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- HI, EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TEAM MAPE
DAY ON THE HILL THIS YEAR.
THIS YEAR, THE DAY ON THE HILL COMES AT A TIME
WHEN THE STATE FACES BILLION-DOLLAR DEFICITS.
IT IS CRITICAL FOR OUR FUTURE
AND FOR THE FUTURE OF THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA
TO PROTECT THE VITAL SERVICES
THAT EACH ONE OF US PROVIDES TO MINNESOTA.
LAST FALL, WE BEGAN A WIDE RANGE OF DISCUSSION
ON WHO WOULD BE THE BEST CANDIDATE
TO SUPPORT MINNESOTA'S FAMILIES
AND PROTECT THE VITAL SERVICES
THE STATE OF MINNESOTA PROVIDES TO ALL OF US.
ONE CANDIDATE STOOD ABOVE THE REST,
AND WE ENDORSED THAT CANDIDATE:
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, MARGARET ANDERSON KELLIHER.
[cheers and applause]
SHE IS A PROVEN LEADER.
IN THE WORST ECONOMIC TIMES WE HAVE SEEN IN OUR GENERATION,
WE NEED A GOVERNOR
WHO CAN STEP INTO THE OFFICE READY TO LEAD.
WHEN MARGARET IS ELECTED, SHE'LL BE READY ON DAY ONE.
ENTERING TO THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION,
THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE HAD FOUR GOALS IN MIND:
TO PASS A BONDING BILL,
PASSING A JOBS BILL,
PASSING A G.A.M.C. BILL,
AND BALANCING THE STATE'S BUDGET.
PRIOR TO THE EASTER BREAK,
THE HOUSE WAS ONLY ONE SHORT
OF ACHIEVING THESE GOALS.
ALL RIGHT.
[loud applause]
YET THERE'S STILL QUITE A BIT TO DO:
THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUDGET BILL
WITH POTENTIALLY LOSS OF 200 STATE JOBS
NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED,
AND THE K-12 BUDGET STILL NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED.
ONCE AGAIN, UNDER THE SPEAKER'S LEADERSHIP, THOUGH,
THE LEGISLATURE IS POISED TO COMPLETE THEIR WORK ON TIME
AND RETURN TO THEIR DISTRICTS READY FOR THE CAMPAIGN.
THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON WE CAN SAY
THAT HAS ALWAYS ENDED THE SESSION ON TIME,
HAS CHAMPIONED THE GAS TAX OVERRIDE,
AND KEPT THE FOCUS ON JOBS AND WORKING FAMILIES
IN THE FACE OF A DEFICIT AFTER DEFICIT.
PLEASE STAND AND GIVE A WARM WELCOME
TO THE NEXT GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA,
MARGARET ANDERSON KELLIHER.
[loud applause]
- FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY
THANK YOU FOR COMING TO THE CAPITAL TODAY.
WELCOME TO YOUR HOUSE,
TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU BELONG EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND I WANT TO ALSO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE.
I BELIEVE THAT IT'S VITAL-- PUBLIC SERVICE--
ESPECIALLY IN A TIME WHEN BUDGETS ARE TIGHT,
WHEN THERE'S A LOT OF RHETORIC, ISN'T THERE,
ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
AND OFTEN THAT RHETORIC IS AIMED AT THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO EVERY SINGLE DAY
TO MAKE OUR STATE WORK,
MAKE OUR STATE WORK BETTER,
AND HAVING THE IDEAS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS ONE OF THE BIG THINGS
THAT I REALLY WANT TO BRING TO YOU
BOTH AS SPEAKER
AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HOUSE TODAY
IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED BY MAPE'S PROBLEM-SOLVING,
MAPE'S ABILITY TO BRING THEIR MEMBERS TOGETHER
AND SAY, "WE KNOW HOW TO MAKE THIS WORK BETTER."
DON'T YOU?
YOU DO KNOW HOW TO MAKE IT WORK BETTER.
AND THAT'S MY PLEDGE TO YOU.
[applause]
THAT'S MY PLEDGE TO YOU,
AS GOVERNOR,
IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM-SOLVING TEAM
THAT IS THE BIGGEST,
BEST PROBLEM-SOLVING TEAM IN THIS STATE
AS WE TACKLE THE TOUGH ISSUES
THAT MINNESOTANS NEED US TO FACE.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT WORK.
I RESPECT THAT WORK,
AND I THINK WE NEED A LITTLE MORE RESPECT AROUND HERE
OF OUR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO,
DON'T YOU?
[applause]
THESE ARE TOUGH TIMES, AREN'T THEY?
YOU SEE IT EVERY DAY IN THE FRONT LINE OF YOUR JOB
AS YOU INTERACT WITH MINNESOTANS WHO ARE FACING THE TOUGH TIMES.
AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO HERE IS,
WE HAVE TO COME AROUND THIS PROBLEM-SOLVING.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN SO FOCUSED
ON GETTING JOBS IN THE STATE,
GETTING SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY MOVING AGAIN.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANT YOU TO PAY ATTENTION TO
AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS CAMPAIGN SEASON AS WELL.
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE PLANS FOR THE STATE?
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE PLAN ON JOBS
AND AN ECONOMIC ROAD MAP?
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE PLANS FOR EDUCATION?
YOU KNOW, AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENT,
I FEEL PASSIONATELY
THAT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO
IS INVEST IN PEOPLE IN THIS STATE.
IT'S WHAT'S MADE US GREAT TODAY,
IT'S WHAT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO KEEP US GREAT TOMORROW,
AND IT'S GONNA GIVE US
A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN THE FUTURE.
BUT WE HAVE TO COME AROUND THAT,
AND SO OUR FOCUS IN THIS BUDGET
IS ON RETAINING AND GAINING JOBS IN THIS STATE,
OUR FOCUS IS ON STRENGTHENING THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA,
AND OUR FOCUS IS ON MAKING THE WORK HAPPEN
SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A MORE STABLE SITUATION
GOING INTO THE FUTURE.
THAT STABILITY WILL HELP EVERYONE IN THE STATE,
NOT JUST PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE FRONT LINES
BUT ALL FAMILIES IN MINNESOTA.
SO THAT'S MY COMMITMENT TO YOU.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU
THROUGH THE REST OF THIS SESSION
AS WE BALANCE THE LAST PORTION OF THIS BUDGET,
AS WE WORK TO DO VERY GOOD THINGS
FOR PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE STATE,
BUT THEN AS WE DO THE MOST IMPORTANT WORK,
AND THAT IS MAKE SURE
THAT WE HAVE A FRIEND IN THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, RIGHT?
I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH--
[applause]