safety, and we can thank the men and wome in blue for enforcing our laws.

Unfortunately, some criminals attempt to elude their authority.

There are repeat offenders and worse cases.

There's even been loss of life.

It's time we crack down on that reckless criminal behavior and pass a bill led by representative Reed Ingram and Senator Lance Male in Alabama.

We enforce the la and I look forward to this bill reaching my desk.

Y'all, public safety begins and ends with the capital.

What will that be?

Washington, D.C.

one Alabama.

We supported President Trump's mission to make DC safe and beautiful again by deploying more than 400 Alabama National Guardsmen.

And here at home in Montgomery, I directed the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to increase trooper presence between our specialized metro Area Crime Suppression Unit and this larger law enforcement footprint.

We are adding to our efforts here in Montgomery.

Our state troopers deserve our thanks.

That is why I'm proud to propose a 2% pay raise for all state employees like our troopers, mental healt workers, and those who protect our cyber security.

And whether it be our.

Troopers efforts to make it safe, taking steps to improve skills, or our attempts to ensure health care options in our capital city, urge our local leaders to work with us over the next 12 months to put Montgomery on its strongest footing yet.

We recently heard learn that Alabama will receive more than $203 million in the first year.

Funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program, made possible by the Big Blue Beautiful Bill.

This program, over five years, will kickstart efforts to improve health care in rural America, a plan approved by the Trump administration lists 11 initiatives to boost rural health care delivery.

We have laid the groundwork for success, and I urge you, our legislators, to help develop needed policy and to fully implement this program and to our health care leaders in the state.

I challenge you to work with us in thinking outside the box and identifying new partners as we strive to improve health care in Alabama.

As we continue addressing longstanding challenges, we must also prepare for the unknown.

The Alabama Resiliency Council evaluates our state's ability to prepare for both natural and man made disasters.

Representative Tripp, Chip Brown and Senator Steve Livingsto will carry legislation to ensure that we have a state wide resilience plan every Alabamian it's worth where they have a resilien community when disaster strikes.

Looking onl last year, a country experienced devastating weather events including the horrific flooding in Texas that claimed the lives of fellow Alabamians like the youngest being Sarah Marsh, who was away at summer camp.

Unfortunately, Alabama is no strange to the wrath of Mother Nature.

We are also hom to many of our own summer camps.

And y'all, as a former camp counselor myself, ensuring safety in this space is very personal to me.

For that reason, I am launching an statewide flood and notification system that will be in place for this summer.

I'm also calling on the legislature to fund this notification system moving forward.

We cannot put our young people at risk.

We must also protect our young Alabamians in school.

That's why I am proposing an additional $50 million for the K through 12 safety efforts.

Y'all.

Our students.

Oh, why?

I chose to run for a second full term.

Efforts are paying off.

But as with anything else, work is not yet done.

Senator Matt Woods and Representative Rick Ream I'm putting forward a bill to create a taxpayer's a temporary teaching certificate pathway for qualified veterans.

I fully endorse this measure and look forward to this bill reaching my desk.

In Alabama, we are proud to support our veterans, and we are proud to support our families.

That includes making Alabama the most school choice friendly state in the nation.

Our education savings account program, the Choose Act, is already supporting more than 23,000 students.

That number will only grow as more folks learn about the program, and student athletes feel more confident in the rules and when it becomes fully universal in year three, for the 2728 academi year, I am proposing we increase funding for the Choose act to $250 million.

This will help even mor families receive the education that is best suited for their child.

Unfortunately, we have seen circumstances where the Alabama High School Athletic Association tried sidelining our Choose Act recipients.

Speaker Ledbetter and I even took them to court this session.

Representativ Danny Garrett and Senator Chad Clyde Chambliss will carry the Let the Kids Play act to make sure no family is no family benefiting from abuse.

Act is unfairly benched again, never.

And y'all, we are also making historic investments in all of our public schools.

As I mentioned from the from the day one, we put a hard focus on education.

Now, I could not be more proud to say that my final education Trust fund proposal will be the largest ever in our state's history.

Our teachers are certainly key to our success so I'm excited to announce that budget includes another 2 pay increase for these teachers.

Preparing a next generation.

We are making wise investments in policies that work like the literacy and the numerous eggs.

We also have good policies that don't cost us a dime.

The Focus act, which limits phone use during instructional time, has already brought great results with its first few months.

Seems like a no brainer, right?

Even a Tuscaloosa teacher went viral for asking what?

Is it really that easy all along?

And to that I say yes, it was just that easy.

Technology has incredible benefits, but too much of anything can be detrimental.

My first early childhood Education secretary and now Representative Gina Ross, is putting forward a bill that will, with Senator Don and Justine, to limit.

Screen time for children five and younger in publicl funded early learning centers.

House Bill 78 will help our youngest Alabamians to their key developmental days.

Let's get this bill passed so I can sign it into law.

On this occasion a few years ago and declared we wanted to have more.

We wanted to have no more failin elementary schools in Alabama.

The Turnaround Schools initiative is making that a realit by producing accelerated growth in the state's more challenged classrooms.

Y'all, these schools are impacting our improving at twice the statewide rate.

Now we will work towards graduating these successful school to make room for a new cohort.

We must keep funding this proven initiative.

Here with us this evening, a student from one of these successful turnaround schools, Washington K through eight school in Birmingham, moved from a B on the D on a report card all the way up to a B. That's because these students here.

Boys and girls, y'all please stand.

We love recognizes.

Ladies and gentlemen, these young people, future generations.

They are why we serve.

To our legislators.

All that we have accomplished and all that we will accomplish would not be possible without your partnership.

So thank you.

Thank you.

You started this term strong.

Let's finish strong and work together to ensure Alabama's best days are still ahead.

And to our leaders.

Pro tem.

God, you having me on my team has led us to get good work done for the people of Alabama in just a short time.

Your support really means a lot to me, and I know you will be serving for many more years to come.

Leader Daniels, you have been with me for the long haul, and since you assumed your own leadership role in 2017, we've always agreed to liste to each other and work together to help the people of Alabama.

Bobby Singleton, my brother from an Alabama.

Truly, there is not another like you.

It's no secret that we don't agree on every issue, but what is aligned?

Our hearts and passion for this state.

You're more than a friend to me, Bobby.

You're family.

And Mr.

Speaker.

And, Mr.

Speaker, just one more.

One month before I was sworn in as governor, you assumed a leadership role and have been a strong, steady, and decisive partner.

You're very special to me, Mr.

Speaker.

You are an outstanding speaker in the House, and no doubt Alabama is better off.

Thanks for your service.

I could single out so many of you, both past and present, who have been a friend to my administration.

Just know how grateful I am to each of you.

We have an exciting 12 months ahead and has.

We have much more to accomplish.

To members of the team, Ivey.

As people often tell me what a good job my administration is doing.

I always remind them that these positive results are because of your loyalty, and you're responsible bills in the ways that you hav served on my cabinet and staff.

Alabamians.

Alabamians respect you an the manner in which you serve.

Your integrity, thoroughness, your competence and responsiveness are a model for success.

And to our young people across the state.

I encourage you to consider preparing yourself for a career in public service.

Attend boys state or girls state if you can.

Alabama deserves a generation of young people willing to pick up the mantle and continue our legacy to serve the people of our state responsibly.

Y'all, I am proud of Alabama.

I am proud of our citizens.

I'm proud to continue leading our state forward.

And I am humbled to be a governor of all the people.

The people of Alabama deserve our very best.

Future generations of Alabamians deserve our hardest work today.

This is our opportunity.

Let's not waste a moment.

Thank you.

And may God continue to bless each of you and the great state of Alabama.