WATCH: Governor Haley delivers 2016 State of the State address

Governor Nikki Haley delivers her 2016 State of the State address to the General Assembly Tuesday night

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – A fresh start to 20-16, started with a look-back at what tested South Carolina in 2015.

“This has been a different, and difficult year for South Carolina; a year that warrants a different kind of speech,” Haley said. “While there is plenty to celebrate in our state, it would be neither honest nor productive to ignore the great challenges that were thrust upon South Carolina in 2015.”

Governor Nikki Haley delivered her State of the State address Tuesday night, remembering those lives taken in moments of tragedy last year, by praising the people who were left standing.

The families of Walter Scott and Senator Clementa Pinckney, along with the leaders that rose from the One Thousand Year flood, were in attendance for the address in the gallery.

The flood, highlighted the gaping holes in our infrastructure. Governor Haley made it clear, if the general assembly passes legislation that cuts taxes, reforms the Department of Transportation, and invests in our roads, it’s got her signature.

“Pass legislation that does not do all three of those things, and I will veto it,” she said.

That disappointed some Democrats, who say they’ve been having positive, bi-partisan talks about roads since the session started.

“Obviously on roads, we’ve still got a long ways to go,” Senator Joel Lourie (R), of Richland County, said. “I hope she’d meet us halfway on that. She put her foot down.”

Senate President Hugh Leatherman says he got the message, loud and clear.

“Those three things have to be in there, so they will be in there,” Leatherman said. “To what degree, we’ll see.”

Education, specifically crumbling facilities and a teacher retention issue in rural parts of the state, made up a large portion of Tuesday’s address.

“I have seen the disparities, and I will not continue to stand by to allow them to continue,” Haley said. “We want to raise our children to know they are worthy of a good education.”‘

Some lawmakers praised her commitment.

“She frankly acknowledged some areas of the state that aren’t enjoying the attention they should’ve received,” Senator Tom Davis (R), of Beaufort, said.

Others, said it’s not enough.

“We have to seriously look at this educational problem,” Senator Margie Bright Matthews (D), of Colleton, said. “Since I’ve been here two weeks, nothing has been said about it.”

Representative Mandy Powers Norrell (D), of Lancaster, presented the Democratic rebuttal to the address.

“If the Republicans could have given us the South Carolina we want and know is possible, they would have done it a long time ago,” Norrel said.