Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered her 2021 State of the State address from her Capitol office on Jan. 27. | stock photo
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered her 2021 State of the State address from her Capitol office on Jan. 27. | stock photo
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer highlighted government expansion at her State of the State remarks last week.
Whitmer spoke of nine government expansions with zero limitations and spent the majority of the evening talking about the negative repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m going to use a Latin phrase: annus horribilis, a year of horribles. Before I tell you more, take comfort in knowing that tough years like 2020, our annus horribilis, are usually followed by great years -- and yes, there’s Latin a phrase for that, too: annus mirabilis,” Whitmer said, according to WSBT22.
Some of the governor's suggestions, like the Good Jobs for Michigan program, won't assist with public health or the economy, according to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
“The government is throttling small businesses across the state," Michael LaFaive, senior director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center, told the Center's website. "Asking them to pay more, especially right now, so that a few large corporations can pay less, is regrettable. Good Jobs for Michigan and other taxpayer subsidies are expensive, unfair and ineffective.”
Other expansion proposals from Whitmer were executing changes that were advocated by the prescription drug task force, having a permanent supplement of unemployment benefits, small business assistance, the passing of the "MI COVID Recovery Plan," school funding and a $2 per hour pay increase for Michigan's home health care workers.
Additional proposals included raising taxes to improve roads and spending extra money on the water infrastructure for Michigan.
“This year is about fixing the damn road ahead -- finding common ground to grow our economy and get families and businesses back on their feet,” Whitmer said during her State of the State address.
Whitmer is the 49th governor of the state of Michigan and belongs to the Democratic party. Before being elected governor, she served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2001 to 2006, followed by the Michigan Senate from 2006 to 2015.
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