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Saying "our state is strong, even as we are challenged by circumstances," Governor Tim Pawlenty highlighted the strength, character and resolve of Minnesotans in his 2008 State of the State address delivered from the St. Cloud Civic Center.  In the speech, the Governor said that "Minnesotans are understandably concerned about a fragile economy, rising health care and energy costs, making ends meet and governmentâs never-ending claims on their pocketbooks. But Minnesota is up to the challenge."Governor Pawlenty emphasized that as state leaders work to resolve a projected budget deficit, the last thing Minnesota families and businesses need "is government rummaging around in their pockets for more."

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On Wednesday, October 31, Governor Pawlenty held a press conference to announce that Essar Global has committed to fully comply with all U.S. and international law prohibiting certain investments in Iran and that the Governor will support the Essar steel project on the Iron Range.

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Fresh off the plane-ride home from Minnesotaâs first-ever State Trade Mission to India, Governor Tim Pawlenty spoke to reporters gathered at MinneapolisâSt. Paul airport about the progress made by the delegation of 73 Minnesota business leaders and government officials who saw first-hand opportunities present in the expanding markets of the worldâs fastest growing, free-market democracy.

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Governor Pawlenty provides an update on the State's first major trade mission to India.

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Saying that small business is the backbone of Minnesota's economy, Governor Tim Pawlenty today proposed a comprehensive new program to stimulate rural economic development. The initiative -- Strategic Entrepreneurial Economic Development (SEED) -- is designed to help strengthen communities and expand the small business base throughout Minnesota.

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Governor Pawlenty delivered the keynote address at the third annual "Creating a 21st Century Medicaid System" conference hosted by the Center for Health Transformation in Washington, D.C. Former Speaker and founder of the Center for Health Transformation, Newt Gingrich, introduced Governor Pawlenty.

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U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Governor Tim Pawlenty announced that President Bush approved an emergency disaster declaration for three Minnesota counties hit hardest by severe flash floods on Sunday, August 19. The move cleared the way for federal relief and recovery assistance in Winona, Fillmore and Houston counties in Southeastern Minnesota. Governor Pawlenty sent a letter to President Bush the day prior requesting an expedited emergency disaster declaration.

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This is a public service announcement about the First Lady's Military Family Care Initiative. For more information, visit www.firstlady.state.mn.us.

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On July 23, 2007, Governor Pawlenty was named chair of the National Governors Association. In this role, Governor Pawlenty will spend the next year promoting his chair's initiative, Securing a Clean Energy Future. His solution is what he calls the "Americanization" of energy.

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Governor Pawlenty and Minnesota National Guard Adjutant General Larry Shellito held a press conference on Tuesday, June 19, to announce that the Minnesota National Guard's 1st Brigade Combat Team will be departing Iraq and returning to Minnesota. All of the roughly 2,600 Minnesota National Guard soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team are expected to be home by August 1, 2007.

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Governor Pawlenty hosted the Canadian Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Michael Wilson, at a meeting at the Governor's Residence in Saint Paul. Afterward, the two leaders addressed members of the media.Among topics the two addressed during the course of their meeting, Governor Pawlenty acknowledged the importance and value of Canada as Minnesota's largest trading partner, as well as the number-one source of international tourists to the state.  What follows is the audio of Governor Pawlenty and Ambassador Wilson's remarks to the media at the conclusion of their visit.

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Thousands of World War II veterans attended a ceremony on June 9th called "Above and Beyond," dedicating a memorial to their tremendous contributions during that era and their service to the country. The memorial, newly built on the Capitol grounds in St. Paul, is designed to tell the story of World War II, touching on the sacrifices made at home in Minnesota, as well as abroad. In words and pictures, the memorial details how 320,000 Minnesotans served in the armed forces during the period and honors the more than 6,000 that died.

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Governor Pawlenty discusses the 2007 legislative session, which he says achieved many of the goals outlined in his inaugural and State of the State addresses in January, including key provisions for veterans and military members, and major progress on renewable energy initiatives, education and health care reform.

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Governor Pawlenty signed the "Freedom to Breathe Act" at a bill signing ceremony in Eagan, making Minnesota the 20th state to ban smoking in places of employment, including bars and restaurants.  Bill authors, Rep. Tom Huntley and Senator Kathy Sheran, along with stakeholders and advocates from throughout the state joined Governor Pawlenty as he spoke about the ban, which will protect Minnesotans from secondhand smoke, encourage smokers to quit, and "give everybody a cleaner breath of life."

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Governor Pawlenty vetoes bonding bill today -- May 1, 2007

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An update on the 2007 legislative session from Governor Pawlenty

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On Good Morning Minnesota, the governor's weekly radio program, Governor Pawlenty spoke with Colonel David Elicerio, commander of the First Brigade Combat Team of the Minnesota National Guard in Iraq. Colonel Elicerio spoke with the governor live from Camp Adder, Iraq.

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This week, Governor Pawlenty traveled to the Middle East to visit with Minnesota National Guard Members, active duty military members and reservists serving in Iraq.  Governor Pawlenty was also joined on the trip by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and Governor Brad Henry of Oklahoma, who were there to visit with their stateâs military members in Iraq.  Before leaving Washington, D.C. for Iraq, the governors had meetings with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace. 

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Governor Tim Pawlenty today signed the first bill of the 2007 legislative session -- legislation that provides a $24.2 million tax cut for higher education tuition, teacher expenses, and other deductions that will affect 2006 income tax filings for an estimated 170,000 Minnesotans.

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Governor Pawlenty announced his 2008-09 budget recommendations at a recent news conference. Building off of his 2007 State of the State address, the budget pays for performance rather than good intentions, and invests heavily in education, health care, renewable energy and tax relief. Full details on the FY 2008-09 Budget Recommendations can be found at http://www.finance.state.mn.us.

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Governor Pawlenty delivered his fifth State of the State address Wednesday, January 17th, in the House Chamber at the Capitol building in St. Paul. The address began with an expression of gratitude and support for members of the military and their families.The governor used the imagery of the statue atop the Minnesota State Capitol, known as the Quadriga or "The Progress of the State," to focus on four "big horses" that will have a large role in powering Minnesota's prosperity and progress:First, the governor called for better government through fiscal responsibility. He said state government must ensure that taxpayers receive value and should stop paying for good intentions and start paying for better performance.Governor Pawlenty urged the legislature to continue to work toward better energy, saying that Minnesota must lead the nation toward energy independence through more renewable energy, more energy conservation and lower carbon emissions.Nation-leading student performance isn't good enough anymore, the governor said, in calling for better education across Minnesota. He called for enhanced pay-for-performance initiatives and for the reinvention of our high schools to make them more rigorous, relevant and results-oriented.The governor also called for better health care for people in Minnesota. His "Healthy Connections" plan for health care reform will simultaneously focus on improving access, improving quality and lowering cost.

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Here is an excerpt from Governor Tim Pawlenty's 2007 State of the State speech on the issue of renewable energy.

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Here is an excerpt from Governor Tim Pawlenty's 2007 State of the State speech on the issue of health care.

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Here is an excerpt from Governor Tim Pawlenty's 2007 State of the State speech on the issue of education.

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Here is an excerpt from Governor Tim Pawlenty's 2007 State of the State speech in which he underscores the need for better government, and to stop paying for good intentions and start paying for better performance.

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Governor Pawlenty delivered his fifth State of the State address from the Capitol building in St. Paul Jan. 17, 2007. This is his speech in its entirety.

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Governor Pawlenty today announced a new health care reform plan to drive down health insurance costs, improve quality, and increase access to affordable health care for the uninsured.

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Continuing his commitment to members of the military and veterans, Governor Pawlenty announced a historic $74.8 million Military and Veterans Support Package to assist veterans, active military members and their families. The two largest items in this support package are a 100 percent exemption from state income tax for military pay and military pensions, and a Minnesota GI Bill that will provide education benefits to thousands of veterans and their dependents. The $74.8 million package of initiatives will be included in the governor's budget proposal later this month.

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Governor Pawlenty and Minnesota's constitutional officers took their oaths of office on January 2nd in a ceremony at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. Governor Pawlenty and Lieutenant Governor Carol Molnau were sworn in, as were Attorney General Lori Swanson, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, and State Auditor Rebecca Otto. In his inaugural address, Governor Pawlenty called on legislative leaders of both parties to work together to move Minnesota forward.

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Governor Pawlenty announced his Next Generation Energy Initiative that will result in more renewable energy, more energy conservation, and less carbon emissions for Minnesota.  In an address to the Midwest Ag Energy Network Summit in St. Paul, the Governor outlined his proposals that will build on Minnesotaâs nation-leading per capita renewable fuel use, while increasing energy cost-saving measures and developing a sound approach to emissions.

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The Minnesota National Guard awarded the Charles Dick Medal of Merit to Governor Pawlenty Saturday for his outstanding commitment to the Guardâs thirteen thousand soldiers, airmen and their families. The governor was honored in a ceremony attended by twelve hundred members of the Minnesota National Guard and their families at the 133rd Air Wing in Fort Snelling.The Medal of Merit award was established in 1988 and is named in honor of Major General Charles Dick, who was president of the National Guard Association of the United States from 1902 to 1909, a major general in the Ohio National Guard, a Congressman and later a Senator. Dick was responsible for the passage of legislation that established the foundation of the modern National Guard. The Charles Dick Medal of Merit recognizes the contributions to the National Guard by elected representatives to legislative bodies at the state and national levels.

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Governor Pawlenty announced news of a projected $2.2 billion surplus, which, he says, shows his past policies have worked and the state is on track for an even brighter future. The surplus completes the biggest financial turnaround in state history. The Governor also offered words of caution as legislators eye the surplus heading into the 2007 legislative session.

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Governor Pawlenty outlined a few of his priorities for health care reform at a Midwest States Health Reform Summit in Minneapolis, arranged by former U.S. Senator Dave Duerenberger and the University of St. Thomasâ National Institute of Health Policy. In his first term, Governor Pawlenty sought to improve health care delivery for Minnesotans by driving changes that have led to greater price and quality transparency, increased patient safety, higher quality of care, and enhanced value in the stateâs health care system. Today's podcast is of Governor Pawlentyâs remarks delivered to health care officials, doctors, providers and others who attended the forum.

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Governor Pawlenty and Lieutenant Governor Molnau held a media availability at the Capitol to discuss their re-election and the outlook for their second term as Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Today's podcast is the audio from that availability, including Governor Pawlenty's opening remarks.

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Governor Tim Pawlenty and United States Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns spoke to a group gathered at the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce to discuss Minnesotaâs plan for building cellulosic ethanol production. Representatives from agriculture, timber, wood products and other industries discussed how to implement new technology to produce ethanol from other renewable resources such as grain straw, switch grass and trees.Minnesota is already the countryâs renewable fuel capital and an ethanol leader, with nearly one third of the nationâs E-85 ethanol fuel pumps located in Minnesota. Governor Pawlenty is pushing to maintain Minnesotaâs distinction as a luminary in renewable fuels by looking beyond corn and embracing the production of next generation ethanol. Cellulosic ethanol is produced from wood chips, corn stalks, alfalfa and other types of biomass.

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Earlier this year, Governor Pawlenty announced a statewide effort to identify, locate and apprehend sex offenders who have failed to meet state registration requirements. Now, a new Web site that will post the identities and photos of these non-compliant sex offenders is up and running. Users will be able to search for non-compliant sex offenders by first name, last name, age and last-known location.

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Governor Pawlenty held a conference call with reporters recently, following his meeting with Ainsworth Lumber Company officials to discuss the stateâs continued response to recent lumber company plant closings and concern over the condition of Minnesotaâs logging industry. The governorâs meeting with Ainsworth came a week after Governor Pawlenty traveled to Grand Rapids to spend time with timber industry leaders and local officials to discuss the changing marketplace and uncertain future of local sawmills.

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Nearly 1,000 Minnesota high school students recently connected with nearly 40 Minnesota businesses and higher education institutions to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Math careers in the state. The Minnesota Department of Education hosted Governor Tim Pawlentyâs Science, Technology, Engineering and math â or STEM â Summit, at the Science Museum of Minnesota, and the following are remarks Governor Pawlenty delivered at the event.

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Governor Pawlenty welcomed military veterans and their families, as well as members of government, representatives from non-profit organizations and private citizens to an event called âBeyond the Yellow Ribbon: The Governorâs Minnesota Military and Veterans Services Summit.â? The goal of the summit is simple: to work at making Minnesota the national leader in providing services to those who have fought bravely for our country. The following is a speech delivered by Governor Pawlenty at the event.

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Governor Pawlenty delivered the keynote address at the Minnesota Business Partnershipâs annual dinner on September 13th, marking the governorâs fourth consecutive year speaking at the event. Here is the governorâs speech, in its entirety. (10 MB, 22:44)

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Governor Pawlenty spoke recently at a ceremony to celebrate the reopening of Interstate 494, marking the completion of a 137 million dollar project to rebuild a stretch of the interstate from Highway 5 to Interstate 394. The construction gives an additional lane of traffic in each direction and increases capacity in the corridor by 50 percent.This fall, Minnesotans will vote on whether to permanently dedicate 100 percent of the revenue generated from the sales tax on motor vehicles to highway and transit projects. Governor Pawlenty discussed the constitutional amendment and what it would mean for Minnesota transportation.

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With an increase of 11,600 jobs in July, Minnesota has extended its job growth to 13 consecutive months, according to figures recently released by the Department of Employment and Economic Development. On average, Minnesotaâs job gains over the past four months account for 10 percent of the entire nationâs job growth.During the past 12 months , Minnesota added nearly 80,000 jobs, an increase of 2.9 percent, the highest rate since March 2000 and more than double the national growth rate of 1.3 percent. The overall job growth number tops the strongest similar 12-month period from the boom years of the 1990s. (3:33, 1.6 MB)

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A statement from Governor Tim Pawlenty regarding the arrest of 21 suspects in the United Kingdom as part of a plot to blow up passenger jets flying from the U.K. to the U.S. (6:19, 5.8MB)

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Governor Pawlenty recently announced a new plan to transform Minnesotaâs health care system by rewarding better outcomes and better performance. The governor expects the new initiative to improve health care quality and control costs, saving an estimated $150 million per year.  The initiative is called QCare, which stands for Quality Care And Rewarding Excellence. QCare is a new quality standard that will be used to reward top performing health care providers while saving millions of dollars in health care costs. Governor Pawlenty signed an executive order on Monday, July 31st, that directs state government to apply QCare standards and align payments and incentives for all state-purchased health care. (4 min, 1.9 megabytes)

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Continuing his efforts to combat the methamphetamine epidemic, Governor Tim Pawlenty yesterday announced the next phase in his crackdown on meth-related crimes, including the creation of an online Meth Offender Registry. The four tools deployed by the governor to battle meth are: creating a Meth Offender Registry, deploying Bureau of Criminal Apprehension meth agents across Minnesota, combating meth trafficking on Minnesota's highways, and training to protect and assist children endangered by meth. (3:15, 1.5 megabytes)

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After visiting with farmers and inspecting crop conditions in northwestern Minnesota recently, Governor Pawlenty said that he is ready to request a federal disaster declaration once drought damage assessments are reviewed by the state emergency board.Governor Pawlenty recently visited the Chad Anvinson farm near Oslo, Minnesota, to view the ongoing damage caused by drought to wheat, soybeans, corn and sugar beets. (6:12, 5.7 megabytes)

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With health care and prescription drug costs continuing to rise at a rate much faster than inflation, Governor Tim Pawlenty called on Congress to place a two-year federal moratorium on prescription drug advertising and announced state legislation that would require drug companies to report the costs of their advertising to the state. Governor Pawlentyâs proposed prescription drug moratorium would halt all direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs in the United States for two years.  During that time, the FDA would be required to examine the cost impact of direct-to-consumer marketing and make recommendations to improve existing regulations. The legislation would also direct the FDA to improve enforcement of drug advertising.

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Governor Pawlenty recently announced Minnesota's participation in Operation Jump Start, a mission in which volunteers from the MN National Guard will help secure the U.S.-Mexico border. (3:30, 1.5MB)

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Governor Pawlenty recently announced his ACHIEVE program, a proposal that would provide two years of free college tuition for students who graduate within the top 25 percent of their high school class or who post a comparable ACT score. The ACHIEVE program would also pay for students' third and fourth years if the students choose science, technology, engineering and math majors.

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United States Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings joined Governor Pawlenty to announce the availability - beginning July 1 - of $790 million in new federal grant money for higher-education students.

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Governor Pawlenty covers several highlights of the 2006 capital investment bill. The $1 billion bonding bill included education investments for public higher education, the research partnership between the U of M and Rochester's Mayo Clinic, the state's final payment for the Northstar commuter rail line, and $260 million for the environment and natural resources. (2.74 MB, 5:59)

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Governor Pawlenty discusses highlights from the 2006 legislative session, including: education improvements, strengthened graduation requirements, tougher punishments for sex offenders, tax relief, military and veterans support, environmental issues, stadium solutions, and more. (3.59 MB, 7:49)

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Immigration, renewable fuels, the funeral-protest bill, mercury pollution, and the work that lies ahead in the final days of the current legislative session. Governor Tim Pawlenty discusses a handful of important events that have unfolded during the past few weeks. (5:42, 2.6 MB)

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During the past two weeks, Governor Tim Pawlenty has been busy at home and overseas. Highlights include a proposed deal for Gopher football stadium funding, increased community-based energy development, the announcement of the governor's supplemental budget recommendations, and a $12.5 million grant from the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs. 8:32, 4 MB.

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Comments on economic issues from Governor Pawlenty's 2006 State of the State address

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Comments on environmental issues from Governor Pawlenty's 2006 State of the State speech

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Comments on health care issues from Governor Pawlenty's 2006 State of the State address

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Comments on education issues from Governor Pawlenty's 2006 State of the State address

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Select highlights from Governor Tim Pawlenty's State of the State Address, recorded on March 9, 2006 from the Minnesota State Capitol. Approx. 17 minutes, 8 MB file size.

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The full-length version of Governor Tim Pawlenty's State of the State Address, recorded on March 9, 2006 from the Minnesota State Capitol. Approx. 41 minutes, 19 MB file size.

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