LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer will deliver her fifth State of the State address Wednesday evening.
Whitmer is expected to lay out her plans to tackle the challenges Michiganders are facing right now, including inflation and childcare.
The State of the State address will be held in the Michigan House Chambers in front of a joint session of the Michigan House of Representatives and the Michigan Senate at 7 p.m.
"The State of the State address is an opportunity to talk about the issues that make a real difference in people’s lives and focus on what we’re going to get done this year," said Governor Whitmer. "I can't wait to share my vision for our state as we move towards our bright future, and lay out my plans to lower costs, bring supply chains and manufacturing home to Michigan, and ensure Michiganders have unparalleled economic opportunity and personal freedom.”
GVSU Senior Affiliate Professor of Political Science Roger Moiles says the address will also be an opportunity for Whitmer to tout some of her more recent wins like the passage of Proposal 3 and a clean sweep of the most recent elections and the Democrats now controlling the State House, Senate and the Governor's Office.
“The State Senate hadn't been in Democratic control for 40 years," Moiles said. "And that's such a great advantage."
Despite the so-called trifecta, Whitmer has repeatedly claimed that she wants to work across party lines and has recently been in conversations with state Republican leaders.
“They [Republicans] know they're going to have to work with this Democratic Governor, and with Democratic leaders in the legislature in order to get any of their interest or their positions through," Moiles added.
We might also hear about gun control. Whitmer remarked briefly Tuesday at a roundtable discussion about deadly shootings in California, saying this type of gun violence is uniquely American problem and that you can't talk about crime if you're not talking about guns.
We know that she's pushed the basics: expanded background checks, red flag laws, and safe storage laws.
"I'm talking about some commonsense things that that I think all communities can get around, that recognize we need to keep illegal guns off the street, we need to keep guns out of the hands of people that pose a threat to themselves or others. And that's why these measures are measures that you'll hear me speak to," Whitmer said.
Whitmer is also expected to unveil a proposal calling for pre-kindergarten education for all 4-year-olds in Michigan.
The plan builds on the state's Great Start Readiness Program, which covers at-risk children and low-income families.
It would be implemented over the next four years.
According to the governor's office, it'll save families on average about $10,000 in childcare costs.
We don't have the price tag for the plan yet, but Whitmer is expected to deliver a proposed budget in the coming weeks.
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.
The governor's office claims increasing the Working Families Tax Credit will deliver an average of $3,000 or more to 700,000 homes.
FOX 17 will televise Governor Whitmer's annual 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.
