Since taking office, Governor Whitmer has brought Democrats and Republicans together to power strong economic growth. Governor Whitmer is focused on continuing to build on the historic accomplishments of the first Democratic-led legislature in 40 years. Her proposals will lower costs, expand access to safe and affordable homes for Michigan families, continue record investments in education from preschool to college, keep protecting our seniors, boost our state’s economy to new heights, and so much more to ensure anyone can “make it” in Michigan.    

Please see below for her remarks as prepared for delivery.     

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Good evening, Michigan! How about them Lions? 

I am excited to be here tonight between two leaders who have gotten a lot done over the past year: Speaker Joe Tate and Majority Leader Winnie Brinks.  

I want to acknowledge Minority Leaders Matt Hall and Aric Nesbitt. We delivered a balanced budget focused on the kitchen-table issues in 2023, and I know we will this year too. 

Now, I want to thank productive partners in governance, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.  

Please join me in thanking Major General Paul Rogers, Colonel James Grady, and those who serve in our State Police and National Guard.  

To our state employees, my cabinet and executive office staff-thank you for your tireless efforts on behalf of the people of Michigan.  

Like some of you, I am a product of the ’80s. I love big hair and bold leather jackets. Classic movies and of course, classic rock. 

All great albums from the ’80s have some things in common. Chart-topping hits that everyone loves, Deep cuts for the fans, and a few experimental tracks. At their best, these are timeless records whose impact transcends a single year or artist.  

At our best, that’s what we aspire to do, too. Get things done that outlast us. Make policy for future generations. Over the past year, our record, like any great album, had something in it for everyone, and all the tracks-or policies-were bound by a common theme: making a real difference in people’s lives.  

We composed this record thanks to the people in this room and every Michigander at home. Groups only succeed when all its members are thriving, and lately, Michigan has been playing in harmony.  

Let’s go through the set list. 

A lot of people had faith we would roll back the retirement tax on our seniors. We got it done to save half a million senior households an average of $1,000 a year.  

We rolled back this tax, and I want to thank Representative Angela Witwer for her leadership. 

We quintupled the Working Families Tax Credit so people working 9 to 5 or second or third shift get hundreds more dollars back in their pockets. Let’s acknowledge Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet for getting it done. 

This year, the Democratic legislative majority delivered $1 billion in tax relief. This year, seniors will keep more of what they earned and hundreds of thousands of working families will get refund checks, putting money back in their pockets to help with groceries, gas, or home repairs. 

We know that girls just wanna have fun, and pay down debt, so we did. Since I took office, we paid down $18 billion of debt. We brought our rainy day fund to an all-time high of nearly $2 billion. We even created a new rainy fund for our schools and put nearly $500 million in it. 

We won’t back down in our fight to protect reproductive freedom. We passed Prop 3 to protect abortion rights and repealed our extreme 1931 abortion ban with Representative Pohutsky and Senator Geiss. 

For every sweet child of ours in Michigan, we made school breakfast and lunch free.  

All 1.4 million public school students get 2 meals a day so they can focus on learning and parents save $850 a year on groceries, per child. I want to thank Senator Darrin Camilleri and Representative Regina Weiss who led this effort. When I introduce my next budget, we’re going to keep feeding students and lowering grocery bills.  

We put cost-saving pieces of the Affordable Care Act into state law. You might be wondering-what’s cost got to do, got to do with it? Now, young people can stay on their parent’s insurance until they turn 26 and you can’t be charged more for having a preexisting condition. No one should be running up that bill to get better when they’re sick.  

While some folks in Washington are trying to repeal the ACA and strip away health care for kids, seniors, and working families, we got your back like a rock in Michigan. We will protect your care-no matter what. I want to thank Representative Matt Koleszar and Senator Kevin Hertel for their work on this issue. 

While other states restrict your freedom to be who you are and love who you love, we heed the words of Ms. Diana Ross and say we’re coming out to protect equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community! Thank you, Senator Moss and Representative Hoskins, for your leadership. 

We also ended natural hair discrimination by passing the CROWN Act! Thank you, Senator Sarah Anthony. 

We have a heck of a record and we are starting 2024 fired up. My fellow Michiganders, the state of our state is ready to rock! 

We got into the groove last year, but great bands do not rest on their laurels-they make the next record better than the last one. There’s more to do, and nothing is gonna stop us now.  

Let’s talk about the challenges Michiganders face today. Top of mind is costs. It’s hard to buy a house, afford a car, or save for retirement while keeping up with bills. People put things off to make ends meet: replacing old tires, fixing busted gutters, buying your child a warmer coat. 

No matter who you are or where you come from, if you work hard, you should be able to provide for your family and have a fair shot at a better future. You should have the freedom to live the way you want. That’s the American Dream. You should be able to chase it in Michigan. At our best, that’s what we are-a home of opportunity for people seeking a great life at a good cost of living.  

Tonight, that’s what I’ll focus on-how we can keep lowering costs, improve education to set up our children for success, make more stuff right here in Michigan, and compete with the world. 

First, costs. No one likes paying $6 for a box of cereal or more for an oil change than they did last year. But I want to be upfront with you: I cannot solve global inflation alone. No one person can-not even the President. If you meet someone who says they have a secret plan to fix inflation-run! 

What we can do is make life more affordable by lowering costs on the biggest items in your monthly budget. When your paycheck hits your bank account, you know your largest and most important expenses: housing, child care, transportation, education, utilities, and food. 

From axing the retirement tax and free school meals, to the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and Reconnect which lower the cost of college by thousands, to programs like Tri-Share that slash the cost of child care by 66%, we are taking action. 

Things are headed in the right direction. Inflation is slowing down, unemployment remains low, and take home pay is up. It’s a great time to find a good-paying job, with unions fighting successfully for better pay and benefits. President Biden’s policies are bringing jobs and supply chains home to Michigan from China. 

Still, Michiganders need more breathing room. This year, we will continue our work to lower costs on the biggest items in your budget. So, let’s get into it. 

A few weeks ago, I rolled out the Michigan Vehicle Rebate, a plan to lower the cost of buying a new car with a $1,000 rebate off any car and $2,000 for electric vehicles. If it was assembled by a union, you get an extra $500 bucks-that’s up to $2,500 off. The MI Vehicle Rebate would be offered at the point of sale-so you save money as you walk out of the dealership. 

Michigan’s auto industry has been the backbone of our economy for a century, powered by the men and women of the UAW, who negotiated and ratified a record contract last year. We want our auto workers and our auto industry to thrive right here in Michigan. 

Let’s help them both do what they do best-make the world’s best cars and trucks. With the MI Vehicle Rebate we can lower costs and support the ongoing transition to an all-electric, union-made future. 

Next, housing, usually the largest expense in everyone’s budget. Right now, too many families spend more than half their income on their rent or mortgage. Our housing stock is old-nearly half of all units in Michigan were built before 1970. Young people cite housing affordability as one of their top concerns.  

These are statewide challenges. In Traverse City, school districts need housing for teachers who have nowhere else to go. On the Westside and in the UP, there just aren’t enough homes for growing families. Detroiters see higher rates when they re-sign.  

In other words, the rent is too damn high and we don’t have enough damn housing!  

Our response will be simple: build, baby, build

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