LG Gilchrist touts achievements by Democrats. 'We’ve been eager to get to work'

LANSING — Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II highlighted the legislative achievements of Michigan Democrats as the first 100 days of single-party state control approached.

“We have been eager to get to work,” he told the State Journal Wednesday. In the last three months, Democrats in Lansing have passed numerous proposals that were long held off by the Republican party that has controlled at least one branch of state government for the last 40 years.

Priorities have included a repeal of the pension tax, expansion of the Working Families Tax Credit, pro-organized labor policies and the introduction of gun control measures. And on Wednesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the repeal of the state’s 1931 abortion ban, which was rendered moot by the passage of Proposal 3 in 2022. Gilchrist praised the repeal as “taking out the trash.”

Democrats reclaimed control of both legislative chambers in the 2022 election following the national overturning of Roe v. Wade and the work of the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission creating more evenly split districts. But despite the four decade gap since the previous era of total Democratic control, Gilchrist said the party was optimistic going into the election.

“We had high expectations because we knew that the positions that we held, the policies that we have advanced, are policies that are popular in the state of Michigan,” he said. “Because they want to be able to not have barriers that stand between them and progress, between them in their future. And they want us to continue to solve problems, like expanding access to childcare, creating jobs, making college more affordable, giving people access to skills training and more.”

“We are doing those things, and we're excited to do those things because the voters gave us the opportunity,” he added.

Gilchrist singled out social policies, such as the newly enshrined constitutional right to abortion and recently signed expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include sexual orientation and gender identity, as reasons for individuals and families to relocate to Michigan.

“Michigan is absolutely different than Florida and so many other states and our message is very clear — to anyone in the country who wants to have a place a home or as our state motto says, “a pleasant peninsula,” where people can come and be their best selves, that we will invest in them and their education and their future,” he said.

Politicians in Florida have recently passed numerous controversial measures, including a proposed 6-week ban on abortions and the bill dubbed by opponents as “Don’t Say Gay” that prohibits classroom instruction of sexual orientation or gender identity before fourth grade. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has shared his plans to expand this policy through the 12th grade.

“Whether you are a person who was worried about your reproductive freedom in another state, you should come to Michigan, if you're a person who's worried about being fired from your job because of who you love, you should come to Michigan because that won't happen to you,” Gilchrist said.

“I want people knowing that Michigan is a place where you can be safe, where you can build your family and future as you see fit, that we will welcome you as you are your authentic self, so you can grow into the future and be your best here in the state of Michigan,” he added.

Democrats have also pursued several gun control measures following the Feb. 13 shooting at Michigan State University that killed three students and injured five. Proposals establishing extreme risk protection orders, universal background checks and safe storage laws have been moving through the legislature in recent weeks.

As for further gun control measures, Gilchrist said that “we have more opportunities to grow and to build on top of that, and I look forward to the community engagement and what that will look like.”

He did not comment on specific policies that may be considered by the Democrats.

Gilchrist also gave a preview of education policies Democrats hope to pursue in the coming months through the budget process.

“We're going to continue to see historic investments in education — the largest per-student investment ever in K-12 education, free breakfast and free lunch programs for every school student, making sure that people have access to universal pre-K over the next four years, positioning young people for success,” he said.

Gilchrist also said that making college more affordable is a priority and highlighted the existing Michigan Reconnect and Michigan Achievement scholarship programs.

“This is about creating pathways to opportunity, and that's what our next budget is going to be about,” he said.

Contact Sheldon Krause at skrause@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @sheldonjkrause.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Gilchrist touts Democrats' policies as party nears 100 days in control