Affordability

Governor Dunleavy framed affordability through the lens of energy costs and fiscal stabilization. He championed the Alaska LNG project as transformative for delivering "abundant, affordable energy that will benefit every Alaskan" and discussed tax policy conversations to ensure "the lowest cost of natural gas possible for Alaskans." He also proposed a comprehensive fiscal plan to address budget volatility driven by oil price dependence, noting that using the PFD to pay for government "hurts young families, the poor, and the elderly the most."

Governor Ivey proposed a 2% pay raise for state employees including troopers, mental health workers, and cybersecurity staff. She highlighted the state's largest-ever Education Trust Fund proposal and another 2% teacher pay increase. While not framing a broad affordability agenda, she emphasized keeping Alabama competitive for business and noted the state's consistent ranking among top 10 states for doing business.

Governor Hobbs made affordability her "top priority," calling for an over $200 million Middle Class Tax Cuts Package including increased standard deductions, tax cuts on overtime and tips, and senior relief. She announced the cancellation of $642 million in medical debt for nearly half a million people, proposed a Housing Acceleration Fund, created an Arizona Affordability Fund with $20 million to help with utility bills and housing, and called for eliminating the Data Center Tax Exemption worth $38 million. She also proposed making data centers pay their fair share for water.

Governor Newsom addressed affordability as a "stacking of many issues" with housing as California's "original sin." He signed 61 housing reform bills, highlighted the $60 billion Cap-and-Invest rebate program for energy bills, and touted record per-student education spending of $27,418. He noted California's progressive tax system taxes the middle class less than 11 other states. He announced plans to combat institutional investors buying homes and highlighted $7.6 billion returned to working families through the tripled Earned Income Tax Credit since 2019.

Governor Polis highlighted saving the average Colorado family of four over $600 annually through income and property tax cuts, with taxpayers saving nearly $2.5 billion last year. He noted Trump tariffs cost Coloradans an average $1,700 per year. He emphasized housing reforms including ADU legalization, construction defect reform, and the HOME Act. He reported homeowners insurance costs up 91% since 2019 and proposed measures to bring them down. He called for cutting the income tax rate further and noted the Family Affordability Tax Credit helped cut child poverty by nearly 41%.

Governor Lamont proposed energy rebates of about $400 per family from the rainy day fund to help with heating bills during a harsh winter. He highlighted minimum wage increases to nearly $17/hour, a $400 million bipartisan middle-class income tax cut, eliminated licensing fees for nurses and trades, and eliminated income tax for most seniors. He noted electricity prices have been "among the highest in the country for the last generation" and emphasized diversifying energy sources. He proposed the Connecticut Option for healthcare to offer coverage with no co-pays or deductibles.

Governor Meyer called out Delmarva Power for overcharging families, citing one couple whose bill jumped from $150 to $600 monthly. He called on the Public Service Commission to stop approving rate hikes and emphasized the need for more homegrown energy including the 1.7-gigawatt U.S. Wind project and nuclear energy. He also highlighted housing challenges with a shortage of nearly 20,000 affordable units and promised the most streamlined permitting systems in the country.

Governor Kemp made cost of living the centerpiece of his address, proposing a fourth $1 billion one-time tax rebate ($250 per filer, $500 per couple) and a further 20-basis-point income tax reduction to 4.99%, fulfilling his campaign promise three years early. He noted the state has returned nearly $9.7 billion in tax relief since 2021 including property tax relief, motor fuel tax suspensions, and permanent income tax savings. He framed these as essential because "everyday costs are still too high."

Governor Green centered much of his address on affordability, noting Hawaii's highest housing costs in the nation. He doubled the earned income and food tax credits, delivered the largest income tax cut in state history, and expanded free childcare and school meals. He reported tracking over 62,000 housing units including 46,000 affordable homes. He proposed pausing future tax cuts planned for 2027-2029 to recover $1.8 billion for critical services after federal cuts, while preserving all existing tax relief. He also committed $16.5 million to cover ACA subsidies threatened by federal inaction.

Governor Reynolds emphasized Iowa's tax cutting record, noting the state has "cut taxes more than any other state in the country" with a 3.8% flat income tax, eliminated inheritance and retirement income taxes, and halved unemployment insurance taxes. She proposed property tax reform including a cap on revenue growth for local governments, a property tax freeze for seniors 65+ on homes valued under $350,000, and a tax-deductible savings account for first-time homebuyers. She framed property taxes as the top remaining affordability concern.

Governor Little framed his budget around affordability, noting that conforming to Trump tax cuts would "put more money back in the pockets of Idaho's seniors and working families so they can afford the basics." He emphasized Idaho ranks third nationally for tax friendliness but acknowledged cost of living remains high. His ENDURING IDAHO plan balances the budget without tax increases despite a 14% revenue decrease, while protecting K-12 school funding.

Governor Braun declared affordability his "highest priority," citing Biden-era inflation. He highlighted average hourly earnings rising over 4% and wages growing faster than the national average. He touted historic property tax reform saving taxpayers $1.5 billion over three years, proposed accountability measures for utility rate hikes including appointing a consumer advocate who recommended a rate decrease, supported legislation to hold investor-owned utilities accountable, and called for reducing healthcare costs through transparency and anti-predatory collection measures. He also emphasized data centers must "pay their own way" for power.

Governor Kelly highlighted over $1 billion per year in tax cuts including eliminating the sales tax on food (saving $500/year per family), eliminating state income tax on Social Security, and cutting taxes for parents and farmers. She noted CNBC named Kansas second in the country for cost of living. She emphasized these cuts were possible through responsible budgeting and economic growth generating over $30 billion in new business investment.

Governor Beshear framed affordability through the American Dream lens, proposing a $150 million investment in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (leveraging $1 billion with private funding), $100 million to lower health insurance exchange costs threatened by federal subsidy cuts, $50 million for food banks, and a $75 million fund for at-risk utility bill assistance. He noted Kentucky scored as one of the best states for home affordability and warned of tariff impacts on working families.

Governor Healey made affordability central, announcing a 25% cut to electric bills and 10% cut to gas bills for February and March. She proposed expanding a $25,000 down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers, directed utilities to justify every line on bills, and committed to opposing big rate hikes. She highlighted over 100,000 new housing units in progress, plans to beat the 220,000-home target by 2035, free community college, free school meals, and banning broker fees. She also proposed eliminating prior authorization in healthcare and banning medical debt from credit reports.

Governor Moore highlighted rising costs (energy up 13%, beef up 19%) driven partly by federal tariffs. He proposed $100 million in additional energy rebates on top of $200 million delivered last year, called for data centers to cover their own power costs, and partnered with other governors to demand PJM cap energy prices for two years. He also emphasized housing supply through the Maryland Transit and Housing Opportunity Act and proposed a $10 billion investment in public schools.

Governor Mills proposed $300 affordability relief checks for approximately 725,000 residents from the rainy day fund, a $70 million "American Dream" housing proposal to build 825 new homes, and making community college permanently free. She detailed $1.1 billion in direct tax relief in the current budget (up from $388 million when she took office), including earned income tax credits of $650, child dependent credits up to $610, and student loan tax credits up to $2,500. She also emphasized weatherization and clean energy to reduce energy costs.

Governor Kehoe's central proposal was eliminating Missouri's individual income tax through a phased, voter-approved plan. He called for a ballot measure this year and previewed modernizing the tax code by taxing services not currently taxed while promising safeguards including triggered rate reductions. He emphasized fiscal discipline, reducing over $600 million from the general revenue budget to address a projected $2 billion imbalance.

Governor Armstrong focused his special session address on rural health transformation, noting the $199 million federal award for year one of the Rural Health Transformation Program. While not a broad affordability address, he emphasized healthcare access as essential to quality of life, noting nearly 75% of rural counties face primary care shortages. He stressed the program would not create unsustainable spending obligations.

Governor Pillen emphasized tax reform as central to affordability, calling the tax policy "broken" and noting past reforms created "carveouts, subsidies, loopholes, and exemptions" that amounted to tax shifts rather than cuts. He proposed a $500 million budget improvement through spending cuts and described the Grow the Good Life Incentive offering 10% tax credits for a decade to businesses bringing new high-paying jobs to Nebraska. He also eliminated taxes on Social Security income and removed community colleges from property tax rolls.

Governor Ayotte emphasized the New Hampshire Advantage of no income or sales tax, noting the state attracted six Massachusetts companies and 500 jobs in the past year. She identified housing as the top priority, reporting the highest housing production in 20 years after passing historic housing laws. She also addressed childcare costs, proposed a tax credit for companies investing in employee childcare, and called for lowering electric rates by fostering next-generation nuclear power and holding utilities accountable.

Incoming Governor Sherrill made affordability her top priority on day one, signing executive orders declaring a State of Emergency on Utility Costs, freezing new utility rate hikes, and opening solicitations for new solar and storage generation. She emphasized that Trump tariffs added $700 in costs per household in the first eight months and pledged to fight rising costs on groceries, childcare, and housing. She also emphasized making subscription cancellation as easy as sign-up.

Governor Lujan Grisham highlighted New Mexico as one of the more affordable states in America, citing nearly $1 billion in tax cuts in the last year alone including reduced gross receipts tax, expanded rebates, exempted Social Security and military retirement, and a child tax credit. She proposed eliminating gross receipts tax on medical services, a $1.5 billion transportation bonding package, $110 million for housing, zoning reform, and an interest-rate buydown program for homeowners.

Governor Hochul addressed affordability across multiple fronts: proposing universal childcare ("ultimately deliver Universal Child care for every single family in New York"), cutting auto insurance rates by cracking down on fraud, streamlining utility assistance, and requiring data centers to "pay their fair share." She highlighted the lowest middle-class tax rates in 70 years, a child tax credit up to $1,000, and paying off billions in unemployment insurance debt while increasing benefits 70%. She proposed $250 million more for affordable housing and $100 million for manufactured housing.

Governor Stitt highlighted cutting taxes by $1.6 billion, increasing median income by nearly $11,000, and proposed freezing property tax growth through a state ballot question. He emphasized the Path to Zero income tax plan with a 3% cap on recurring spending growth, and called for constitutional codification. He also proposed ramping up Medicaid work requirements and welfare vetting to control spending growth, noting Medicaid could consume 37% of the budget within 10 years.

Governor Shapiro emphasized economic growth with $417 million more in revenue than projected and highlighted middle-class tax relief, workforce development, and infrastructure investment. He noted the state has attracted $39 billion in private sector investment — more than the previous 15 years combined — and proposed sustainable mass transit funding as critical to economic competitiveness and affordability. He also emphasized housing construction, energy production, and proposed a $100 million Federal Response Fund to mitigate federal funding cuts.

Governor McKee unveiled a $215 million "Affordability for All" agenda including eliminating the state tax on Social Security, creating Rhode Island's first permanent child tax credit ($325 per child), rolling back the gas tax increase, reforming energy bill charges to deliver over $1 billion in energy relief over five years, creating a Marketplace Affordability program for health coverage, and making the Hope Scholarship permanent. He also proposed $120 million in housing bonds and $600 million in total infrastructure bonds.

Governor McMaster emphasized continued income tax cuts, noting South Carolina's rate was once the highest in the Southeast and 12th highest nationally. He reported $1.275 billion in savings from tax cuts over five years and proposed further reductions, saying "if the General Assembly can find a way to eliminate it altogether, I will sign it the second it arrives on my desk." He also highlighted seven consecutive years of frozen college tuition for in-state students.

Governor Rhoden proposed cutting owner-occupied property taxes by giving counties the option to replace the county property tax share with a half-cent sales tax, modeled for every county. He emphasized local flexibility rather than mandates and announced plans to host property tax town halls in hard-hit areas. He noted South Dakota has the second most competitive tax system in America and lowest unemployment rate.

Governor Lee highlighted fiscal discipline as the foundation for affordability, noting revenues increased 50% over eight years while government employees were reduced by 1,100. He proposed $340 million more for public schools and emphasized raising starting teacher salary to $50,000 (from $35,000 in 2019). He called for Certificate of Need reform and scope of practice expansion to increase healthcare access and reduce costs, particularly in rural areas. He framed all priorities around ensuring Tennesseans have "a good job, a good school for their kid, and a safe neighborhood."

Governor Cox focused his address on civic virtue and founding principles rather than specific affordability proposals, but highlighted housing as a key priority, stating "Utah will not become a state of renters" and calling for zoning and permitting reform. He emphasized early literacy as foundational to long-term economic opportunity and thanked legislators leading housing and literacy reforms.

Incoming Governor (unnamed in transcript but implied) pledged to "work relentlessly to make life more affordable," specifically targeting housing costs (cutting red tape and increasing supply), energy costs (producing more energy and making high users pay their fair share), and healthcare costs (protecting access, cracking down on drug price middlemen, and preventing medical debt spirals). She noted families are strained by rising costs of groceries, medicine, daycare, electricity, and rent.

Governor Scott framed education reform as central to affordability, noting Vermonters face $2.5 billion in pre-K through 12 spending (up from $1.6 billion when he took office) and another double-digit property tax increase. He argued that education system inefficiency — 52 supervisory unions and 119 districts for only 80,000 students — drives unsustainable costs. He also highlighted eliminating sales tax on household utility bills, saving $178 million over two years, and noted middle-class taxpayers received a 23% income tax cut, the lowest in 50 years.

Governor Ferguson proposed a Millionaires' Tax on those earning over $1 million annually, with revenue directed to expanding the Working Families Tax Credit (direct checks to working families), creating the biggest small business tax break in state history (exempting B&O taxes until $1 million gross revenue), and K-12 investment. He also proposed $200 utility bill credits for 125,000 families, $33 million for home energy assistance, $244 million for housing (largest-ever supplemental investment), and $164 million for pothole repair.

Governor Evers highlighted over $2 billion in annual tax relief with middle-class income tax cuts of 23% (more than double his 10% campaign promise), eliminating sales tax on household utility bills (saving $178 million over two years), and reducing the tax burden to the lowest in 50 years. He created the Get Kids Ready childcare program with $360 million for the childcare industry, supported over 30,000 new housing units, and warned that federal actions including tariffs and healthcare cuts threaten Wisconsin's progress on affordability.

Governor Morrisey focused on economic development as the path to affordability, announcing $4.5 billion in private sector investment and a comprehensive microgrids law to attract energy-intensive industries. He proposed $100 million for road and bridge repair, $20 million for state park improvements, and emphasized rural healthcare transformation with $199 million in federal funding. He highlighted the HOPE scholarship for education choice and workforce development through micro-credentialing and portable benefits.

Governor Gordon emphasized fiscal discipline and savings, asking the legislature to place $250 million of surplus into permanent savings. He proposed competitive state employee salaries to prevent losing workers to surrounding states and requested full funding for water infrastructure and natural resource defense. He highlighted tourism's $4.9 billion economic impact and called for maintaining the Wyoming Business Council to keep the state competitive, framing affordability through continued economic development and responsible budgeting.