COLUMBIA, S.C. - In his second State of the State address, Gov. Mark Sanford said Wednesday that South Carolina needs better education, better economic opportunities and better quality of life .

The speech highlighted the same five basic themes that were discussed in last year's version: government accountability; economy and the need for wealth creation; government structure; education; and quality of life.

The overarching theme that affects all of those issues is government restructuring, Sanford said. Restructuring will affect how well the state attracts industry and how education is provided in South Carolina, he said.

"My hope is that we make an impact on people's attitudes, in and outside of government, and that this leads to an environment more conducive to changing a whole lot of things necessary to raising income levels in South Carolina," Sanford said.

His plans to make government more streamlined and efficient got a major boost last week when Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, introduced restructuring legislation.

Sanford on Wednesday also introduced a new proposal making it mandatory for inmates to participate in education programs.

About 63 percent of the state's 24,000 inmates don't have a high school education or its equivalent, he said. Currently, inmates don't have to receive an education behind bars, but Sanford said under the new policy inmates won't get privileges if they refuse.

"Despite these budget times, I think it's worth committing $2.5 million to this program because I think it's crazy to continue to send folks out of a criminal justice system with no better educational leg to stand on and expect good things to happen," he said.

That's a reform that's been needed for a long time, said Sen. Jake Knotts, a retired law enforcement officer.

"I think whenever we put someone in prison, probably the reason he went to prison was because of a poor education," said Knotts, R-West Columbia. "I think that when we put them there, for whatever time it is, they need to come out a better person."

Sanford also called for more education reforms.

Public school funding has increased more than 130 percent in the last 30 years, yet the state's college entrance exam scores rank near the bottom, he said. Data from the state Commission on Higher Education also shows that South Carolina ranks last in the nation in graduation rates, he said.

State Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum said she was disappointed the governor focused on negatives. "It demoralizes our educators when the governor says negative things about education progress," she said. "The facts defy what he said in his speech about our public education system."

South Carolina has made unprecedented gains in education and has had the fastest improving college entrance exam scores in the nation, she said.

Democrats said they were concerned about the things Sanford left out of his speech, such as the need for base student cost increases to improve education.

"Under the law in the state of South Carolina, we're supposed to be funding this coming year, each student, K-12, in our public schools, $2,234. His budget provides $1,810," said Senate Minority Leader John Land, D-Manning.

Land said Sanford didn't mention that other states have better methods for funding public education. Several rural school districts have sued the state, claiming the way the state funds education shortchanges schools. South Carolina schools are funded with a mix of state and federal dollars along with local property taxes.

On the health front, Sanford said South Carolinians could have a better quality of life if they exercised. He cited the state's high ranking when it comes to illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

The governor, his wife, Jenny, and their four sons plan a bike ride across South Carolina this spring and he invited people to join him - a suggestion that drew chuckles from lawmakers.

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who campaigned by walking across the state, said he would accompany Sanford on the bike tour. "I'm excited about biking across the state. ... Not only are we going to reduce the size of state government, we're going to reduce the size of people in South Carolina."

Throughout his address, Sanford highlighted reforms made during his first year in office, including changes in the Department of Motor Vehicles and campaign finance reform.

Last session, Sanford signed a bill moving DMV from the Public Safety Department to a stand-alone agency that answers to him. Under the new law, drivers can get tag renewal stickers and registrations from county treasurers' offices or private entities that could charge a service fee more than the standard $24 for the transaction.

Drivers' license expiration dates have been extended from five to 10 years for most people. The agency also can contract with public and private entities to administer driving tests.

Sanford pointed to DMV employee Maurine Boyles as an example that the structure of government matters.

"Maurine Boyles and her peers were there for the last 10 years. They're there now. Same people in place, but because of the different structure, a decidedly different result. And people who were before spending an hour or two hours in the DMV line can instead spend that time with their family. They can spend it at work. They can spend it at play," Sanford said.

He also signed legislation last session requiring political parties to disclose soft money contributions, making political action committees unable to transfer money for state campaigns among themselves and giving lobbyists more restrictions on donations.

The governor called on legislators to tighten a law passed year that lowered the legal blood-alcohol level for drivers to 0.08 percent. He said it's been difficult for police to administer the new law, which could lead to legal problems.

He also asked lawmakers to change the state's minibottle law. South Carolina is the only state that requires bars to use the 1.7-ounce liquor bottles.