(WXYZ) — In what could be her final state of the state address, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer hit on several topics from healthcare to education and unity.
She also expressed her hope for the state legislature to work with her to lower the cost of insulin and boost education funding.
"Most people who use it need two to three vials a month which is up to 36 hundred dollars a year," she said. "Too many Michiganders are forced to forgo insulin or to ration it."
Whitmer also proposed rolling back taxes on retirement income. This includes pensions like 401K accounts and IRAs.
She says this could save half a million households $1,000 a year.
"We should make taxes more fair for our seniors and working families. Michiganders should be able to keep more of what they earned," she said during her speech.
66-year-old retired mechanic Robert West in Lake Orion says $1,000 won't cut it.
"It's too little, too late. It's not enough," he said.
He believes he and other retirees should get a tax break.
"Why don't they give senior citizens cut on property taxes. I'm still paying school taxes and I don't have any kids in school," he said.
The governor is also proposing to restore the EITC. She says folks would get an average refund of $3,000 which Michiganders can use to "pay the bills."
On the heels of General Motors' historic announcement earlier this week, the governor wants to give a $2,500 rebate for families who purchase electric vehicles.
That would be $2,000 for the car and $500 for the in-home charging equipment.
She also touched on state roads and the progress being made to fix them across the state.
Republicans hit back saying she has failed to deliver and the state of our state is fragile.
"She talked about beliefs. Believing in Michigan," Communications Director for the Michigan Republican Party Gustavo Portela said. "If you believe in Michigan, you believe you can do better."
