State employees and retirees were largely absent from Governor Josh Stein's first State of the State Address on Wednesday despite the ongoing crisis of high vacancy rates within state agencies and the resultant pressure on employees.

Stein mentioned correctional officers briefly but failed to fully recognize the hard work of state employees in the past year. With his first state budget proposal expected to be released next week, SEANC members should email him to let him know why they need a raise.

In this week's episode of the SEANC View podcast, our team discusses the address, the vacancy and retention issues, and the economic impact on the state workforce.

President Kirk Montgomery and Immediate Past President Martha Fowler also joined us for a conversation on celebrating black leaders and institutions in state government for Black History Month and their time in SEANC leadership.

We close with a discussion of the 5th anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 lockdown.