Texans must put more emphasis on getting every child through 16 years of education if the state is to continue to thrive through the next few decades, Temple’s recently retired state representative told a crowd of about 200 Wednesday during her “State of the State” message.

Using data from a variety of state and federal sources, Dianne White Delisi illustrated the issues facing Texas between now and 2040 on every front - from education to transportation to health insurance.

Mrs. Delisi served this district in the Texas House for about 18 years ago before resigning last week. She previously announced she would not stand for re-election this fall, but her term was not to end until her successor took office in January.

She repeated Wednesday she is expecting to be appointed to a public office and could not hold her state seat at the same time.

Her “State of the State” address had been scheduled several months in advance, and Wednesday’s event turned into a tribute. Twice, members of the audience gave her a standing ovation.

After her speech, the Temple Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the event, surprised Mrs. Delisi by presenting her with the seat she sat in on the House floor.

Rather than looking back in her talk, though, Mrs. Delisi led the group through a raft of numbers to point out where Texans’ future will be bleak - without action.

Saying “Texas needs more students graduating with baccalaureate degrees,” she noted the lifetime difference in average earnings for those who are educated.

n For a high-school grad, the average annual pay over a life of work is $31,600.

n For someone with a two-year degree, it’s $39,600.

n And for a person with a bachelor’s degree, it’s $56,700.

Besides getting a degree, Mrs. Delisi said, students need to be encouraged to go into the fields of math and science.

The state must also deal with challenges in providing health insurance for Texas workers, she said. Numbers from the Texas Department of Insurance showed that 66 percent of uninsured adults are employed.

Water will be a critical issue for Texas to face, she said. Water is available in East Texas, and she predicted that “it will become an eminent-domain issue.”

Ken Higdon, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, asked Mrs. Delisi to name her favorite piece of legislation passed during her tenure. She said it had to do with establishing a trauma medical care system across the state.