newsom. [applause] >> thank you, madam lieutenant governor for your kind introduction and good evening to those of you joining us this evening, tony atkins, members of the legislature and all of the elected and state officials. to my amazing wife, jennifer, our first partner of the state stateof california thank you al. for being here in the most 2021 way possible and that is virtual. we mark the unprecedented moment in california history to reflect on where we've been this past year. i think it's important to consider where we are and i'm speaking to you from dodger stadium, transformed from the home of last year's world series champion to the centerpiece of america's massive vaccination campaign. instead of fans and stands we see nurses saving lives one injection at a time all because

i year ago a once in a century pandemic arrived on the shores. covid was no one's fault but it quickly became everyone's burden forcing hard working californians into impossible choices to go to work and risk infection or stay home and risk their job. it magnified the worries about feeding kids, paying rent and keeping loved ones safe and made the unthinkable a commonplace, cared for by doctors and nurses and paramedics who despite the chaos and risk to themselves paused holding hands of strangers in their final moments. too many. too many forever goad -- goodbyes. 53,495 californians we now mourn with broken hearts and the empty seats behind me marking a silent tribute to the loved ones who live forever in our memories.

54,395 californians who will never be forgotten by family members and friends, nor by the healthcare workers who witnessed an unimaginable tragedy. not every covid hero, not everyone wears scrubs. the grocery workers to the custodians who get a fraction of the gratitude they deserve, the parents that juggled and struggled, moms especially that kept charging ahead. your bravery has created light in the darkest of times. doctor king once said when it's dark enough can you see the stars so tonight the lights of the stadium even as we grieve we dream of brighter days ahead because we won't be defined by this moment. it would be defined by what we do because of it. we don't wait for someone to show us the way forward. we go first and boldly.

we lead with criminal justice reform and now combating covid. from the early days of the pandemic we trusted in the science and we met at the moment. we welcomed americans accepting the repatriation sites in a year ago today we brought to shore the grand princess which was stranded off the coast of california further opening up our eyes to the seriousness of the disease. we were the first state to issue the stay-at-home order. the top lines from the research institutions and science companies immediately jump to the development of the groundbreaking treatments and vaccines and while others competed to the protective equipment and exorbitant prices we quickly build our own pipeline supplying critical gear to the millions and millions of essential workers we enlisted

the additional healthcare workers to expand capacity and we readied our icus they were ready for the surges 100,000 compared to 158 actually 153 in texas and 247 in new york. now finally, vaccines are here aimed at the first to launch these vaccinations with partnership as a model for other states across the country. we have the most robust vaccination program in the

country. think about this, california ranks sixth in the world with vaccine distribution and ahead ahead ofcountries not states but countries with germany, israel and france. i know our progress hasn't always felt fast enough and look we make mistakes. i've made mistakes but we own them and learn from them and we never stop trying. after all that is the california spirit we are bent but not broken resolved to make brighter days ahead and not to let the pain of last year detour us from the hopefulness of tomorrow but the state of the state remains determined. i remain determined and i want you to know we are not going to change course just because of a few naysayers so to the california critics out there promoting partisan political power grabs with outdated

prejudice objecting everything that makes california great, we will not be distracted from getting shots in the arms and our economy. this is a fight for california's future. since the pandemic started, it's been probably the only thing we could be certain of, but now providing a little bit more certainty that we are safely vaccinating californians as quickly as possible certainly we are safely reopening our economy and certainly that we are simply getting our kids back into the classrooms all of which adds up to a much brighter future for the state because california we are not going to come crawling back. we will roar back and when the pandemic and this and it will end soon, we are not going to go back to normal. we all agree normal was never good enough about it acceptance and equity and at a higher rate than any other ratio ethnic

group or e essential workers and wages are not enough for them to afford the essentials. but it is in staggering numbers with our eyes wide open to what's wrong. so, the journey back must also be a path to close those inequities. there is no economic recovery without economic justice. no more compassion, empathy, connection. we can write the next chapter in the story. after all, they answer to what is right about the state with many ways to serve and grow and new ways to innovate and of course we have. we have more researchers, nobel laureates in california than any

other state and to keep this conveyor belt moving we are going to keep investing in the community colleges. california is the most innovation, venture capital and small business investment in the country so we will keep investing and fostering in every small entrepreneur the drivers of the gdp, our agricultural industry that feeds the nation in california's entertainment industry while it shapes global culture. we build the future the rest of the world only dreams of and, i mean, that by the way quite literally. this year we will invest over $10 billion in the nuts and bolts of california. infrastructure like roads and rail, bridges and public transit. the biggest infrastructure package by the way since the great recession this year's

budget to invest a record amount in k through 14 education this year. because by planning ahead and through prudent fiscal management, california benefits this year from surpluses, not deficits, record reserves, not cuts. we started this year with a $15 billion surplus and since then the revenues have grown even stronger allowing us to provide for a down payment on building a brighter future. but the building blocks of the recovery really are in place and now we are leading the way out of the pandemic because we listened to the experts and we were guided by evidence. today the light at the end of the tunnel is brighter than ever. from the peak of january, we've gone from 53,000 cases a day to

2600. the positivity rate is down from 14% to just 2.2%, hospitalization is down 80% since their peak and the icu is down 77% 3 million more doses than any other state in america so now we look ahead to better days with the california can-do spirit, with the energy and optimism that defines us. we will be at the virus and realize our california dream for all. how are we going to do it, equitable vaccines, economic support for those who struggle the most and getting our kids safely to school as soon as possible. first to make sure every californian that needs a vaccine can get one. access to vaccines must not

depend on who you know. we prioritize those at the greatest risk and greatest exposure to the virus. we don't just talk about vaccine equity, we design our entire system around it. putting aside 40% of the vaccines to the most impacted communities. vaccine equity isn't just the right thing to do, it's also the fastest way through this pandemic. grocery workers, prioritize school staff, farmworkers put to the front of the line. i met her in fresno from california she came to the country from mexico decades and decades ago to find a job in the field. she said she was unsure and uncertain about getting vaccinated but after she received her shot, she's educating others about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, helping them overcome similar anxieties.

that is they built a vaccination system where the only constraint now is simply manufactured supply and thanks to the administration those doses are on their way. i've had the privilege over the course of the last many weeks to travel all across the state. i've had the chance to see firsthand the strength of communities banding together stepping up to vaccinate the most vulnerable and often overlooked. every californian will have access to convenient shots including those that are homebound and who don't have transportation or the internet and now the greater supply starting to realize the challenge will emerge and that is the challenge as old as the vaccine themselves that's hesitancy about whether to get

it in the first place and to address those concerns we've invested in a large network of trusted community partners to help us spread the word in many languages and across many different cultures vaccines are safe and will save your life allowing you to visit your parents, go to your daughter's basketball game, show up to work without fearing of infection. it was a year ago that we made that difficult decision. we agonized about it and about the sacrifices that it would require but make sure that science, not politics drove our decisions. experts said it was the right thing to do. people are alive today because of the public health decisions we made.

i acknowledge that it's made life hard and unpredictable those workers with no choice but to keep showing up. you are the ones we fight for because your future and our brighter future depends on it. we continue to work every single day to reopen our economy guided by equity principles and counting for vaccines and meeting as fast as we can though mindful we cannot let down our guard with so many of these new variances. as of today, 24 of the 58 counties are out of the most restrictive tear and many more are poised to move next week and as we safely reopen mindful we need to do more to provide financial relief.

just a few weeks ago we took action working with legislative leaders for immediate stimulus. we didn't wait for washington. we acted with urgency and that included as a golden state stimulus that would put $600 directly in the pockets of millions of families, no matter by the way what their immigration status is. including supporting workers with new childcare subsidies, more funding for food banks and diapers as well as financial assistance to farmworkers. for all of those small businesses who fought so hard to survive over the past year. it's that special mix of human capital and creativity found only in california that means

there is literally no better place to do business. californians were the launchpad for the world changing industries and anyone with a telltale tenacity could create their own california dream but only if we nurture them and that's why we are providing the largest small business grant program in the nation, $2.6 billion. up to $25,000 for small businesses and nonprofits impacted by the pandemic. behind these are the stories of entrepreneurs and the dreams they pursue with every ounce of energy that they have. like francisco at fresno that received $5,000 to reopen his pastry business after being closed for nearly six months and right here in la whose desserts café has a $15,000 grant to make payroll and 40,000 other

businesses in the clothing shops throughout the state. three quarters by the way of the grades have gone to minority women and veteran owned businesses. there's nothing more foundational to the equitable society then getting our kids safely back into the classrooms. remote learning has exacerbated the gaps we have been working so hard to close. as the parents of four young children helping them with the

fatigue of my youngest son calls the loneliness of missing their friends, frustrated emotions they don't even yet fully understand many schools were contemplating alarming decisions with the rest of the school year and just a few months since every day, every single day more and more schools are not seeing reopening dates almost 7,000 are now open or plan to reopen by mid april for the in-person instruction. but california has 11,000 schools and over a thousand school districts spread across 58 counties so we are not going to be satisfied until everybody is safely back in the classroom and to achieve this, we

delivered pretty much ppe to every single school directly enabling schools to provide routine testing especially for the low income students and starting last week, california promised that at least 10% of all of our vaccine allocation would go to the teachers and school staff and in the first week alone we've administered more than 210,000 doses with more than double our goal. and just last week working with the legislature, $6.6 billion for learning loss and mental health and the ability to stay and the flexibility to expand the school year. we can do this. they start with the early grades, build confidence and build up from there. getting kids back to school,

getting shots in their arms, the economy on its feet these are urgent priorities but we entered this with the economy suffering from decades and decades under investment. the societal spirit the first partner shined a light on in particular women of color earning only a fraction of what the male counterparts are between the haves and have-nots. california's most acute pre-existing condition remains income inequality. as we respond to this, we need the state fixated on closing these unacceptable disparities. it's one of the fundamental reasons in the first place. and by every measure we are making great strides. consider this we have rewarded the families by nearly tripling the earned income tax credit increasing childcare subsidies and adding two more weeks of

paid family leave and raising the minimum wage to $14 on its way to $15 an hour. we've provided the first ever healthcare subsidies for middle-class californians so they can afford coverage and increasing student financial aid as well as public assistance for the community colleges it's gotten lost in all of the conversations making the college free for two years, creating opportunity for all. but i am mindful that we are addressing the needs of all people in poverty unless we account for the biggest pressure most families face. that is particular housing stability. before we crafted the strongest eviction controls in the nation, protecting millions from losing their homes in the midst of this pandemic. a framework for billions of dollars in the rental support for struggling landlords all

remaining laser focused on the most severe part of the housing crisis, homelessness. this is a crisis creating a pandemic and in response, we've developed a brand-new solutions including two programs promoted by the biden administration as a model to the other 49 states. it was launched in april and it's provided over 35,000 with a safe shelter from covid and home key was launched in july but created more than 6,000 new permanent housing units in the pandemic buying hotels and converting them at a third of the cost of traditional supportive housing. we did this cheaper, faster than it's ever been built in the history of our state, literally rewriting the book on how to tackle homelessness. while we acted swiftly during

the pandemic we are mindful that these cities sidewalks, encampments simply remain unacceptable. a challenge moving forward is crystal-clear to continue the immediate progress while focusing on the longer term goals. by the way many of those i laid out in detail in last year's state of the state. bringing that same spirit of innovation behind room key and home key we commit to $2 billion to create more housing for the homeless this year addressing mental health at the same time as well as substance abuse issues and ending homelessness one person at a time. no one is denying that this is not a huge challenge, but we know what it means to stare down the challenges. in 2020 we faced two of these

once in a generation crisis to the worst wildfire season in the state's history in the middle of the pandemic. the fact is the hawks are hotter, the drives are dryer not just california but across the globe, let's call it what it is, climate change. just as we approached covid, we are guided by science. just consider last summer. last summer's heat of the entire west coast of the united states which led to world record-breaking temperatures and in a 54 hour period, 12,000 lightning strikes with heroic efforts by firefighters to national guards who landed helicopters to save fellow californians. this year we are budgeting more than $1 billion for fire prevention including home

hardening. in the historic partnership with the service to radically ramp up the efforts reducing barriers on projects. historic wildfires are the symptom, greenhouse gases are the cost with more than half of the emissions in the state and that is transportation. i was proud to sign groundbreaking executive order just last year with all new cars and passenger trucks in california the zero missions by 2035 and the company is led by ford, gm and others seized the opportunity to innovate and create jobs and dominate the industry of the future proving

yet again protecting the planet and growing the economy are not conflicting goals we are mindful of the responsibility to do even more that defines california. we know there's no advancement without effort, no success of any type without sacrifice. to paraphrase the patron saint of my hometown now is the time to tell the world about the prior future the strength comes not from what we preach, but from what we do. from our people who get their hands dirty each and every day and come home tired to give their kids a better life. when we set our mind to it, california can truly reach the stars.

just a few weeks ago a national rover landed safely on mars, 293 million miles away. it was a breakthrough achievement made possible by the engineers and scientists at our very own jet propulsion laboratory in part by the vision and drive of a lebanese immigrant who was educated in california schools to become the head of jpl. it was an achievement made possible by california. it tells you everything you need to know. we have to earn it each and every day and our hopeful vision is the basis of the decisions that we make today. pace over fear, optimism over

pessimism. the power is in our hands. this is our moment to create the california we all want to live in with a dream of prosperity, equity and progress to all and to continue to lead the world into the future once more. thank you and take care, good night. ♪♪ ♪♪