PROVIDENCE, RI - Below are some of the highlights from Governor Dan McKee’s 2025 State of the State Address:

• "Tonight, I want to speak directly with my fellow Rhode Islanders who share a love of our state, a deep pride in our communities, and a passion for making Rhode Island better every single day."
• "Over the next five years, state revenues are expected to grow 2.5 percent each year, thanks to our strategic investments and strong economy. That’s good news. During the same time, state spending is expected to increase at 3.7 percent per year. That creates a math problem that must be solved.

As we return to a pre-pandemic fiscal environment, we must take steps to right-size government while preserving programs that improve educational outcomes, raise incomes, and make our residents healthier – three pillars in the Rhode Island 2030 plan.

Later this week, I will submit a budget that achieves this balance. My budget will provide a roadmap to close an approximately $250 million deficit without any broad-based tax increases. This is the fifth budget I’ll submit without a single broad-based tax increase."

• "Raising incomes is our best defense against rising costs and our best offense for growing our economy. That’s why, just under a year ago, we launched an initiative called Rhode to Prosperity that seeks to raise incomes in Rhode Island households. My team and I traveled throughout the state and met with more than 100 industry and labor leaders, and we heard firsthand about Rhode Island’s workforce needs. That’s why the budget I will submit this week will call for an investment to create 1,000 new work-based learning opportunities in Rhode Island."
• "Through RhodeRestore, my Administration and this General Assembly are supporting 1,000 projects, improving 686 lane miles of road and 25 miles of sidewalk, and with municipalities matching every dollar the state invests in this program with two dollars of their own, we’ve created a collaborative approach to improving local infrastructure that has resulted in over $100 million in local upgrades so far. Now, let’s protect that progress."
• "Together with the gun safety champions in this General Assembly, we passed the safe storage law, banned high-capacity magazines, raised the age to buy guns to 21, and prohibited the open carry of rifles and shotguns. That’s real progress, but it is not enough. This year, I’m sending a budget to the General Assembly that – for the first time – will include a ban on assault weapons. Let’s finally get this done!"