I am both humbled and honored by the presence here of three of my immediate predecessors - Speaker Kunicki, Speaker Prosser, and Speaker Brancel. Though the state's constitution and its statutes give each Speaker the same powers, each has exercised them in their own way. Speaker Kunicki masterfully used the rules of the Assembly to achieve his agenda; Speaker Prosser inspired us with his scholarship, his passion and his vision Speaker Brancel showed us the way towards bi-partisan achievement. In the days to come I will surely draw upon the lessons in leadership they have taught us. And today I would like you to join me in expressing our gratitude to them for their dedication and service.

This is "The People's House". We have a proud tradition here of energy, activity, and vision. And today, as we approach a new millennium we are in a race with our own history; to ensure that the ideals and accomplishments that have distinguished our proud past will also illuminate our hopeful future.

In this session and the last, the Assembly has accomplished many great things. But in the days ahead, the challenges will require even more from us. Last session, we cut property taxes by $1.2 billion and this session we have enacted a series of income tax cuts which will save Wisconsin's working families $1.1 billion over the next five years. And yet, too many families in our state are working too hard to pay taxes that are too high. We must always remember that forcing families to make sacrifices to pay unnecessarily high taxes is not only economically damaging, it is morally wrong.

Later today we will continue our efforts to reduce the burden of taxes on our families and small businesses. Though these tax cuts are modest - just over $30 million in this biennium - they signal our continuing commitment to keep reducing our state's taxes until they are finally in line with our families' ability to pay.

We must also work to restore civility and safety to all of our neighborhoods. Though crime is on the decline, its specter still haunts too many of our citizens and robs too many neighborhoods of an environment where the social bonds of community and responsibility naturally flourish and last. For much of this month, and most of next year, we will adopt tough laws which show no tolerance for violence, compassionate laws which will demand respect for the rights of victims, and heartbreakingly essential laws which will protect innocent children from horrifying crimes.

As a child, I was fortunate enough to grow up in a small Wisconsin town where village life revolved around church dinners and homecoming parades, high school football games and the volunteer fire department. I am thankful to have grown up in a loving family in a supportive community where every child was encouraged to chase their dreams. Many of you sit in this chamber today because you were similarly blessed by the good influences of faith, family, and friends.