Today, we see Locke's nightmare becoming reality as lawlessness and violence surge. We are not free when we huddle inside homes and businesses with barred windows, and when fear stalks us even on a trip to the convenience store or to the corner business after sundown. The most basic civil right is the right to live free of burden, the right to be left alone, the right to live in peace. In the recent session of the General Assembly, we were able to achieve broad bipartisan support for some of the most far-reaching changes in our criminal justice laws in recent memory. This past week, we launched the Governor's Commission on Citizen Empowerment.
Empowerment is a hollow promise, though, without education and economic growth.
And, for that reason, it is essential to make these areas a top priority. In fact, one of my first acts as Governor was to reverse the recent trend at the state level of robbing higher education to pay for other programs. Higher education in the Allen Administration is a priority. But it also must be affordable. Students at UVA have endured a 68 percent increase in tuition costs during the past four years.