A year-end report

In my State of the State address in January, I reminded legislators that finding success during prosperity is admirable, but capturing success and moving Arkansas forward during a national recession would be a true achievement.

As we reflect on 2009, I believe we have met that challenge. Yes, we've lost jobs, and there are thousands of Arkansans still struggling. But we've weathered this storm better than the vast majority of our sister states, and I believe our recovery will be stronger because of it.

Arkansas's standard of living has enhanced its national reputation as one of the most desirable places to live, raise a family, and do business. Business Week named Central Arkansas the fourth-strongest local economy in the United States, and Forbes called it the second-best "Bang-for-the-Buck" metro area based on its relative low unemployment and reasonable property taxes. MSN declared the Little Rock-North Little Rock area the sixth "most livable bargain market" because of its job growth and diverse economy, and CNN Money ranked Northwest Arkansas among the top-25 best metropolitan areas in America to start a small business. These are impartial acknowledgements from beyond our borders that our State's got what it takes to survive this recession and emerge more robust for the effort.

My steadfast determination to bring more jobs to Arkansas took me to Europe and Cuba this year, meeting with existing and potential Arkansas companies and looking for new trade opportunities for the future.

With the persistence of the State Economic Development Commission, a wide array of companies have set up shop in Arkansas, including Caterpillar, which is building a road-grader plant in North Little Rock; Mitsubishi, which will open a wind-turbine assembly plant in Fort Smith; Allied Wireless Communications Corporation, a telecommunications company that will open its headquarters in Little Rock; and Cooper Tire and Rubber, which not only decided to stay in Texarkana, preserving hundreds of jobs, but will expand its operations there to hire hundreds more. Wind-turbine-parts manufacturer Nordex and pet-food maker Mars Petcare have cut the ribbons on new plants. These business decisions have translated into hundreds of millions of dollars in investments and thousands of jobs.

We've met our economic challenges head-on with strategic tax reductions designed to assist both individuals and businesses. The legislature passed a further reduction in the sales tax on groceries, and we reduced the sales tax on utilities for manufacturers.

We've done all that while meeting our most important obligation to education. Other states are laying off teachers, but Arkansas continues to increase funding to grades K through 12.

We're making gains in health care, too. While Washington struggles to address this pressing issue, Arkansas has moved forward by passing a comprehensive health-care package. We created a statewide trauma system and supported community health centers and autism research. This further enhances a health system already seeing progress -- our national health ranking improved from 44th to 40th over the past year.

I want to thank the members of the Arkansas General Assembly for their leadership on these issues. I believe we are all seeing signs of good things to come. We're not out of the woods yet, but we're working together to get there, and Arkansas plans to break out ahead of the pack once we do.