Wes Moore in 2023 Governor's State of the State speeches
On Budget & Economy:
We can invest today while also preparing for the future
We made the largest investment in public education by any governor in our state's history AND introduced $200 million in targeted tax relief for children in poverty and veterans in retirement. We put forward a plan to make
Maryland the first state to end child poverty, AND we kept 10% in the rainy day fund. Let's put an end to the belief that we cannot invest in the future today, while also preparing for the uncertainty of tomorrow. It's Just. Not. True.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Maryland legislature
Feb 1, 2023
On Education:
End the myth that every job requires a college education
To rebuild state government, and to give all Marylanders an opportunity to be a part of it, my administration will be looking at current standards to make sure they meet the requirements for the jobs we must fill. While Maryland is home to some of the
world's greatest institutions of higher education - a fact of which we should be very proud - we must end the myth that young people must attend one of them to be successful. That doesn't have to be the path for every student--it wasn't my path.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Maryland legislature
Feb 1, 2023
On Government Reform:
Fill the jobs we desperately need; eliminate ones we don't
Right now, Maryland's government has nearly 10,000 vacancies, with just under 6,100 in the executive branch alone. That means needs are not being met. It means timelines for licensing and approvals are closer to the 19th century, than the 21st.
This isn't about creating "big government." This is about creating a better one. That means eliminating and consolidating the positions no longer needed, and filling the ones we desperately do.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Maryland legislature
Feb 1, 2023
On Jobs:
Create Service Year Option for young people to give back
I ordered the creation of the Department of Service and Civic Innovation. Our order consolidates and elevates the agencies of state government that support service opportunities. We need to follow it with legislation, The Serve Act, that will create a
Service Year Option. While our young people give back, they also lay the foundation for their future success through job training and mentorship programs and create a lifelong habit of service to our state. Something we so desperately need.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Maryland legislature
Feb 1, 2023
On Principles & Values:
We all want what's best for the people we represent
What I called for over the last twenty minutes or so weren't Democratic beliefs. They weren't really partisan at all. These were the things we all hope for, for all Marylanders. We are here, serving together,
because we believe a career in service is a difference-making profession. We all want what's best for the people we represent. This is the righteous core of politics. This is the essence of why we do the work.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Maryland legislature
Feb 1, 2023
On Tax Reform:
$40,000 tax exemption on military retirement income
We stand for people like Angela McCullough. Angela is a retired US Air Force Master Sergeant, and the owner and CEO of Maryland-based, Tri-Logistics. She's an example of what our state needs more of. With my budget's $40,000 exemption on military
retirement, she will be able to put that money back into her business, hire more people, and grow our economy. And 40,000 veterans like her will see their retirement income tax cut as well.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Maryland legislature
Feb 1, 2023
On Welfare & Poverty:
We can and we will end child poverty in Maryland
We can, and we will, end child poverty in the state of Maryland. Permanently extending the enhanced Earned Income Tax Credit and expanding the Child Tax Credit is how we begin. This push will make nearly 40,000 families eligible for one of
the most successful child poverty tools this country has ever seen. If we do this, and we raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and index it to inflation, we can lift more than 152,000 children in Maryland to the next rung of the economic ladder.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Maryland legislature
Feb 1, 2023
Page last updated: Apr 02, 2023