Less than a month after being sworn in for a second term, Governor Andy Beshear called for unity to help continue to move the state forward.

His comments came during his State of the Commonwealth address last night.

What you saw right here on KCET, he touched on many familiar themes, including the economy, education and health care.

Our Toby Gibbs has highlights from the speech.

Speaking to a joint session of a Republican dominated state legislature, Governor Bashir opened his fifth state of the Commonwealth address last night with some humor.

Many of you are excited that I'll be serving as your governor for the next four years and the rest are excited that I am now term limited.

He would take the next several minutes to talk about what he called Kentucky's red hot economy, adding that progress was possible when politics was set aside.

I want to thank the General Assembly for coming together to pass legislation needed to secure major projects like ABC $2 billion 2000 job EV Gigafactory in Bowling Green.

You the General Assembly recognized this work and invested in the last budget session providing $200 million for site development across the Commonwealth, as well as a closing fund to keep us competitive.

It is paying off.

Bashir went on to say the state has an opportunity to build a top ten economy and he renewed his pitch for an 11% pay raise for public school employees and universal pre-K. Kentucky ranks 44th in starting teacher pay and 40th in average teacher pay.

That is unacceptable and it's hard to understand why we have not been able to come together and get this done for our educators.

But this budget opportunity is our chance to make things right here in Kentucky.

Let's work together to get it done in this session, doing this, providing this opportunity, serving that many of our citizens and our youngest learners every year would not only make us more competitive, it would be a true legacy of this session of the General Assembly.

The governor used the address to focus on more than its immediate priorities in the current legislative session.

He also took a longer view at the start of his second term.

Improving life right here at home is the most important focus we can have, and these next four years are our chance.

Kentucky's chance to be the difference, to be both an economic and a moral leader in this country.

And he committed to meet the physical and mental health needs of Kentuckians, calling it an investment not only to improve lives, but to bolster the state's workforce as well.

We need all of our people to be healthy enough to be a part of this future and the prosperity it'll bring.

So let's continue to expand access to quality health care for all of our people.

And he called for another pay raise for Kentucky State police troopers, as well as an increase in the money allotted for training for law enforcement officers.

This is our chance to push away the division to prove that we can govern without name calling or scapegoating, to do it without anger, without fear, and without hatred, that we can not only talk about our collective faith, we can live it.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Toby Gibbs.