LANSING, Mich. (WXYZ) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered her final State of the State address in Lansing Wednesday night.
Whitmer laid out her plans for her final year in office while speaking to a divided Legislature.
You can watch the full speech below:
The governor addressed uncertainty in the national economy, growing Michigan's economy, boosting literacy rates among young students and tackling the cost of housing.
“Our fiscal house is also in order. We raised the rainy day fund to record highs and enacted seven balanced budgets. We’re a top 10 state for doing business for the third year in a row. We improved our credit rating and will pay off $28 billion in debt,” Whitmer said.
She highlighted less debt but more room for improvement like the need to address literacy and help make medical debt less of a burden on residents.
You can watch the Republican response from Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt below:
Infrastructure was also a central theme, with the governor highlighting billions invested in rebuilding highways and local roads across the state.
“We’ve fixing the damn roads everywhere, thanks to the biggest bipartisan roads deal in state history,” Whitmer said.
Related video: Have we 'fixed the damn roads'? Experts, Michiganders weigh in on progress
At least one Michigander says he’s seeing results.
“She’s been working really hard on getting roads done. I think she’s doing a great job. I’d like to see more of it,” resident Mike Seeger said.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield was in attendance for her first State of the State.
“To my priorities around literacy and education as mayor coming up, we’ve been very focused on how we can bridge the gap to bring more literacy and afterschool programs to our city, but then also my goal of developing more affordable housing for our residents, so she hit on a lot of issues that are key to me personally as a new mayor,” Sheffield said.
While Whitmer emphasized economic momentum and lower costs for families, some residents say more attention needs to be paid to the homeless.
“People are coming up asking if we have money for food. They don’t even have a place to eat. They don’t have a place to sleep. They’re sitting out here in the cold. This is dangerous,” resident Sidney McElroy said.
The governor did acknowledge housing affordability and homelessness, calling for expanded housing supply and additional support services, though specifics will depend on legislative negotiations.
Reaction from lawmakers split largely along party lines. Democrats praised Whitmer's leadership. But Republicans argued the governor had seven years to accomplish what she says still needs addressing.
Whitmer, who delivered her first State of the State speech in 2019, signed off Wednesday night by saying "Big Gretch out," referring to a nickname Michigan residents gave her during her time in office.
