>> after the death the george floyd millions of americans marched to protest rachel disparity tuesday. [laughter] lives matter and after the one —- often the rallies focused on the monument as a symbolic meeting point to show who was honored in america and whose lives matter then tuesday not. >> good afternoon thank you so much for joining me today. thank you senate's president

after more than 40 years of public service the imprint on oregon will notng be forgotten. congratulations to new house speaker and a warm welcome to all of our new legislators. you are in for quite a ride. it is my incredible honor for one last time to follow our tradition of addressing oregonians at the start of the legislative section on —- session to mail the critical issues of our state and how we are working to address them. i stand here today at a terrible moment for oregon assistant i checknt office settings ago the world has fundamentally changed. oregon has undoubtably faced some of the most challenging times in our state's history. the beginning of a global pandemic. wildfire season increasing in

intensity with devastating impact stork floods, i.c.e. storms, and heat waves brought on by a worsening climate crisis. and divisions across the country in ways we have never experienced before. despite these difficult times oregon has fundamentally changed for thewe better we have accomplished incredible work over the past few years and has shaken up the status quo oregonians more than ever have come together to weather the storms and our state is better for it. our economy stronger than it was before the pandemic incomes are on the rise the unemployment rate is near as we continue to recover from the pandemic together we are building a

just and equitable oregon. collaboration a deep love for oregon and our collective determination to continue making the state a better place for everyone have led to our successes every step of the way. just a few months ago i sat in a conference room with representatives from timber and environmental industries they could not be more opposed for 50 years they had been challenging one another with ballot initiatives and fighting in the legislature. the timber wars of oregon are not an open legend. they were real. the meetings i convened was a product of more than two years of work to chart a path toward meaningful science -based forest management.

i set up the final week of negotiations thinking my team as the facilitators push the discussion to the limit. even at 10:30 p.m. that night i wasn't sure if everybody would be drivingng home empty-handed. in the early hours of the morning they came together and reached an agreement. there is nohe reason to fight for ever on these issues. that doesn't serve anyone. and then to update the forest practices act to ensure oregon continues to have healthy forests, fish and wildlife as well as economic growth throughout forest industry in rural communities. issues of paramount importance for all of us who call oregon

home. coming together to find common ground and all in service to the state we love over and over to see the power of collaboration during my time as governor we increase the graduation rates by 8 percent. and while it took almost 30 years we have finally invested in ourur education system and with the goal of helping our kids graduate from high school with a plan for the future to invest in the education system that truly serves oregon children from cradle to career, we expanded early

learning programs as well for rural families and families of color and low income will have access to pre- k in the critical early years of brain development. from just over 5000 kids our lowest number in 16 years by investing dollars too connect families with resources earlier in more effectively. and with those recognized tribes and as governor i have for the tribal leaders to strengthen these relationships and those who have inhabited this special place of memorial.we

passing the nation's largest transportation package making a ten year investment and roads, bridges and ports. and we we expanded coverage during the pandemic to expand access during the time people needed at the mouse. we also lead the nation by passing the most comprehensive reproduction be productive health education the country expanding access for all oregonians. and during the era when state after state is rolling back voting rights we were the first in the nation to pass

voter registration bill serving as a model for voter access for the country. and yet we have no idea how important collaboration and innovation would be until covid-19 changed everything. today we have over 5000 covid infections and more than 1000 people with covid and hospitals. this is the impact in oregon of the omicron wave that has of the world while this is one of the most difficult chapters of the pandemic oregon continues to prevail. from the onset managing the pandemic has required aggressive andio decisive action to preserve the health and safety of our community and oregonians step up for each other to make a difference. thank you.

i am pleased to see the oregon way in the oregon legislature as well i called five special sessions since the pandemic it to address critical issues by providing assistance for businesses balancing the state budget and and quite frankly because of the work together oregon has fared better than most we remain third in the nation for the cumulative case count. if our response match the average date more than 4000 oregonians were not be with us today. we are the most to get shots in arms and administering boosters and all three branches of government came together for renters in need we help 90000 oregonians stay

in their homes. that's not to say that hasn't been hard it has been heartbreaking at times with friends and family and our kids have suffered for remote learning in the homegrown small businesses which are the heart and soul of the economy navigating challenges unlike ever before. precious moments and vulnerable loved ones. however we can sociopath forward. we have an opportunity before us and the economy strong and keep it humming and most importantly we have to make sure that every oregonian feels it.

while the unemployment rate is as low as it was before the pandemic too many have struggled to findoy good paying careers players are having difficulty hiring and glimmers of hope like higher wages for those hardest hit by covid but we also know that more and more workers are dissatisfied with their jobs and to many are facing burnout. to make transformational change we need to lift up the communities left behind and let's be honest the families who have face discrimination and barriers to economic opportunities for generations simply due to who they are, where they live and the color of their skin. in my last year as governor every day, every moment is viewed as one opportunity to focus on the big and bold work

we still have to do for oregon's working families. i'm dedicated to have a strong workforce for oregon and will bolster the workforce but access to childcare so parents can go to work knowing kids are cared for in marshall my colleagues to once again make a significant investment in affordable housing. these three investments work etogether to ensure every working family can thrive and iser sat on the future that is brighter than the one we inherited from our parents. and it's not lost upon me that we also have a unique moment right now to leverage resources and funding. let's get this done. building a strong future for

our kids and working families means removing the roadblocks that prevent them from reaching their full potential and putting pieces in place for fulfilling careers. high wage careers, not just jobs every single employee has a hard time hiring the workers that they need you can see and hear this with now hiring signs in store windows and interviews conducted on the spot. in the spring of 2020 i launch my racial justice counsel to center the work those most impacted by institutional racism we came very clear that the underlying theme touched every single issue that what we focused on. the workforce system was broken. even today in the middle of the strong economic recovery the doors of opportunity remain closed for too many

families particularly the black, indigenous, latino and alatina latinx, pacific islander tribal and people of color, people with low income and those living in rural communities. but thete truth is here in lies an opportunity to connect oregon's people to oregon's jobs. i directed my team to work with the racial justice counsel as well as business leaders and workers to develop m a comprehensive package that would seize this moment and pathways to a workforce of the future that reflects the face of oregon and meets the needs of our community and businesses and industries future ready oregon is a 200 million-dollar package investing in job training with the focus on three key industries in need

of skilled workers healthcare tech and manufacturing and construction however we must do more than give people particular job skills and at the heart of future ready oregon is the idea of earn and learn to help oregonians create a career ladder to take an entry letter on —- level job to provide the skills to advance the careers of mhealthcare administration that is turning a job into a career future ready oregon would help people who were born and raised in estonia loves working on the beautiful coast and plans to become a maritime engineer growing up it was

just her and her mom when her mom was first set of work due to an injury she started to work to support the household picking up night shifts at a local cannery she struggled to balance her high school and trade work while working hard to make rent and pay the bills shaft and got little to no sleep and found herself with almost no time to complete her homework. so she went to the ged program advisor at the community college and explained her situation. they connected her with oregon youth development division and northwest oregon works in with their support she could earn her ged all while gaining access to complete her schoolwork earning that ged was anna course to achieve her dreams now a student in the

program learning the skills needed to truly take her career to the next level as a amaritime engineer in her own words being a first-generation student daughter of an immigrant mother the hope i was given was extremely appreciated. the building blocks can be summarized in three key investments first we will have an immediate $92 million to the programs that are currently working white constructing hope to help oregonians get back on their feet with no cost of construction training and career advancement support second we willnd drive innovation through flexible grants to community-based organizations that uniquely target the industries i just mentioned i providing

technology training for those in their own communities with the goal of placing them in good paying jobs and healthcare this means people where they are at whether a single parent veteran or a person living with a disability this is a win-win and we let know that they cannot be successful in the economy without meeting the basic needs like stable housing and childcare we would be launching navigators across the state to make sure oregonians in the job training program have what they need to succeed that could mean financial help with tuition and software programs to complete the coursework and it could be assistance with transportation or housing we are asking oregonians what do

you needou to stay in your career path and land that good paying job? we will help done right future ready open us on a course to greater prosperity and equity for all. hunting we know people need to get back too work is consistent and accessible childcare. that is the basic necessity. it isl just as critical to our economic recovery as infrastructure for working ldparents and childcare is infrastructure that is why alongside future ready oregon i'm working with the legislature to pass 100 million-dollar investment to expand childcare access to serve more families and provide professional learning opportunities and higher compensation to retain providers. i will also continue to advocate for additional ffederal investments so that we can ensure that every family

has access and every single child has care. even with these investments we also know one of the greatest wbarriers is showing up to work or sending your kids to school is doing with the impact of the vicious cycle that must and that requires been paying jobs and affordable housing. you can see the housing crisis everywhere since 2000 single-family home prices have tripled in portland rent has gone up 25 percent in the last five years alone. but this is not just a portland issue. statewide nearly half of all renters pay more than one third of their income to rent

with supply not keeping with demand the homebuying market has become a feeding frenzy of cash offers and bidding wars well above asking price. would be the first time homeowners are priced out of homeownership putting more pressure on rentals in downtown portland million dollar condos rise on the same city block where people huddle over open fires to stay warm. there is no avoiding the fact with the lack of affordable housing and some of the highest rates of people experiencing homelessness. and one paycheck is the difference between going to a home or sleeping and sheltered. we have invested more and homelessness prevention and

rental assistance in my tenure as governor than any other administration with our local partners have more than $400 million in rental assistance last year alone to keep more than 36000 families housed. we have approached unprecedented challenges with innovative solutions like project turnkey a collaborative effort to turn hotels into safe shelter space. and yet as we can all see just a drop in the bucket. we know on any given night more than 15000 people remain without a home in oregon and more than half are living and sheltered. and with a highway underpass is a person who deserves a

warm, safe, dry place to call home. housing affordability are on —- ability is not an issue to solve overnight it's decades in the making i and in the last twoth years and is only worsened to the pandemic and natural disasters. strong partnerships with government and broad range of community-based organization to implement the solution that we know can help. and with the state and local level may have an opportunity to make a real difference. there's an old saying in politics don't tell me what your values are, show me your budget and i will tell you what your values are.

this session masking the legislature to join me with an additional 400 million-dollar investment of affordable housing. we have so much work left to do. a few years ago misty left and unsafe home so that her three teenage boys k go up in a safer environment. at the same time she was struck with severe medical issues undergoing several major surgeries that lefto her unable to work. unfortunately she lost her apartment bouncing from one place to the next time and time again she went into bureaucratic barriers and people who do not understand the trauma she had experienced even while homeless she kept her kids in school the community action and found a

home and took classes and get her ged that case manager helpingg veterans wildfires and as we make investments in housing and services to provide homelessness from her own experience of homelessness to helping other people and addressing this crisis isng not just about investing resources but fixing a system that has been rigged against working families particularly families of color. keeping her eyes fixed on home ownership caused by decades and centuries of racism in housing policies in this

country. and we must address the intersection of housing and health needs expanding access to health services and treatment and recovery it is critical i will continue to partner with the legislature to finalize significant investments in behavioral health this year. all of this is what we must carry forward in my last year and under the next administration. we must continue to act with urgency. if the housing crisis is the most precious seeing issue today than climate changes the crisis that threatens our very way of life today, tomorrow and for generations to come. as leaders we are charged with

leaving our children a better world and what we inherited if we are truly honest with ourselves is not n the trajectory we find our planet on right now. if you sit down with young climate leaders they will tell you to your face. every year i have been governor we have seen more extreme weather than the last it with the expansive flooding to the massive power outages and that was across the oregon landscape that was the past years we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to help oregonians

prepare for and respond to recover from climate related disasters. the local police and fire team once you help to evacuate during emergencies and the first responders for stepping up we are so grateful that you are all answering a call for help but we wish you did not have to. but now decisively to lower carbon emissions transition to clean energy sources to ensure a just transition to the underserved communities. because i have seen firsthand how climate change directly and packs our people and family business and iconic produce i'm proud of the progress we've made since i became governor. we have led the nation and

proving as possible to address climate change and grow the economy at the same time in 2020 the last school power plant decades ahead of schedule with a comprehensive approach to tackle the climate crisis and set targets and establish one of the most aggressive timelines of the nation we have expanded rebates and access for electric vehicles infrastructure but what i'm most proud of is how oregon approaches these through a equity lands to those hardest hit people with low income and color.

we have come together before to make investments like the ones i just outlined and those investments are a big part of the reason oregon could weather the last two years of turmoil better than mostee of the country nobody needs any proof that investments like these work we just need to put our differences aside and focus on that f which is greater than ourselves in greater in our political aspirations for the success of our state and everyone living in. as a intern my last year as governor i still have moments where it feels surreal to have sat in his office and guided our state to a global pandemic while covid-19 may have defined these times it doesn't need to define our lives.

oregonians have worked together to prevent the worst impact of the virus and now we must transition from a rolling crisis into sustainable that supports workers businesses and healthcare industry. i haveav always believed is the governor's job and role to serve every oregonians the medical they are or where they come from or how they vote. that is our job as public servants. as leaders we are charged with leaving the worldld a better place than what we inherited and we strive to pass the torch to our kids so they can succeed as the next generation on a higher plane of life

these are not the last challenges our state phases but i sure hope those that follow can learn how we navigate and to all the future governors of our state, to be elected leaders to come next our future business and community leaders and youth to follow our footsteps, let me leave you with this, find the opportunity even in times of crisis. especially in times of crisis. that's how we will continue on this journey of transformational change for oregon. that is how we pursue justice that is how we heal divides and collaborate in ways that serve our state. that is how we honor this beautiful place we call home.

>> after the death of george floyd millions of americans marched with rachel on —- racial disparities with black lives matter and the rallies focused on monuments as a symbolic meaning point for showing who was honored in america and whose lives matter it and whose lives did not. . .

. . i am joined