He shared his vision of the state and discussed issues that are currently underway. He began with the idea that there are two Mississippis. One he claimed critics would claim is in decline and has people suffering. He cited Theodore Roosevelt’s quotation about critics and the man in that arena and noted the role of the media in portraying Mississippi. Bryant stated that “The Colonel” or “T.R.”, as many were familiar with him, would not have been able to bear the cynical climate of today’s headlines that constantly trumpet failures or supposed misdeeds. Any audit or compliance review is called a investigation and any study that labels Mississippi last or less is blasted on The Front Page. Bryant stated that the Mississippi Bryant described was full of progress. Bryant said, “It [Mississippi] has a lot of caring, hard-working people from all races and ages who work valiantly every single day to make this beautiful state a better area to live in and raise our children.” Bryant noted that Mississippi’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.9 percent last year and 4.8 in 2013, making it the lowest since 1979. He talked about the new jobs Mississippi has to offer, as well as those that Continental Tire will bring to Mississippi. He acknowledged the role of the government in the state’s economic success. Bryant stated, “This session I will have other recommendations to reduce government regulations and unleash an independent spirit that will make Mississippi one of the most job-friendly states in America.” Bryant spoke about a variety of issues, including the state’s opioid and illicit drug epidemics as well as its education system. Bryant stated that the state’s education system has improved more than ever before, noting that over 90 percent of third-graders have passed the reading exam and that the graduation rates has risen to above 80 percent. He also spoke about the Governor’s State Early Childhood Advisory Council. This council was created to address problems in our state’s education system, including abuse, neglect, and lack of leadership. He expressed his support for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program’s current education funding formula. It has been partially funded once. Bryant stated, “I believe it [the Formula] should serve to guide every child in Mississippi’s schools to success.” “By and large, we want more than an adequate education in Mississippi. Many state officials are discussing the current formula. We want a better one. In an interview with the Capitol Press Corps class in Ole Miss, Philip Gunn, Speaker of the House said that the current formula doesn’t work. He also stated that no one party is responsible for the failure of the formula because they were both in charge of it. Gunn stated, “It’s no party thing.” Gunn said, “It’sn’t a race thing. It’s just a system that doesn’t work. Gunn filed recently a bill to rewrite school financing and give more predictability to district funding. This bill proposes that funding be pupil-based, rather than program-based. For every kindergartener through 12th grader, there will be a $4,800 base student cost. The funding is adjusted to account for students’ characteristics, such as gifted students, English-language learners and students with low income status. The governor also spoke about healthcare and workforce, which will continue to be the focus of conversation at the Capitol for the next few weeks.