(WXYZ) — During her 7th State of the State address to the Michigan legislature, Governor Gretchen Whitmer pledged to find common ground but also said she would not back down from a fight.
FULL SPEECH: Governor Gretchen Whitmer gives 7th State of the State address
Whitmer's speech was followed by State Representative Bryan Posthumus giving the Republican response.
FULL SPEECH: State Representative Bryan Posthumus gives the Republican response to State of the State
Whitmer began by thanking leaders and colleagues, as well as honoring former Senator Debbie Stabenow by announcing they were renaming Constitution Hall as the Deborah A. Stabenow Building.
She then began her speech by saying, "I took an oath to serve the people of Michigan—all the people. That’s my commitment to you no matter who is in the White House or on the other side of the table in Lansing. Yes, I do hope to find common ground with President Trump and work with the Democratic Senate and Republican House on our shared priorities. I’m not looking for fights, but I won’t back down from them either."
Whitmer said Michigan "represents America in every way- economically, geographically, politically, and socially."
She then moved on to talk about political division in the country and the challenges we face.
"Partisanship has infected every aspect of our lives, driven by opportunistic politicians and media figures who live by a philosophy of 'I win… if you lose.'” Whitmer said.
But, she said, "Our people are not as divided as our politics. I really believe that."
Whitmer then went on to name a number of “firsts and new beginnings worth celebrating," before talking about the state's burgeoning finances, saying, "Our financial house is in order, too. While other states are juggling multi-billion-dollar deficits, we’ve got a surplus."
However, she then addressed President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs, saying, "I’m not opposed to tariffs outright. But they’re a blunt tool when the Michigan economy is on the line" and "It would be a disaster."
Whitmer then asked the legislature to keep speaking with one voice for smart trade policies to level the playing field and secure American jobs without jacking up costs."
The governor then laid out the three areas she want to concentrate on:
- One… Costs. Let’s make life more affordable.
- Two… Jobs. Let’s create more opportunities to help people earn more money.
- Three… Results. Let’s make government work better for the people we all serve.
She also said, "Lowering costs is our top priority."
Whitmer then said the way to move forward is to "build, baby build" to address the housing shortage in Michgian, which she says stands at 140,000 homes.
She said, "MSHDA has been doing their part, with 2 straight record-breaking years. This year, let’s do it again. This year, let’s invest $2 billion to build, buy, or fix nearly 11,000 homes. This year, let’s make the largest housing investment in Michigan history. Getting this done will create more than 10,000 construction jobs, lower costs, and help more people achieve the American Dream."
Whitmer then moved on to wages in the state, touting the recent bipartisan agreement on raising the minimum wage and implementing paid sick time, before moving on to further addressing medical debt in Michigan.
"This year, let’s work across the aisle to reduce medical debt so being sick or getting hurt doesn’t also mean being broke for the rest of your life," Whitmer said..
Another area Whitmer called for action was fiscal responsibility and accountability, calling on reform with earmarks.
"Speaker Hall is passionate about bringing accountability to the process, and I agree," she said. "In this year’s budget, let’s have total transparency on all earmarks. If you want to invest taxpayer money, put your name on it. If they can do it in DC, we sure as hell can too."
Whitmer then announced executive action to get more men enrolled in higher education, something they are lagging behind women in the state in.
"My message tonight goes out to all young people, but especially our young men. I know it’s hard to get ahead right now. But I promise you, no matter how hard life might get, there is always a way out and a way up," she said.
After highlighting Michigan Reconnect and how workers are vital to our national security, especially through programs like the partnership with the U.S. Navy and Macomb Community College on the Michigan Maritime Manufacturing Initiative, which trains workers in Macomb County to build submarines, Whitmer moved on to Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
"I’m proud that we’ve always worked across the aisle on Selfridge, and I want to thank Representatives Debbie Dingell, Lisa McClain, John James, Senator Stabenow, Senator Elissa Slotkin and, of course, Senator Gary Peters. A former naval officer, he’s fought hard for service members, military families, and defense jobs, and I know he will continue until the very last minute of his term. We’re all doing our part, but we need federal support," Whitmer said. "That’s why on Saturday, in DC, I spoke with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about supporting a fighter mission at Selfridge. Let’s support our brave men and women in uniform at Selfridge in our next budget and work with our federal partners to save Michigan jobs and protect our national security."
Whitmer then moved on to what has become her signature issue, "those damn roads."
"We need a sustainable, long-term solution for local roads. Every pothole is a reminder that we must act now," Whitmer said. "Now, I know there are a couple different plans out there, including mine, and I know none of them are perfect. But what’s not okay… is no plan. Michiganders won’t accept inaction. To get it right, we’ll all have to recognize some hard truths. To my friends in the GOP, a long-term fix means new, fair sources of revenue. We can’t cut our way to better roads by slashing public safety, health, or schools. To my fellow Democrats, cuts will need to be a part of the solution. To the business community, we can’t put this on the backs of the middle class. For all of us to be part of the solution, we must all compromise. And that’s the way it ought to be. Let’s get back to the negotiating table in the coming days and weeks to find a long-term, bipartisan solution so we can fix more of those damn roads."
Whitmer then moved on to the "3rd big priority for 2025" which is results, which she said must start with permitting.
"Permitting has been broken for a long time, leading to slower construction, fewer jobs, and higher prices. In Michigan, we’re done waiting around," Whitmer said. "There’s a huge opportunity here for bipartisanship because we all agree that things shouldn’t take so long."
"This year, let’s simplify permitting to get things built on time and on budget," Whitmer said.
She also talked about licensing, saying, "A lot of our licensing rules and requirements don’t make sense."
"I can enact some of these changes alone, through executive action—and I will. But others require new state law," she said. "This year, let’s make it easier for people to get and keep a good job, not harder."
Moving to education, Whitmer talked about her education budget, saying, "We spend more and we get less. It’s not acceptable. For our kids, let’s do better. Let’s face our literacy crisis with fierce urgency."
"My education budget this year centered on the SMART Plan, or Students, Metrics, And Results with Transparency. I proposed targeting investments into schools where most kids are falling behind, changes to get funding into classrooms faster, without bureaucracy, and more transparency to notify parents about performance. This year, let’s pass a SMART education budget and get our kids on track for the bright futures they all deserve."
Also as part of education, Whitmer spoke about mental and physical health, and "phones."
"Our educators get it. It’s hard to teach geography or geometry when you’re competing against memes or DMs. Other states—red and blue—have taken action. So has most of Europe and Canada. I understand the need to be connected to your child. But we can do better," she said. "This year, let’s pass bipartisan legislation to limit the use of phones in class. We’ve seen encouraging data about how commonsense restrictions on phone use during class lead to more learning and less bullying. Kids listen, raise their hands, and make more friends. They talk during field trips. Three-quarters say they feel happy or peaceful without their phone. That’s what school should be about."
Also on the subject of physical health, Whitmer called on the legislature to close the loophole that allows vapes the same way cigarettes are taxed.
