In Michigan, “The state of our state…is resilient.” The words of Governor Gretchen Whitmer tonight as she delivered her third State of the State address from her ceremonial office at the Michigan State Capitol literally alone with a handful of aides instead of in a boisterous legislative chamber as is tradition. The scenario changed dramatically due to the pandemic.
The theme of the governor’s address this year, harkening back to her previous pledge to “Fix the Damn Roads,” has become “Fix the Road Ahead,” or as she paraphrased it again, “Fix the damn road ahead.”
A major part of that plan is her recently announced Michigan COVID Recovery Plan which she reiterated tonight includes, “Distributing vaccines, getting our kids back on track, supporting small businesses, and jumpstarting our economy. My plan includes a call on the Legislature to permanently extend unemployment benefits from 20 weeks to 26 weeks. This would bring Michigan in line with 40 other states and provide hard-hit Michigan workers with the financial security and peace of mind they deserve.”
The governor also announced tonight she’s reconvening the members of the Return to School Advisory Council, saying, “By Spring, this group will provide guidance to policymakers, districts and schools about how best to promote comprehensive recovery. And my budget will fund academic recovery, school infrastructure improvements, and support for students’ physical and mental health. And I want to say thank you. Thank you to our incredible educators, administrators, and support staff for their dedication to our students throughout this pandemic.” She adds, “In gratitude, next month we will reward MI Classroom Heroes grants up to $500 each for teachers and support staff. These grants will offset some expenses and acknowledge their extraordinary efforts.”
In a bid to jumpstart the economy and jobs across the state saying, “Today, I’m announcing Michigan Back to Work: my plan to help us grow our economy and get Michiganders back on their feet. We will leverage all of the resources of state government to rebuild our economy back better. Working with leaders in state and federal government, business, and beyond to grow good-paying Michigan jobs.” By way of explanation she says, “Over the next year, we will announce initiatives and projects big and small – from tech, mobility and manufacturing growth, to clean energy and road construction. This will protect, grow, and create more good paying jobs.” Then she got after the legislature, saying, “It’s also time for the legislature to take action extending Good Jobs for Michigan legislation to retain and grow our businesses and create jobs.”
The governor hasn’t forgotten her pledge to “Fix the damn roads,” saying tonight, “Last year, I announced the Rebuilding Michigan bonding plan to create and sustain tens of thousands of jobs and start fixing the damn roads without an increase at the pump. Because better roads mean better jobs. Even combatting COVID, we moved a lot of dirt.” She used examples of that work, saying, “In Lansing, we completed the I-496 Rebuilding Michigan project, with hundreds of more projects on the horizon. Including heavily traveled sections of I-96 in Oakland County, I69 in Calhoun County and I-94 in Berrien County. And just days after the May flood in Midland, our incredible MDOT workers rebuilt a crucial bridge on US-10 in record time. Hardworking union construction workers – the Laborers and Operating Engineers – got this done safely in the middle of a pandemic. Thank you.”
She says we’ll be back at it in the year ahead, telling us, “We’re going to forge ahead rebuilding our roads in 2021 to protect our families and keep more money in Michiganders’ pockets. As for your local roads and bridges, last session, legislation was introduced to give local communities more options so they can move some dirt too. It’s a good idea – and it’s time for the legislature to get it done.”
Then she returned to her theme for 2021, saying, “This year, I will launch the “Fixing the Damn Road Ahead” tour to engage with and listen to Michiganders – young and old, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, from Lake Superior to Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and everywhere in between. To focus on what unites us, improve how we talk to each other, and together we’ll fix the damn road ahead. My mission is to find common ground so we can emerge from this crisis stronger than ever.”
Concluding her State of the State address, Gov. Whitmer signaled the legislature saying, “Now, to the legislative leaders tuning in: our job now is to fix the damn road ahead – together. Let’s commit to the strong bipartisan action we took last year and focus that same energy to end the pandemic, grow our economy and get our kids back on track. The people of Michigan are counting on us.”
You can read the governor’s complete speech at this link: WhitmerStateofState2021
