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State of the State 2009

AUSTIN, Texas (January 27, 2009) -- Texas Governor Rick Perry outlined a laundry list of proposals that he said would continue to keep Texas out of the economic doldrums that plague much of the nation in the State of the State address to a joint session of the Texas House and Senate Tuesday.

It was a record fifth State of the State delivered by Governor Perry.

"All across the country, states are hiking sales taxes, they're slashing education spending, preparing to pay state employees with IOUs, and begging Washington, D.C. for a bailout," Perry said. Texas is not in that position, Perry said, partly because of past belt-tightening measures taken by the state.

Perry outlined proposals to make changes to the state's franchise tax program instituted two years ago, freeze college tuition rates and provide a $5,000 incentive toward the purchase of Plug-In Hybrid vehicles in the non-attainment areas of the state.