But the most consistently mentioned technology-related policy proposal in the 2025 speeches was support for smartphone bans in schools. Further, many governors cited the detrimental impacts of sticky social media content on the well-being of young people. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul attached it to an “Unplug and Play” initiative that includes resources for parks and recreation, while Montana’s Gov. Greg Gianforte proposed an overnight social media blackout. “Kids need more rest, not more reels on Instagram,” he said.
Though cybersecurity didn’t come up often, a couple governors professed a duty to safeguard resident data from the latest threats. Idaho Gov. Brad Little pledged $10 million for cybersecurity investments aimed at keeping bad actors from abroad at bay. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott laid out the most specific plans related to cybersecurity, prioritizing a new Texas Cyber Command in San Antonio. As part of the state’s cyber-partnership with its universities, the new command would complement the work of both existing and planned Regional Security Operations Centers throughout the state.
Energy production surfaced often for governors, emerging as a key consideration for many administrations. Utah’s Operation Gigawatt, for example, includes a plan to explore new sources of energy, including geothermal and nuclear, while Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy outlined the potential of myriad energy sources. Aside from the massive revenue possibilities, several speeches tied energy priorities directly to skyrocketing power needs for data centers to support advanced computing like artificial intelligence.
A few governors this year made direct references to technology-powered work taking place under their leadership, reflecting a sustained focus on government efficiency and overall customer experience. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds lauded her state’s IT consolidation and modernization, which yielded more than $200 million in savings. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers highlighted several modernization endeavors that simplified and expanded online services for residents, also pointing to millions in savings realized by remote work efforts. And in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis hyped multiple digitization projects impacting taxes, the DMV and the state’s one-stop myColorado app.
Below, we dig into the details of all the speeches, ranking each on the strength of its technology-related agenda, on a scale of zero to five stars. We’ll keep the updates coming as more speeches are delivered.
Alabama
Address date: Feb. 4, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: Gov. Kay Ivey focused on traditional Alabama values and a return to “common sense” policies in her 2025 State of the State address. She said her No. 1 priority was public safety, including legal protection for law enforcement, enhanced penalties for dangerous felons and more supervision for high-risk youth. She also highlighted education reforms that have improved math and reading scores and business reforms that have created thousands of new jobs.
Within these broad strokes, Ivey said Alabama is adapting to technological changes in two ways: increasing access to broadband at home and limiting access to phones and social media in schools. The state is a national model for broadband deployment, she said, bringing high-speed Internet to 142,000 addresses since Ivey took over in 2017. On the other hand, she said technology tools, especially phones and social media, have a time and place. In light of survey data from high school teachers and parents reporting phone and social media use is rampant, distracting and negatively impacting students’ well-being, Ivey said she would sign a bill banning cellphones in schools and requiring student social media training.
Read the governor’s address here.
Alaska
Address date: Jan. 28, 2025Stars: 1
To sum it up: In his State of the State address, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy highlighted successful outcomes from the Reads Act, passed by the state Legislature nearly three years ago to improve reading skills for pre-kindergarten through third grade students. Early data shows the percentage of Alaskan students who met early literacy benchmarks grew from 41 percent to 57 percent.
The governor also pointed to technological developments around energy production, and advanced carbon capture initiatives.
“I see opportunities that are second to none for energy of all kinds,” said the governor, who devoted the lion’s share of his remarks to the state’s ambitious aims at drilling, mining and transporting fossil fuels, “not just on federal lands, but state lands as well.”
Dunleavy wants to pursue development in the “oil, natural gas, coal, wind, solar, hydro, emerging sources in geothermal, tidal, hydrogen, and advanced nuclear” sectors to help the supply the nation’s growing energy needs. He connected those evolving needs to rapid progress in advanced computing, including AI.
“Things change quickly, and the energy transition as it was known just a few years ago is gone,” Dunleavy told the Legislature.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Arizona
Address date: Jan. 13, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: In her third state of the state address, Gov. Katie Hobbs referred to technology in terms of how it would create jobs and help make the state competitive in critical industries. Specifically, she mentioned an investment in January through the CHIPS and Science Act to create Arizona’s first national laboratory, and one of three flagship semiconductor research and development facilities in the U.S. She said the project, a partnership between the state’s Commerce Authority and Arizona State University, would put thousands of people to work. Hobbs also referred to private-public partnerships in manufacturing and other industries critical to the national economy and security, which could potentially include fields such as cybersecurity and smart manufacturing, although she didn’t specify that. Similarly, she mentioned the BuildItAZ initiative to invest in trade apprenticeship programs in high-demand fields, but she did not say which ones.
The rest of Hobbs’ speech revolved around high costs of living, cutting red tape for housing construction, lowering child-care costs, giving raises to teachers and law enforcement, investing in border security, protecting women’s health care, and groundwater management.
Read the governor’s address here.
Arkansas
Address date: Jan. 14, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: While Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ speech did not delve deeply into technology or innovation, it did touch on technology-related policies, such as online safety. The speech discussed the dangers of social media and unrestricted phone access for teenagers, particularly in the context of mental health. There was also a brief mention of simplifying government services through a unified college application process, likely to involve digital platforms or technical infrastructure.
Read the governor’s full remarks here.
California
Address date: TBD
Stars:
To sum it up:
Colorado
Address date: Jan. 9, 2025
Stars: 3
To sum it up: Gov. Jared Polis’ 2025 State of the State address included three direct references to technology — and two references to areas that frequently overlap with tech. Early on in his remarks, Polis pointed back to the state’s 2023 win, being designated in October of that year as a Quantum Tech Hub, clearing the way for what is likely to be tens of millions of dollars in funding. He called out the value of digitizing services, via the Colorado Digital Service, the myColorado app, and DMV2GO and TAX2GO mobilizations. (Find more information on his 2025 “operational agenda” here.) The governor also highlighted state work with local governments on automating processing — and working to end permitting delays — for clean energy applications such as rooftop solar. Adjacent to tech, the work ahead includes improving the state’s emergency dispatch system, Polis said.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Connecticut
Address date: Jan. 8, 2025
Stars: 0
To sum it up: In his 2025 State of the State address, Gov. Ned Lamont highlighted progress in Connecticut’s economic and social policies, focusing on affordability and opportunity. He emphasized the state’s achievements in raising the minimum wage, reducing taxes for middle-class families and securing pensions, while noting Connecticut's balanced budget for the sixth consecutive year.
Lamont also discussed efforts to address high electricity prices, health-care costs and education challenges. His proposals included increasing energy supply through renewables and nuclear power, improving health-care affordability and expanding workforce training programs. Lamont concluded by reinforcing the state's commitment to providing pathways for success, urging residents to seize opportunities for advancement.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Delaware
Address date: Jan. 21, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: In his inaugural address, Gov. Matt Meyer mentioned technology only once, describing it as something that is “getting smarter, making us more efficient, more effective in our jobs and daily lives.” He said Delaware “can and should be leading these transformations” but did not provide further details.
Instead, Meyer’s speech focused on more general goals for the state, with an emphasis on education. The former middle school math teacher said Delaware has one of the five worst public school systems in the United States based on student academic scores and that turning that around will be his top priority. He added that immediately after the speech, he would be signing his first executive order, to expand apprenticeship and workforce development programs for students to “learn and earn” across the state.
Other issues Meyer said he plans to tackle during his time in office include a lack of affordable housing and spotty access to health care in Delaware.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Florida
Address date: Mar. 4, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: To sum it up: In his 2025 State of the State address, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis mentioned technology just twice. First he discussed the state’s digital bill of rights, which went into effect July 1, 2024, and provides citizens with the right to confirm, access and delete personal data from social platforms; the right to personal data not being used against them when purchasing a home, obtaining health insurance or being hired; the right to know how Internet search engines use search results; the right to opt out of having personal data sold; and the right to protect children from personal data collection.
DeSantis then praised “protecting Floridians against the imposition of a central bank digital currency,” referring to SB 7054, which he signed in May 2023 to prohibit using a federally adopted central bank digital currency by excluding it from the definition of money within Florida’s Uniform Commercial Code.
Outside of that, DeSantis focused on various other state efforts, including enacting reforms to lower insurance rates, tripling Florida’s rainy-day fund, reducing state debt by 41 percent and more.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Georgia
Address date: Jan. 16, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: Gov. Brian Kemp, now in his sixth year at the helm of the Peach State’s government, touched on many subjects in a policy-focused State of the State speech on Jan. 16 — but tech talk was largely absent. While leaving out such subjects as broadband expansion and cybersecurity, Kemp did briefly mention the passage of House Bill 1114 in April 2024, which gave the state’s insurance commissioner new powers to collect data and use it to drive tort reforms in an attempt to bring down insurance rates for businesses. Outside that, Kemp spent time arguing that Georgia’s fiscal conservatism on matters such as taxes and Medicaid expansion have kept costs down and led to a business-friendly environment that has helped the state grow and bounce back through hard times, including hurricanes, tornadoes and a shooting at Apalachee High School last September. He also praised the success of the new 988 crisis and suicide hotline as well as investigation units targeting gangs and human trafficking.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Hawaii
Address date: Jan. 21, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: In Gov. Josh Green’s 2025 State of the State address on Jan. 21, he focused primarily on the state’s work to improve the cost of living and speed recovery efforts following the Lahaina fire and COVID-19 pandemic.
Regarding technology, Green said that the state is deploying 80 wildfire and 16 wind sensors in the state to establish an early alert system with 24-hour monitoring and alerting capabilities. The system will provide electronic notifications in real time when risks are detected.
He also briefly acknowledged the state’s efforts to expand broadband technology and the state’s goal to establish a zero-emissions transportation system.
Green’s primary focus was the state’s cost of living challenge, which affects other areas like housing availability and homelessness. Impacts also include a teacher and health-care worker shortage in the state. As such, the state is building more affordable housing units and implementing legislation to reform short-term rentals and return housing units to the local market. To help people currently experiencing homelessness, the state is building Kauhale villages — communal villages of tiny homes. The state is also incentivizing health-care workers with a loan repayment program.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Idaho
Address date: Jan. 6, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: Idaho Gov. Brad Little didn’t have much to say about the role of technology in his speech entailing his vision for the state in 2025. However, he promised to “beat back” foreign hackers, allocating more resources to protect residents’ data. As part of his Keeping Promises plan, he’s allocated $10 million for cybersecurity investments. His speech focused on bad actors from other countries, assuring residents that the state will beef up its defenses against cyber threats from China and Russia.
Little also spoke about planned investments for wildland firefighting, including bonuses to retain and hire more firefighters. His plan also allocates $5 million for improving aviation and detection strategies to ensure early fire suppression.
Little’s speech primarily focused on protecting water sovereignty in the state, continuing investments for public education, growing the housing supply and cracking down on wasteful government spending.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Illinois
Address date: Feb. 19, 2025
Stars:
To sum it up:
Indiana
Address date: Jan. 29, 2025
Stars: 0
To sum it up: Gov. Mike Braun’s first State of the State address outlined his Freedom and Opportunity Agenda, challenging Indianans to build on the state’s strong foundation “to build something truly exceptional.” His ideas to reduce the tax burden on residents included property tax cuts, and he outlined a few proposals to increase government efficiency, informed by his experience as a business owner. Braun also detailed measures intended to make health-care costs more transparent and competitive. On education, the new governor shared the state’s latest ranking as sixth in the country on reading, expressing support for increasing teacher pay as well as workforce development programs connecting students with lucrative manufacturing jobs. While he made broad statements about making state government more responsive, Braun’s address did not offer many clues as to how his priorities would be supported by IT.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Iowa
Address date: Jan. 14, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: In her Condition of the State address, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds gave updates on the state’s IT consolidation and modernization, launched about 18 months ago. The move has consolidated systems across 20 agencies, contributing to $217 million in savings in various efficiency efforts. Otherwise, tech talk was limited to a mention of legislating cellphone-free school hours and hands-free driving.
Lauding Iowans and first responders for heroic actions during last year’s flooding and tornadoes, the governor then turned to education. The discussion ranged from teacher pay raises, open enrollment, charter schools and a proposed bill to improve math readiness. Additional topics included increasing health-care access, decreasing costs and attracting more medical professionals; cutting unemployment taxes due to a full trust fund; and adding nuclear energy to the state’s energy portfolio.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Kansas
Address date: Jan. 15, 2025
Stars: 0
To sum it up: Gov. Laura Kelly covered a wide range of issues in a quarter-century report card of sorts, delivered in her State of the State address. Touching on many aspects of progress during her two terms as governor, she pointed to progress in education and called for streamlining different aspects of government to enable better management and services for residents. But aside from one brief mention of broadband, her plans didn’t explicitly mention technology.
Kelly outlined an existential crisis to the state’s water supply, threatening the way of life so many Kansans depend upon. Data shows groundwater supplies like the Ogallala Aquifer are stressed and heading toward depletion without proper management. She called for additional funding and the creation of an Office of Natural Resources to bring water management under one agency.
Kelly is that rare two-term Democratic governor leading a red state, and she used her address to strike at consensus and forge common ground.
“Our job is to lift up the commonsense, smart, reasonable ideas that will help Kansans — and then meet in the middle to get them done,” she said.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Kentucky
Address date: Jan. 8, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: Internet access and batteries won praise from Gov. Andy Beshear during his State of the Commonwealth address, which highlighted the $35 billion the state has taken in from private-sector investment over the past five years.
Along with expanded access to health care, a push for cleaner water and repairs to roads and bridges, Beshear early in the speech focused on “installing high-speed Internet across Kentucky.”
Calling such access a “necessity for education, health care and our economy,” he said that the state's plans will connect more than 80,000 homes to high-speed Internet. He also talked about his visit last year to a small town called Barry, which has about 350 residents, none of them with previous access to high-speed Internet. But as part of a $22 million project, those connections are coming, with a total of 3,700 homes and businesses set for connections.
Beshear also praised Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing, which is moving into a 1 million-square-foot building in the state, with more than 1,500 “skilled, high-tech jobs” as part of that effort.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Louisiana
Address date: Apr. 14, 2025
Stars:
To sum it up:
Maine
Address date: Jan. 28, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: Maine Gov. Janet Mills delivered a State of the State address this year that was structured entirely around the state’s budget and fiscal priorities. The discussion of state finances was deep and nuanced, but mentions of technology were few and far between.
At one point early in the address. Gov. Mills did praise outgoing state Commissioner Heather Johnson for fighting for universal high-speed Internet for all Mainers, noting that the concept is an “economic driver” for the state. That, however, was the only mention of broadband. The other slight mention of tech came when Mills noted that 65,000 people had enrolled in private health insurance through Maine’s state-based marketplace, CoverME.gov.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Maryland
Address date: Feb. 5, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore wants his state to be the capital of quantum computing, clean energy, artificial intelligence, biotechnology and “all of the sectors that will define the economy of tomorrow,” according to his State of the State address. His speech centered around growing and diversifying the economy, reforming the tax system and investing in people, and he aims to take a data-driven approach to these goals.
To boost the economy, Moore said, technology will play a key role. He identified life sciences, information technology, and aerospace and defense as three key industries to grow in the future. He also praised existing work to get more residents connected to broadband.
As for investing in people, Gov. Moore pointed out data on men and boys’ struggles with low college attainment, incarceration and suicide. The state’s largest investment in public education to date — totaling $550 million — and sentencing reform may help the state better support men and boys.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Massachusetts
Address date: Jan. 16, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: Tech may not have been the headliner in Gov. Maura Healey’s State of the State address, but AI and clean energy still made cameo appearances in her remarks.
The governor discussed the state's $100 million AI Hub, which is aimed at driving research and innovation for scientists and startups, along with investments in a Holyoke data center, saying they were ways to strengthen collaboration between universities and businesses. Under a new climate law, the governor also said the state is simplifying permitting processes, which enables faster construction of critical energy systems to power new homes, labs and industries.
Finally, she also highlighted startups focused on decarbonization and renewable energy, which supports the state’s ClimateTech Initiative aimed at accelerating progress toward a more sustainable future.
Review the governor’s full remarks here.
Michigan
Address date: Feb. 26, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: Technology was not a major topic of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s seventh State of the State speech, although she touched on a few related issues. In a recap of good news, she mentioned that a nuclear power plant in Palisades will become the first restarted nuclear plant in U.S. history. She talked about boosting career and technical education, giving students hands-on experience with computers in school, and recent programs to lower the cost of degrees for students. She also called for legislation to limit the use of smartphones in schools.
The rest of Whitmer’s speech focused on housing prices, medical debt, state assistance to lower energy bills, funding for road repairs, permitting and licensing reform, education funding and the overall need for bipartisan cooperation.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Minnesota
Address date: TBD
Stars:
To sum it up:
Mississippi
Address date: Jan. 29, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: During this year’s State of the State address, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves outlined the state’s achievements and ongoing investments in its data center infrastructure. He emphasized the government’s critical role in technological progress and economic development.
Reeves also highlighted a $10 billion investment from Amazon Web Services (AWS). An AWS-backed project will create two large data centers in Jackson, adding 1,000 new jobs for Mississippians. Furthermore, another $10 billion privately funded project will bring a new data center to Meridian. These projects help place Mississippi on the map for being a hub of technological innovation. Beyond the data center plans, Reeves did not mention technology again. He instead highlighted other efforts toward strengthening the state’s economy and mentioned job creation in industries like energy.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Missouri
Address date: Jan. 28, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: Gov. Mike Kehoe’s inaugural State of the State address highlighted Missouri’s plans and successes, but it was light on direct mentions of technology. That said, Kehoe’s remarks, titled “Securing Missouri’s Future,” mentioned several areas where technology comes into play or is likely to do so.
The state budget, Kehoe said, supports a new State Highway Patrol crime lab in Cape Girardeau, one that is prioritized to “foster innovation.” The governor recognized Alena Malone of Ferguson’s Lovely Child Development Center – a business started using an Innovation Grant. His administration, Kehoe said, is dedicated to timely payments to child-care providers who work with the state. “We will not allow late payments or technology issues to put these small businesses at risk of not being able to provide for families in need of child care,” Kehoe said.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Montana
Address date: Jan. 13, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: Talk of technology was limited to its impact on youth and education in Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte’s third State of the State speech. For 2025, he said Montana will increase funding for STEM and online classes, though he did not say by how much. He also said Montana will offer $1 million in “one-time-only incentives” for districts to adopt student cellphone bans. “Schools with these policies have experienced higher test scores, fewer discipline issues and better social interactions among students,” he said.
Gianforte added that Montana needs policies to protect kids from social media as well, citing its links to bullying, depression, anxiety and suicide. He called on state lawmakers to require parental consent for kids to create social media accounts; ban social media companies from collecting and selling data about kids; and require default privacy settings for minors on social media. Lawmakers should ensure Montana parents have a “legal course of action” against tech companies that do not follow such policies, he said, or whose platforms cause harm to their kids. “Lastly, we should have a curfew, a blackout, on social media overnight for kids,” Gianforte said. “Kids need more rest, not more reels on Instagram.”
Read the governor’s speech here.
Nebraska
Address date: Jan. 15, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen’s State of the State address only briefly mentioned technology with regard to protecting farmers’ data and safeguarding children from social media. Regarding the latter, Pillen mentioned a package of bills being introduced in the Senate to protect children from social media, ban the use of phones in classrooms and include AI-generated images in the state’s child pornography laws.
As for farmers’ data, Gov. Pillen thanked state Sen. Mike Jacobson for his efforts to protect farmers’ data from being used by large corporations and big data companies. Outside of that, Pillen’s speech primarily focused on lowering state taxes, streamlining government agencies and protecting the state’s natural resources.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Nevada
Address date: Jan. 15, 2025
Stars: 0
To sum it up: In his 2025 State of the State address, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo did not mention technology in a substantive way. Instead, the governor outlined several key initiatives aimed at tackling Nevada's housing crisis, improving health-care access, and enhancing education and public safety.
Lombardo emphasized the need for federal land release to ease housing shortages, proposing the Nevada Attainable Housing Act to boost affordable housing development. Lombardo also introduced the Nevada Healthcare Access Act to address health-care provider shortages and improve care delivery, alongside the creation of a new Nevada Health Authority. In education, he proposed the Nevada Accountability in Education Act to raise standards and expand school choice. And on public safety, he called for stronger laws to combat crime. Lombardo's focus on economic development, effective government and election reform aimed to strengthen Nevada’s future, encouraging collaboration to achieve lasting progress for its residents.
Read the governor’s speech here.
New Hampshire
Address date: Jan. 9, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte did not mention state use of technology in her inaugural address. She did mention the negative impact of technology, and specifically screens, on students in learning environments, announcing forthcoming state action to ban cellphones in schools. Ayotte focused more on “out-of-control” government spending, undocumented immigrants, high taxes, and businesses and people leaving the state.
As one way to address government spending and budget constraints, Ayotte announced the creation of the Commission on Government Efficiency. The commission will highlight for the governor proposals that will streamline government operations and cut spending.
She highlighted other state challenges, such as a soon-to-retire workforce in need of public-private partnerships that support training new talent, as well as lack of affordable housing in need of creative repurposing of state properties. She said her goal is to continue attracting businesses to the state to increase economic opportunity.
Read the governor’s speech here.
New Jersey
Address date: Jan. 14, 2025
Stars: 3
To sum it up: Gov. Phil Murphy mentioned technology several times in his State of the State address, highlighting both the potential it has for the state as well as how it plays a role in its challenges – particularly with young people.
The governor expressed his support for school districts adopting policies that ban cellphones from K-12 classrooms, thereby establishing phone-free schools. His reasoning was that the phones cause distractions in class and have fueled a rise in cyber bullying.
But Murphy also made it clear that the state strives to continue to be known for technological innovation, highlighting a bill he’d like to see sent to his desk that would allow every New Jerseyan to obtain mobile drivers’ licenses and IDs, accessible from their smartphone, calling it common-sense legislation that “will make life easier for the people we serve.”
Finally, Murphy raised the subject of new industries, like generative AI and clean energy, as ways to build a stronger state economy in the future.
Read the governor’s speech here.
New Mexico
Address date: Jan. 21, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: In her seventh State of the State address, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham mentioned technology a handful of times. She praised the state’s work to harness clean energy like wind and solar power, pointing to these sectors as one of the fastest-growing sources of jobs in New Mexico. She also called for the state to build a system to recycle its industrial water for use in initiatives like clean energy projects, advanced manufacturing data centers and fighting wildfires.
Additionally, Gov. Lujan Grisham announced the world’s largest integrated quantum computing company, Quantinuum, is planning to open a major research and development center in the state. She also touched on technology in education, calling for the state to create a comprehensive science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program. Finally, she proposed incentivizing schools to ban cellphone use by students during school hours.
Read the governor’s speech here.
New York
Address date: Jan. 14, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to make living in New York affordable and safe. A couple of her many priorities outlined in her State of the State speech included brief tech references, like those involving New York City’s famed subway system. Plans include cameras in every subway car, LED lighting in every station and modern gates to stymie those who would evade paying fares. Hochul also touted the state’s work to combat the ill effects of social media on young people’s mental health. A new “Unplug and Play” initiative points resources toward new playgrounds and recreation opportunities for kids.
New York also has an “advanced nuclear strategy” in the works to meet growing energy needs, buoyed by semiconductor giant Micron’s commitment to a $100 billion facility in the upstate area. Hochul cited $320 billion in economic growth potential over the next 15 years expected from AI, linking that to the Empire AI program, aimed at building the country’s most capable supercomputer.
Read the governor’s speech here.
North Carolina
Address date: TBD
Stars:
To sum it up:
North Dakota
Address date: Jan. 7, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s inaugural State of the State address was light on mentions of technology. He called for criminal justice reform that focuses on using tech and other pretrial services to reduce pretrial detention. He also touted the efforts of the previous administration in developing the state’s career and technical education programs, which among other things teach students about technologies vital to careers in North Dakota, such as agriculture.
On the non-tech side of things, Gov. Armstrong called on the legislature to pass his administration’s new property tax plan. The proposal is designed to reform and relieve property taxes for the state’s homeowners. He also announced the creation of a new Cabinet position, the commissioner of recovery and re-entry, to work across state government agencies and lead a holistic approach to facilitating addiction and behavioral health services.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Ohio
Address date: March 12, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: It wasn’t so much about technology as it was about tech-related jobs in the State of the State address from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. Part of his speech served essentially as a jobs tour of the state, with the governor highlighting employment gains in various regions. Some of that tour tied into technology and showed how the heavily industrial state hopes to build up its strength in the 21st-century economy.
DeWine focused, for instance, on places like Dayton and work there to build air taxis, and Pickaway County, where a planned defense technology plant is projected to create 4,000 high-paying jobs.
“These Ohioans will produce cutting-edge technologies and build revolutionary aircraft that will transform both our aerospace industry and our military,” he said.
He said that Intel has invested $7 billion toward chip fabrication in the state, though he didn’t mention that the $28 billion project reportedly faces new delays as the company turns to a new CEO to rebuild its balance sheet. Even so, DeWine touted the expected 3,000 jobs that Intel will create.
Those jobs, he said, will make the state a global leader in microchip manufacturing “critical to our innovation economy and to our national defense.”
Read the governor’s speech here.
Oklahoma
Address date: Feb. 3, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt’s seventh State of the State address mentioned technology several times. He reminded everyone about his call in last year’s address to make the state “the high-tech data center capital of the world.” He then pointed to how the state is continuing to support investments in this area with efforts such as Google’s data center in the city of Pryor, now one of the largest in the world. He also touted a recent federal announcement of a $20 billion investment in data centers around the U.S. that will include Oklahoma.
Gov. Stitt also touched on technology in education, calling on the state’s public schools to eliminate virtual school days. In a similar vein, he echoed priorities of many other governors this year by asking the Legislature and state school districts to find an effective way to prevent students from using their cellphones during school hours. His speech also recognized technology as a driver of growth in Oklahoma. He said he wanted 2025 to be “the year of the Energy Abundance Agenda,” calling for increased energy production to make the state’s energy supply more reliable and affordable.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Oregon
Address date: Jan. 13, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek focused primarily on human services in her State of the State address. The only concrete mention of technology was her recognition that state agencies have made progress in strategic planning around operations, technology processes, emergencies, and diversity, equity and inclusion work. As Kotak highlighted, agencies have developed systems to track and report on progress in implementing audit recommendations, which can be viewed online on the state’s Agency Expectations Dashboard.
The state also has a public online dashboard to track progress made in an initiative to add 465 new treatment beds by the end of 2026, increasing the state’s capacity for behavioral health housing. Oregon is also investing in strengthening its pipeline for the available workforce to serve qualified counselors and social workers.
Kotek also addressed the issue of homelessness in Oregon, referencing the state of emergency that was initiated in the state two years ago. This resulted in actions that are projected to re-house 3,300 households and prevent another 24,000 households from experiencing homelessness by July 2025. The state is also supporting efforts to build more affordable housing units.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Pennsylvania
Address date: TBD
Stars:
To sum it up:
Rhode Island
Address date: Jan. 15, 2025
Stars: 3
To sum it up: If played right, technology such as self-driving undersea vehicles could help Rhode Island build a better economy and even gain an edge on its high-tech New England rival Massachusetts, said Gov. Daniel McKee in this year’s State of the State address.
In addition, McKee also pointed to “cutting-edge biotech incubator” tech and factories that build “all-electric, passenger vehicles that glide above the ocean” as part of his goal to create a robust “blue economy in the state, one anchored to the marine environment” that is so vital to the tiny state.
But McKee also discussed more traditional state tech work, including recovery efforts from a recent data breach that hit Rhode Island’s RIBridges system, which residents use to access benefits.
“Unfortunately, cyber attacks are becoming more and more common across government and the private sector,” he said. “Here in Rhode Island, when faced with this challenge, we came together to help people by offering good customer service and connecting residents to their benefits, and that is what we will continue to do.”
Read the governor’s speech here.
South Carolina
Address date: Jan. 29, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: Gov. Henry McMaster outlined in his State of the State address how South Carolina's technology and innovation landscape has advanced significantly, particularly in digital services and infrastructure development.
McMaster framed South Carolina as a leader in research highlighted by its designation as one of 12 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs in the country, qualifying for federal research grants between $40 million to $70 million annually. The governor also shed light on capital investments in technology by the private sector, like Google investing $3.3 billion to expand its South Carolina data centers.
To signal the state’s support for continued economic growth, McMaster pledged $13.7 million to eliminate permit backlogs and establish a 90-day deadline for permitting decisions. The move was one of a few proposals aimed at making South Carolina government run more efficiently.
Read the governor’s full speech here.
South Dakota
Address date: Jan. 14, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: Similar to last year’s address, Gov. Kristi Noem’s 2025 State of the State speech lacked much discussion of technology. Noem framed the bulk of her remarks as the top 10 reasons why South Dakota will continue to be an example to the nation, mentioning tech-related initiatives just twice within that premise.
The governor’s No. 9 reason was health care, because she said the state was leading in health-care policy. She also highlighted the state’s work in telehealth. Noem said that South Dakota’s “first-in-the-nation initiative" made telehealth services available from ambulances statewide. And, during a discussion of state agencies’ work following floods, Noem noted that the Bureau of Information and Telecommunications deployed a network in the Emergency Operations Center, in support of the response.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Tennessee
Address date: Feb. 10, 2025
Stars: 0
To sum it up: In his 2025 State of the State address, Gov. Bill Lee talked heavily of the importance of innovation, using the word or its variants nearly two dozen times. This talk, however, did not cross over into specific mentions of technology. For example, the governor noted that the state needed to continue upgrading its transportation infrastructure, but rather than cite autonomous vehicles or vehicle charging, Lee stuck to traditional upgrades, such as redoing roads and bridges. The governor also noted that the state is investing money in grants for economic development in order to attract new innovators, but he did not name specific technologies he would like to see supported by state grant-making.
This sort of broad talk about innovation without getting specific about tech was present throughout Gov. Lee’s remarks. Similar to many other governors this year, Lee did touch on energy innovation, noting that the state has been and will continue to support new usage of nuclear power to support its growth. Still, topics such as government modernization, broadband and cybersecurity were entirely absent from the address.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Texas
Address date: Feb. 2, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: Besides touting Texas as the top state for technology and innovation, Gov. Greg Abbott made one major tech announcement in his State of the State address: an emergency item for the 89th Legislative Session calling for the establishment of the Texas Cyber Command.
The state has already seen multiple public entities fall victim to devastating attacks and breaches, including Matagorda County, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and public school districts.
“San Antonio is home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of cybersecurity experts,” said Abbott. “We must harness those assets to protect against threats from China, Iran, Russia and other foreign enemies. They could cripple our power, water and communications with cyber attacks. We must use cutting-edge capabilities to secure our state.”
According to a press release, the Texas Cyber Command would be headquartered in San Antonio, where it would work in close partnership with the University of Texas at San Antonio, as well as all other state universities and the state’s Regional Security Operation Centers.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Utah
Address date: Jan. 23, 2025
Stars: 2
To sum it up: Gov. Spencer Cox made references to technology in his fifth State of the State address with a call to remove cellphones from schools, a nod to social media restrictions for minors and praise for a plan to boost energy production.
The latter received the most attention, as it’s an area Cox said requires “bold action” in the coming year to secure the power grid and drive innovation in Utah. That action comes in the form of Operation Gigawatt, which includes a focus on new resources, such as nuclear and geothermal energy, and more transmission capacity to provide power for data centers, vehicle electrification and artificial intelligence, according to the Utah Office of Energy Development.
“We're laying groundwork for advanced nuclear reactors while protecting national security by building capacity to be a net energy exporter through Operation Gigawatt,” Cox said in the speech.
He also alluded to a bill that will be introduced this year to ban student cellphone use in schools and two amendments passed last year to protect minors on social media platforms.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Vermont
Address date: Jan. 9, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s inaugural address included two mentions of technology, both of which were brief nods to structural improvement projects. Thanks to federal aid following the COVID-19 pandemic, the state upgraded broadband for more than 100,000 households and businesses, he said. The state has started revamping its 55-year-old unemployment IT infrastructure, as well.
Scott was more heavily focused on plans to restructure education and housing, which he said are not underfunded but remain major problem areas for constituents. He outlined plans to redesign the education funding formula and governance structure but keep the $2.3 billion total budget amount steady. For housing, he shared plans to expand existing programs with the goal of creating 8,000 new homes per year for the next five years. He highlighted one program that uses property taxes to subsidize affordable housing and another that offers loans to create or rehabilitate housing units.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Virginia
Address date: Jan. 13, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: Mentions of technology in Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s State of the State address were few and far between. The most significant was a plea to state lawmakers to send him a bill that would make flying a drone over critical infrastructure a class felony. He made the request by citing “increased drone incursions over sensitive and critical infrastructure sites.”
Youngkin also referenced an executive order he created that bans the use of cellphones in K-12 schools, saying that the results in some districts have already been positive, including a dramatic decrease in disciplinary referrals. Other topics Youngkin covered included reducing taxes, improving health care for mothers and their babies, and an overall reduction in state overdose deaths and violent crime.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Washington
Address date: Jan. 15, 2025
Stars: 0
To sum it up: In his first address as governor of Washington, Bob Ferguson shared his plans to sign an executive order that would require the state’s Department of Health to gather experts to make recommendations on safeguarding reproductive health. He mentioned that the state has strong legal protections and briefly highlighted Washington’s robust data privacy law – noting it is one of the strongest in the U.S.
Ferguson’s other main points in his speech focused on housing and affordability. He plans to sign another executive order that would direct state agencies to review all current housing, permitting and construction regulations, as well as to take the necessary actions to streamline processes. To offset increases in Washingtonians’ cost of living, Ferguson detailed plans to lower barriers to free meals for students in K-12 public schools.
Read the governor’s speech here.
West Virginia
Address date: February 12, 2025
Stars: 3
To sum it up: Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s first State of the State address to West Virginia revolved heavily around energy technologies and production. He started by reminiscing about the glory days of coal, oil and gas, mentioned the state surviving the “War on Coal” and winning a U.S. Supreme Court case that limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate power plant emissions. Morrisey also said the U.S. will need to dramatically raise its power production in order to win a “ferocious competition” with China to be the main energy supplier for future data needs. Specifically, he urged the development of nuclear-powered small modular reactors, expanding microgrids and investing in education. Perhaps most consequentially, in terms of state tech initiatives, Morrisey announced a new facility — the West Virginia POWER Tech (Powering Our Workforce through Energy and Revolutionary Technology) Center — that involves collaboration with four universities to help the state become an energy supplier for tech companies. He also advocated training students in data, robotics, smart manufacturing and other tech fields, and for policies to make the state friendly to data and cryptocurrency facilities. Morrisey further made vague mention of taking advantage of federal money for broadband; advocated for educational focus on STEM, coding, digital literacy and vocational tech; and called upon the Legislature to ban cellphones in classrooms.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Wisconsin
Address date: Jan. 22, 2025
Stars: 3
To sum it up: Although technology was not the focus of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ address, Evers did emphasize the state’s recent efforts to modernize systems, create jobs and expand private-public investment opportunities, particularly in the medical field.
“We’re also working to make Wisconsin a global leader in health and medical field advancements, from developing new technologies to discovering cures and strategies to improve treatment outcomes,” Evers said. “Our Tech Hub is projected to create over 100,000 jobs and $9 billion worth of economic development in Wisconsin over the next decade alone.”
Modernization efforts cited by the governor include a streamlined licensing system, an interactive mapping tool for monitoring animal disease outbreaks, a new system for reporting drug overdose trends, an app for tracking veterans’ medical care and an online option for purchasing state trail passes.
Evers also touted the state’s commitment to saving over $7 million in tax revenue annually by expanding remote-work options across state government.
Read the governor’s speech here.
Wyoming
Address date: Jan. 15, 2025
Stars: 1
To sum it up: Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon only briefly mentioned technology in his State of the State speech this year. He called for increased focus on diversifying the economy through adoption of things like financial technology, advanced manufacturing and nuclear energy. He also touted the state’s use of federal funding for infrastructure to expand broadband access.
Unrelated to tech, Gov. Gordon spoke about Wyoming’s property tax relief efforts, praising past initiatives and encouraging continued momentum on this front. He discussed the state’s natural oil and gas production, calling for expansion of a prior coal litigation fund and to continue efforts to identify federal lands and minerals to be acquired by Wyoming. He praised the state’s investments in education, and he recommended increased Medicaid funding for providers of OB, behavioral health and in-home health services. The governor also touched on the state’s wildfire response, praising the work of firefighters and calling for more investment in prevention and recovery.
Read the governor’s speech here.
