2002 State of the State Address
The Honorable John Hoeven
Governor of the State of North Dakota
January 16, 2002
Lt. Governor Dalrymple, legislators, elected officials, cabinet members, Justices of the Supreme Court, Governors Link and Schafer, citizens of North Dakota, and my wife Mikey, thank you.
On September 11th, the United States was attacked by terrorists who thought that they would weaken us. Instead, their attacks strengthened us. They thought they would divide us; instead, they united us - as a nation and as a people.
We all recall, I’m sure, just where we were when we heard the news. Perhaps no one remembers better than the folks I’m about to introduce. Between about 8:45 and 9:05 a.m. EST, two commercial jetliners careened into the Twin Towers in New York City. Within about 8 minutes, North Dakota Air Guard F16s - the Happy Hooligans - were scrambled to the scene from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia to New York at supersonic speeds - fast enough to break windows on the ground. As the jets approached Mach 1, however, their orders changed. They were diverted back to Washington, D.C. As they neared the city, they saw smoke curling in the distance. At 9:37 a.m., they learned, a third plane had collided into the Pentagon.
We North Dakotans are particularly proud of our Air National Guard. We always have been, but never more so than that morning. Our nation was under assault by cowardly terrorists and North Dakota’s Air National Guard flew eagle for our country. Our Army National Guard went on alert to protect our homeland.
From the hour of the attack, our men and women in the military at Minot and Grand Forks Air Force bases sprang into action to protect our nation, here and overseas. Since then, they have played a major role in the war on terrorism. They have flown and maintained the bombers and fueled the air fleet that are making it possible to rout the Taliban, liberate Afghanistan, and make America safe.
Our men and women in uniform continue to fight, here and abroad. Together, we extend a special thank you to each of them - those serving here at home and those serving overseas. We thank them and their families for the enormous sacrifices they have made in these trying times. Our state and our nation afford us the privilege to live in peace because these dedicated men and women are willing to defend liberty.
We live in a state and a nation forever altered by the fanaticism and bigotry of terrorists. We live in a state and nation stunned into the recognition that we live in a world inhabited by people who are intolerant, ungenerous and evil.
We were all the more stunned, perhaps, because we in North Dakota live among people who are tolerant and generous and good. The war on terrorism and the attacks on America were not issues on any state agenda over a year ago, but they are issues that North Dakota and every other state will have to confront for the foreseeable future.
Our Guard and our military have won many awards through the years, and they have honored us with their professionalism and devotion to country. These are modest men and women, but today history – as well as our gratitude - makes clear that honor is due.
We’re pleased today to have with us National Air Guard Maj. Gen. Mike Haugen, North Dakota’s Adjutant General, and the F16 pilots: Capt. Craig Borgstrom Maj. Brad Derrig; and Maj. Dean Eckman. From the Army Guard we have with use Lt. Col. Greg Wilz and Sgt. Lindsay Shorma. They’re here representing all the men and women of our armed services. Please stand and be recognized.
Thank you for the great job you did on September 11th, and thank you also for the great job you do for our country 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
But our response to terrorism involves more than our military. It involves a program of preparedness, prevention, and response here at home. That involves a concerted response by the federal, state and local government, the health care community, law enforcement and even private citizens throughout our great state. To pull that effort together, last fall I appointed Emergency Management Director Doug Friez as our Homeland Security Coordinator.
On September 11th, I immediately directed our Emergency Management Center to go on high alert. Shortly after September 11th, President Bush requested that governors deploy the National Guard troops to all of the states’ airports. Within hours, our Guard was in action. Today,
- All of our state agencies have responsibilities for Homeland Security.
- We’ve assigned additional security to key state facilities.
- We’re conducting air surveillance flights on the US/Canadian border, day and night.
- We’ve provided first-responder training statewide in handling chemical and biological hazards.
- We have launched a statewide educational campaign with civic groups, trade organizations, public sector officials, and private sector leaders.
- We’ve established a Homeland Security Web site.
- And we’ve established an e-mail network for instant communications with our state’s health care community to ensure swift response to any public health emergency.
But we will not stop there: I have asked Maj. Gen. Haugen to lead a task force designed to build and enhance our military in North Dakota. We must support and garner new missions for our bases, make sure our National Guard has the resources to do their job, and we must seek new opportunities for North Dakota companies to win contracts for our nation’s military efforts. We must all work together to ensure preparedness, prevention and response.
We may have been stunned on September 11th, but make no mistake: Because of our military, local government, and private partners - and the hearty resolve of North Dakotans and Americans everywhere -- today, it is the terrorists who are stunned – and on the run.
Since September 11th, we have shown the terrorists that they cannot stop us from carrying on the American way of life. Now let’s turn to the important task of Building our Future in North Dakota. Let’s take a little journey that is symbolic of where North Dakota has been and where we are going. A journey that we need to take together, for all of us have a stake in shaping the future of our state. All of us have a role. And if past is prologue, the ingenuity, sterling work ethic and strength of North Dakotans will ensure that North Dakota’s future is a bright one.
I stand before you this January of 2002 as Governor of the great state of North Dakota in a vigorous and forward-looking state. Despite the national recession, I am able to tell you today that the state of our State is healthy. We continue to set in place the tools and resources that will enable our state to engage in the business of the world. A quality system of education is improving our workforce; our workforce is attracting new, different, and better paying jobs; and technology is compressing the miles, enabling North Dakota companies to do business globally.
I don’t have to tell you that North Dakota is a state in profound transition. We are transforming the industries of our past to adapt to a new economic model, based on technology and fueled by the ingenuity of our people.
North Dakotans earn their livings today far differently than they did just a generation ago. They will earn their livings differently still a generation from now. Today, we are poised and prepared to build our Future in North Dakota with a clear and vividly drafted blueprint.
We are building that future squarely on six pillars: education, economic development, agriculture, energy, technology, and our quality of life because these are the keys to keeping our young people here in the state and attracting others to North Dakota.
Education is our first pillar because learning is not only personally rewarding, but also fundamental to individual success and the success of our state. Schools produce the human wealth on which our progress depends.
Economic Development, our second pillar, will generate jobs and a better standard of living for all North Dakotans. More and better-paying jobs - in both our cities and our rural areas - create stronger communities, retain our best and our brightest, and keep our young people right here in North Dakota.
Our third pillar, Agriculture, represents the largest sector of North Dakota’s economy. Ensuring a vigorous and diversified farming and ranching industry through value-added ventures will translate into stronger rural communities and a stronger North Dakota.
Energy, our fourth pillar, has historically been a key industry in North Dakota, and our opportunities in the new era of multi-source energy production have never been greater. North Dakota can seize the opportunity to lead the nation in clean, efficient renewable energy production for our state, our region, and our country.
Technology is the fifth pillar on which will we build our future in North Dakota. As we shall see, it plays a prominent role in today’s world. Technology annihilates distance, enabling North Dakotans to do business worldwide - from Bowman to Beijing. Technology is transforming our businesses, schools and government in unprecedented ways.
Quality of Life, our sixth and last pillar, is as tangible a resource for North Dakota as our rich farmland and our clean air and water. We enjoy safe communities, world-class recreational activities and exceptional schools, giving us a standard of living second to none.
Today, we’re not going to just talk about these things. We’re going to take a journey to see some of the things that are already underway, and we’re going to use technology to take that journey. But first, let’s talk for just a moment about TECHNOLOGY - the progress we’re making in that area, and why it is so important to building our future in North Dakota.
Technology supports the bridge we are building not only to each other here in North Dakota, but also to the world. It is also profoundly transforming our state, schools, industries, and society. Already, technology has altered the way we learn, govern, trade and farm in ways that were science fiction just a decade ago.
Last fall we completed the second leg of the Virtual State Network, linking North Dakota high schools, colleges, courthouses and state government. By last September every high school in North Dakota was linked to the Internet. Today, the Library of Congress is as near as the school library for North Dakota students.
We fueled our ongoing plan with nearly $90 million in funding. In doing so, we laid the foundation for industries throughout the state to connect with the world - and just as important, for the world to connect with North Dakota.
A recent national survey measuring the states’ use of computer technology to give citizens access to government information and services showed that North Dakota leaped from 38th to 8th place. North Dakota was the most improved state in the country.
So let’s begin our high-tech journey to visit with some of the citizens who are building our future in North Dakota. Our mode of transport will be the state’s Interactive Video Network and our new Virtual State Network. This afternoon, we will be joined by some of the people who are actually doing it, and who can tell the story best – people in Williston, Alexander, Fargo, Wahpeton, Grand Forks, and elsewhere.
The first stop on our journey is EDUCATION, our first pillar, because a robust education system is essential to our success, both as a state and as individuals. Education provides our people not only with rich personal lives – and not only with jobs – but meaningful and productive careers.
This past year, I worked with our Legislature to fundamentally transform the way our K through 12 schools are funded. We put more dollars into the classroom to give our teachers a salary increase and reduce the pressure on local property taxes.
Now that teacher contract negotiations are near completion, the new funding method has helped to provide a much-deserved 15 percent average increase over the biennium for our state’s teachers. We must continue to have the best and brightest teachers teaching the best and brightest students.
Our students excel, because our teachers excel, and because our families hold education in high esteem. In the year 2000, North Dakota’s juniors ranked first in the nation on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the most rigorous achievement test for college entrance in the country. Our fourth and eighth graders read better and do math better than their peers.
Every school in every community in North Dakota has the potential to be a model school. Over the past few months, I have traveled the state with our Excellence in Education Tour. I have seen high school students in Alexander, Wildrose, and Stanley study Spanish by interactive video through Williston State College - without leaving their community schools. Technology is tying together not only higher education, but K through 12, as well.
Let’s join instructor Leslie Bieber at Williston State College and her class at Alexander High School in rural McKenzie County.
Governor Hoeven: "¿Cómo estás? Senora Bieber – Tell us something about your classes.
Bieber: Bien, gracias Governor. I am currently teaching two Spanish classes to the rural communities of Alexander, Wildrose and Stanley. One high school course and one college dual-credit course. I see my classes on a segmented screen. It is live, both audio and video, and the students and I interact with one another in much the same way as my traditional classes. I do travel to each site a few times during the semester to personalize the instruction but otherwise my relationship with my distant students varies only in miles. But who better can tell the story of opportunity than the students, so now let's travel 25 miles south to Alexander where Spanish students Jenni Larsen and Shannon Sorrells are waiting.
Shannon Sorrells:¡Buenas tardes, Governor Hoeven! My classmates and I are studying collegiate level Spanish for which we receive both a high school and a college credit. We can see, hear, and interact live with our instructor and the students from Wildrose and Stanley. We love it. I never would have dreamed that we would enjoy a class taught through a TV set. Miss Bieber is a great teacher and the video conferencing unit is a great mode for instruction.
Jenni Larsen: Hola ? Governor Hoeven, I would just like to say that without your leadership, distant education would not have been possible for my classmates and I. Thank you for providing us with a T1 line. You have further opened the doors of educational opportunity for students throughout North Dakota. ¡Muchas Gracias!
Governor: Muchos Gracias, Senora Bieber Shannon, and Jenni! Adios, and thank you for the kind words!
The kind of excellence and innovation we’ve just witnessed is being implemented beyond high school, and throughout higher education.
The role of our university system is dynamic. Today, it must provide not only a top quality education, but also be an active player in economic development and job creation. To further that effort, I served as a member of the Higher Education Roundtable. The underlying concept we developed was flexibility with accountability. That model was the foundation of the 2001 budget that I submitted to the Legislature, which they supported and passed into law. As a result, our University System is making strides as never before.
This flexibility has already resulted in speedier development of research and technology efforts at our campuses. We are now providing more education and training to businesses, and we have more pricing flexibility to retain and attract young people to North Dakota, and to help grow the state’s population. And the focus is changing, as well. Our colleges and universities are identifying career opportunities and preparing students with the skills they need to pursue those careers.
Let’s move ahead on our journey and take a look.
Governor: President Chapman, are you there?
Pres. Chapman: I am here, Governor. And with me is Barry Batcheller of Phoenix International Company, the anchor tenant in the NDSU Research and Technology Park.
Governor Hoeven: Hi, Barry, welcome. President Chapman, before we ask Barry about Phoenix International, tell us about the tech park?
Pres. Chapman: I'd be delighted, Governor. If you look around the nation at regions which have experienced economic growth, most often you will find a university research center fueling that growth. We see the NDSU Research and Technology Park doing the same for our state. This is a place where faculty, staff and students work hand-in-hand with the private sector, and everyone benefits. NDSU faculty have access to state-of-the-art labs and equipment that we might not otherwise afford. Students are involved in all aspects of cutting edge research with great job opportunities. And businesses have expanded research capabilities to be competitive on a global scale. Higher education is uniquely positioned to help grow North Dakota's economy. At NDSU, we have formed a partnership with the Department of Defense and several defense contractors including, Northrup-Grumman and Alien Technologies, that puts us on the leading edge. It is bringing millions in research funding to create new high-paying jobs and give our students an education they can't get elsewhere. North Dakota needs what a great land-grant university offers and so we have committed to expanding our research portfolio and increasing graduate educational offerings, especially at the doctoral level. In doing so, we help keep North Dakota students in state while also attracting out-of-state students, who will come for a great education and stay for good jobs and our quality of life.
Governor: Barry, tell us about Phoenix International.
Batcheller: Phoenix International is a hardware and software design firm, Governor. We’ve partnered with a great University for the same reasons that Silicon Valley and the Boston corridor have: Great students and universities attract great teachers and programs - and great teachers and programs produce vibrant communities of trained professionals and entrepreneurs. Energetic students, a creative faculty, and a first-class University that knows how to work with the private sector is a recipe for success. An added benefit, of course, is North Dakota’s quality of life. Friendly people, affordable living, great schools, and wonderful neighborhoods in which to raise a family make living and working in Fargo a dream. We have a beautiful operation here with about 200 engineers producing world-class electronic products.
Governor: With that many engineers, Barry, Are you sure you don’t have a bridge to sell me?
Batcheller: No, Governor. Just electronic controls and sensors, Governor. And of course, a whole lot of ideas.
Governor: Joe, Barry, thanks so much, and good work!
The University System can and should play a larger role in enhancing the economic and social vitality of North Dakota, and you’ve seen how it is doing just that. Simply put, the system has been empowered to act more entrepreneurially. Advanced manufacturing, such as that done by Phoenix International, is just one of the ways we’re building our future in North Dakota. Entrepreneurship gives us the ability to compete with anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Oh - and while we’re on the subject of competition, why don’t we drop in on UND’s championship football team and university Athletic Director Roger Thomas in Grand Forks.
Governor: Hi Roger. I see you’re sitting in that executive chair I won in my wager with Governor Engler over the game. You look mighty comfortable!
Thomas: Yes, Grand Valley Central State didn’t let us get quite this comfortable the day of the game.
Governor: Maybe it should have been a rocking chair. After all, you guys did rock their world. I see we have the team there, too. Introduce yourselves, guys.
Team: (Introduce themselves)
Governor: You know, team, the last minute of the game was astonishing. guys, I have to ask: Up until the last quarter, did you believe you would win?
Thomas: Never had a doubt, Governor.
Governor: Great job, guys.
Now that’s the kind of attitude that not only wins games, but jobs and businesses for North Dakota.
As you can see, in looking at excellence in education, we’ve already journeyed well toward our second pillar, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
A good education seeks expression and prospects in real work. As we prepare our people for tomorrow’s jobs, we must also ensure that we create an environment of economic opportunity.
As many as 44 states this year will suffer revenue shortfalls and cuts in programs and services. In North Dakota we have a modest surplus and a reserve. In fact, North Dakota is one of only six states in the nation whose revenues and spending are on target. At the same time, this past year we have reduced unemployment in North Dakota to the lowest level in the nation. Today it stands at half the national average. More importantly, though, we have increased wages and personal income, each by about 5 percent. Our careful financial planning enables us to continue working toward attracting new ventures and expanding those companies that are already prospering in North Dakota.
Yet as we seek to attract new businesses, we need to remember that economic development is not just about creating jobs; it is about creating quality jobs - careers.
Our economic development strategy is targeting specific business sectors with the greatest potential for growth and quality job-creation in North Dakota: value-added agriculture; advanced manufacturing; technology-based business services; tourism and energy development. These sectors will generate high-paying, career-track jobs that depend on all of our remarkable natural resources, including our skilled and dedicated people.
As we build our future in North Dakota, and continue to pursue a vigorous economic development strategy, we need new tools. We have created a state Department of Commerce to streamline our development resources. We added tourism to our commerce department because tourism is vital to the growth and expansion of our economy. Last year, I worked closely with the Legislature to implement tax incentives for entrepreneurial ventures. We have enhanced our technology infrastructure to accommodate the kinds of business formation and expansion we would like to see in North Dakota to improve wages and retain our young people.
Let’s journey to the southeast corner of our state, where a world-caliber business is building its future in North Dakota. Imation, a manufacturer of computer-data storage technology, with sales in more than 60 countries, is expanding its operation in Wahpeton.
This world-class company has found a world-class workforce in North Dakota. With us in Wahpeton is Plant Manager Dennis Gladen from Imation, accompanied by a crew of other employees.
Governor: Hi Dennis. I hear things are growing out at Imation. What’s going on?
Gladen: That’s right, Governor. We’re adding a new 100,000 square-foot building to our 95-acre site. That will give us about 340,000 square feet of total manufacturing capacity. We currently have more than 700 employees. I guess we’ve come a long way since we started here in Wahpeton in 1977 with just 13. Our cutting edge manufacturing systems and first-rate employees enable us to make the top quality computer storage devices we need to compete globally. That’s what has made our expansion possible - and what has won so much praise in the industry. In fact, Industry Week magazine named us as one of the top 14 manufacturing companies in North America and Europe in 2000. We’re pretty proud of that.
Governor: We’re pretty proud of you, too, Dennis. Thanks, and keep up the good work!
We welcome newer companies like Imation, of course, but it’s just as important to focus on expanding established companies. Many of these companies are on the fast track, too, with new and innovative ideas that are building quality jobs for North Dakotans.
With their ingenuity and commitment to both the economic and social interests of North Dakota, the engineering firm of Kadrmas, Lee and Jackson is one of them. The firm opened its doors with just three employees in 1938. Today, the firm employs 195, having added 36 to its payroll in 2000, and 42 new employees just last year. The firm has ten offices, offering quality jobs in engineering, global information systems, and systems programming.
This is a company that embodies the true North Dakota spirit, with a genuine commitment to community. Kadrmas, Lee and Jackson is a strong supporter of the God’s Child project, and sends employees to Guatemala every year. It participates in many youth activities, and has made youth a primary focus. Last year, Civil Engineering News named the company one of the top 25 civil engineering firms in the country to work for. It enjoys annual revenues of $20 million, and has enjoyed a 14 percent growth rate over the past ten years, all of which just goes to show - in North Dakota, you can be a nice guy and win as well.
With us here in Bismarck today is president, CEO and partner of the company, Gene Jackson, joined by the firm’s other partners, Niles Hushka, Mike Schneider and Dean Anagost. Will the partners and all the folks from Kadrmas, Lee and Jackson please stand up and be recognized.
As we work to diversify our economy, we must also strengthen and diversify our leading industries. This is as true of AGRICULTURE, our third pillar, as it is of manufacturing.
North Dakota is an acknowledged leader in production agriculture, and here, too, we are seeing diversification. Today, we are number one in the country in the production of durum and hard red spring wheat, sunflowers, barley, canola, edible beans, and flax. They are also moving into exciting new crops, like onions, garbanzo beans and grass seed, crops that offer exciting, high-value growth in the modern marketplace.
Still, if our farmers are to be truly independent and build their future in North Dakota, we need to give them a solid foundation on which to grow. For that reason, I have worked hard this past year to pass a comprehensive, long-term farm bill with a counter-cyclical safety net that enables our farmers to plan for their futures. I have urged the White House, our congressional delegation, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to find reasonable compromise on legislation that has been delayed too long at the expense of our farmers. We need bipartisanship. The blame game has to stop. Both sides need to find middle ground. I believe a farm bill is necessary, possible -- and near, if both parties work together.
North Dakota is doing its part, too. Last year, we created a value-added board in the new Department of Commerce to promote opportunities in value-added processing. We passed a 30 percent tax incentive to encourage new investments, and we have increased funding for agriculture research to more than $50 million. This past year, we have helped to expand or initiate more than 10 value-added ventures, creating income for farmers and new jobs in rural North Dakota.
We’re attracting new partners, too. As with advanced manufacturing and technology-based business services, value-added agriculture businesses from elsewhere are also seeking a location with a quality workforce, good schools, safe communities, affordable energy, and efficient government.
One of those businesses is Cavendish Farms, a New Brunswick, Canada-based firm that purchased the Aviko potato plant in Jamestown. Cavendish Farms, a family owned business begun in 1924, has made a commitment to quality, which makes clear why it has now made a commitment to North Dakota.
There are others. New companies like Cavendish Farms are joining with us to develop innovative value-added ventures all over North Dakota, whether it’s Halal Beef in Harvey; Bushel 42 in Crosby; Northwest Dairy in Parshall; Golden Plains Pasta in Leeds; or Harvest Board, the new strawboard plant in Lisbon. These not only process the fruits of our land, but they are themselves the products of our farmers’ and our people’s ingenuity.
Just as we are a leader in agriculture, North Dakota is a leader in ENERGY, our fourth pillar. We must build on that leadership role, as well. At a time when the wisdom of our dependence on foreign petroleum is both economically and politically questionable, North Dakota is poised to be part of the solution.
We are a multi-source energy state, with petroleum-based resources, like lignite coal and oil, and newer renewable sources like wind and ethanol. In the last legislative session, we passed three different types of tax incentives to promote the development of wind energy, and we will continue to seek new ways to harvest this resource.
At the same time, production of ethanol-based fuels creates new jobs, opens new markets for our farmers and contributes to our overall plan to develop the entire range of our state’s energy resources. In addition, our state Department of Commerce provided about $170,000 to a group working toward building a third plant in North Dakota.
And we’re doing even more than that: Last week, I announced a plan to show our support as a state for ethanol production in a tangible way. I have directed the North Dakota Department of Transportation to purchase ethanol for all vehicles in our state fleet of about 2,500 vehicles.
Technology is revolutionizing our coal-based energy resources, as well. North Dakota, for example, boasts the only coal-gasification plant in the nation. Coal gasification is a process that converts coal into a gas that burns with virtually no emissions.
Most promising of all is our Vision 21 project. Three major companies are interested in building coal-fired power plants in North Dakota, each a $750 billion capital investment. These new clean coal-technology projects will not only create good-paying jobs in the construction phase, but will also employ hundreds of people at good salaries.
We must remember that North Dakota’s energy-development efforts and policies are tied to the nation’s energy needs. North Dakota is poised and ready to be part of the solution to America’s energy dependency in ways that make our people more prosperous, our environment cleaner, and our country stronger.
As we work to develop our natural resources, we must always remember that nothing is more important to building our future in North Dakota than our human resources, our QUALITY OF LIFE, our final pillar.
By quality of life, I mean health care, the environment, crime prevention, hunting and fishing and the kinds of public services that make our lives better, easier and more secure.
- For starters, North Dakotans already enjoy some of the finest hunting and fishing in the world. We are actively building on that strength by ensuring that our habitats are ample and healthy. Perhaps you’ve seen the recent television campaign running about our cover-locks program. This 14-county, $44-million partnership between the federal government and our state Game and Fish Department compensates farmers to lay fallow 160-acre plots for wildlife cover. Game and Fish provides forage and food plots, essentially “locking in cover” for wildlife for a 30 year period. It’s a win for wildlife, a win for our sportsman, and a win for farmers.
- To improve our environment and quality of life, we must also build our water resources. We are working to revise the management plan for the Missouri River to maintain more water in Lake Sakakawea, which will promote recreation and preserve our wildlife. On Devils Lake, we are working with the Army Corps of Engineers on a solution to flooding. Our people have waited too long for relief. And after more than 15 years of work, we are finally starting construction on the Northwest Area Water Supply project, which will bring fresh, clean drinking water to 11 counties and more than 60,000 people.
- To provide more affordable housing for our native peoples on the reservations, we are working with our tribes, our National Guard, and the federal government. Last year, the North Dakota National Guard partnered with the Spirit Lake Reservation to assist in building a village of 81 individual family dwellings and several community buildings on the Spirit Lake reservation. We intend to expand that program so that our native peoples, too, can build their future in North Dakota.
Even as we recap what we’ve done in the past, we must be continually forward-looking. We must build new initiatives that will benefit the people of North Dakota. One of those initiatives is Drug Court.
Everyone is familiar with the revolving door of prison and substance abuse. Our prison population is growing, putting pressure on our prison infrastructure. Last year, our Legislature and Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation did something about it. They worked with Burleigh-Morton County to establish Drug Court. To date, in North Dakota, the program has saved taxpayers $286,000 in the cost of prison beds, while it is reclaiming lives.
Today, I announce my intention to expand the Drug Court pilot program beyond Burleigh and Morton Counties to other parts of the state. What is proving successful and cost-effective in Bismarck-Mandan, can succeed elsewhere.
At this time, I would like to acknowledge and thank everyone at our Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and also recognize Judges Bruce Haskell and Gail Hagerty. Judges, will you please stand up.
Finally, building our futures in North Dakota involves good health, as well.
During the legislative session we eliminated the Medicaid asset test, making health insurance more available to needy North Dakotans. We also passed North Dakota’s first comprehensive tobacco cessation program to discourage tobacco use among youth and adults where it begins - on the community level.
Today, I am announcing a new public health initiative for our state, Healthy North Dakota, and I am challenging each school child, each businessperson, each senior citizen to take control of his or her life – to exercise more, to eat a healthy diet, to examine their use of tobacco and alcohol. These must be individual choices, but we can provide the support structure, education and encouragement to each North Dakotan who wants to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Knowing North Dakotans, I have no doubt that they will meet the challenge.
If we all take a role - if we all take responsibility - I believe the impact of our efforts will be far-reaching. Our preliminary studies, for example, show that we could decrease the incidence of diabetes by 58 percent with a program of moderate exercise. And employers are on board. Last fall, in a health department survey, over 1,100 North Dakota businesses expressed interest in workplace programs that would improve the health of their employees. They realize that such programs increase both employee morale and productivity significantly.
When Dr. Terry Dwelle, a public health specialist, became our State Health Officer, I asked him to work with President Charles Kupchella of the University of North Dakota, and Dr. David Wilson, dean of the UND Medical school, to design a statewide program that will encourage and support each North Dakotan in an effort to live a healthy lifestyle. It will include community-wide education programs and school-based programs to promote physical activity – and to help individuals break the cycle of unhealthy behavior.
Dr. Dwelle, President Kupchella, Dean Wilson, will you please stand and be recognized for helping all of to build a healthy future in North Dakota?
This brings us to the end of our journey and back to our six pillars:
- An educated workforce
- An economic development plan that encourages robust business formation
- A stable agriculture economy with more opportunities for our farmers
- An energy policy that uses the full range of our resources and opportunities
- A world-class technology infrastructure that enables us to compete with anyone anywhere in the world,
- And an exceptional quality of a life to benefit North Dakotans and to draw new people to our state – all of these pillars form the foundation for building our future in North Dakota.
Although we do it person by person, we do not build it alone. Everyone has a role to play. Everyone is a member of the team. Everyone stands to gain. Whatever your profession is in North Dakota – teacher, businesswoman, software designer, doctor, or nurse - you are the architects, the engineers, and the builders of North Dakota’s future. And the best part of all is that we are building together - from Wahpeton to Williston, from Bowman to Grand Forks.
As we have seen today, in all corners of our state, building our future in North Dakota involves working on many fronts, and the strength of one pillar will depend on the strength of the others. There are no short-term fixes, no shortcuts. Only by working together in all of these areas can we build the kind of future in North Dakota that we want for our children and ourselves. After all, as we build today, we know that the future is someplace we will call home tomorrow.
Thank you. May God bless America, and God bless North Dakota.
