LANSING, Mich. — Just over 24 hours out from her address to the state, Governor Gretchen Whitmer was making the rounds, meeting with Michiganders on Tuesday.
FOX 17’s Josh Berry caught up with the governor Tuesday morning in Lansing at a roundtable discussion at a local coffee shop.
He got a chance to ask her about her plans for the State of the State and efforts to provide relief for families struggling on a fixed income or even figuring out how to pay for their groceries.
The governor and Democratic lawmakers want to both roll back the tax on retirement income and increase a tax credit for low-income working families.
We expect her to focus on those efforts Wednesday to bring relief to families, among other topics.
Whitmer told us not to expect any earth-shattering revelations or plans.
While there may be a little something in her address that people haven't heard before, there won't be any surprises.
The biggest challenges are families just scraping by and that was one of the topics at the roundtable she attended Tuesday.
Salina Montes, a young, working mom supporting a family, came to the roundtable to learn more about Whitmer's "Working Family Tax Credit" plan and how it may benefit her.
She already has something in mind. Salina said, "Things I could do, like, pay off my insurance for the year would add on $300 extra a month for me could pay off, you know, the phone bills."
Salina said the struggles weigh on her mental health and is a feeling shared by people across Michigan. Whitmer insisted that the issue is not unique to our state.
"What [Salina] was giving voice to is, you know, the mental health crisis that the whole globe is confronting," Whitmer suggested. "We all acknowledge it's not unique to one part or to one community or one state or one nation for that matter."
The governor's office claims increasing the Working Families Tax Credit will deliver an average of $3,000 or more to 700,000 homes.
"I think the working families tax credit [and] repealing the retirement tax that was put on 12 years ago, these are meaningful ways we can put real money back in people's pockets, people who are living on fixed incomes, people who are working but can't get ahead. That's what we're focused on. And that's why I think, now with this new Legislature, we can get it done," said Whitmer.
Whitmer vetoed multiple Republican-backed bills that aimed to provide relief last session. One of them would have taken effect this year.
Legislature again OKs tax cuts; Whitmer floats $500 rebate
She says even if she had signed them, things would be no different.
The governor says she has already met with Republican leaders two weeks ago and says she's committed to continuing those conversations and that she expects they can find some common ground.
For continuing coverage on the State of the State, stay with FOX 17 for the latest.
We'll televise Governor Whitmer's yearly address Wednesday at 7 p.m.
You can also watch it live on our website, Facebook page and streaming apps.
Plus, we'll break down the speech in our 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts.
