Governor prepares for big speech

The governor will deliver the annual “condition of the state” message this morning at ten o’clock. Governor Tom Vilsack will address a joint session of the Iowa House and senate this morning, addressing all 150 state legislators. As he was beginning to outline his speech a couple weeks ago, the governor said he wants to talk about some of the things have gone right lately — for example, the state’s effort to reduce class sizes in early elementary grades. He says these are challenging times, and it can be tough to preserve priorities and build on progress that’s been made. Vilsack says it’s a time to innovatively improve government and preserve priorities. As you may know, Vilsack is seeking re-election in November, and today’s speech gives him an opportunity to lay out his record.He thinks people don’t completely grasp how much progress was made to halt declining test scores, get employment to historic levels, creating a framework for future energy development, helping towns develop culture and recreation.