State of the State: 5 proposals that could impact Greater Lansing residents

LANSING − Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave her annual State of the State address Wednesday night, laying out her agenda for Michigan after Democrats took full control of the state government for the first time in four decades.

Whitmer focused on several long-touted campaign promises including economic growth initiatives, tax relief and expansion of social services. She now says that the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate will allow these measures to be passed after years of Republican opposition to many of her party’s proposals.

Democrats hold slim majorities in the Legislature, 56-54 in the House and 20-18 in the Senate.

Here are the five of the most significant proposals announced by Whitmer, along with thoughts from the Lansing area’s elected officials on their impacts on the region.

Repealing the pension tax, expanding the EITC

Whitmer touted her proposals to repeal the state’s pension tax and rework the Earned Income Tax Credit into the Working Families Tax Credit. She claimed that the repeal of the retirement tax would save 500,000 households an average of $1,000 per year, while the WFTC would provide refunds of at least $3,000 to another 700,000 families in the state.

“Seniors who served, saved, and did everything right deserve to keep more of what they earned,” she said in her speech.

Rep. Angela Witwer, D-Delta Township, praised the moves, saying that the repealing of the pension tax is particularly significant to her constituents.

“In my district, I have the largest population of retired state workers, so the pension tax is the biggest thing in my district – one of three doors actually talked to me about it and want it repealed,” she said.

Rep. Julie Brixie, D-Meridian Township, also discussed her district’s desire for Whitmer’s tax proposals.

“Everywhere in the district – certainly in Ingham County – the repeal of the pension tax is a big issue,” she said. “The state of Michigan is a pretty big employer in the region, as well as other folks that receive pensions, so I know that's a big one that I that I've really heard a lot about.

“In addition to that, I think seeing the challenges that hardworking families are having putting food on the table, the increases to the Earned Income Tax Credit are going to really be important for that extra survival of Michiganders who are most in need,” Brixie continued.

Rep. Kathy Schmaltz, R-Jackson, said that Whitmer didn’t go far enough in her tax proposals.

“There wasn't enough talk about tax relief for people right now,” she said. “The state should not be sitting on a $9 billion surplus and not giving some of that back to people in our community.”

Expanding free community college

Whitmer announced her intent to expand the Michigan Reconnect program, which currently allows anyone 25 and older who has lived in Michigan for at least a year and does not have a college degree to pursue a tuition free associate’s degree or skills certificate from an in-district community college. On Wednesday, Whitmer called for the eligibility age to be lowered to 21.

“Let’s unleash opportunity for young people while offering companies the skilled, hardworking talent they need to succeed in Michigan,” Whitmer said.

The program was sponsored by then-Rep. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, and has accepted more than 113,000 applicants. Anthony, now a state senator, said she’s happy one of her earliest legislative accomplishments is receiving a renewed focus.

In a statement after Whitmer's speech, Anthony said that the proposal demonstrates “a commitment to providing Michiganders with opportunities to further their education and find higher-paying jobs.”

Democratic Senate Majority Floor Leader Sam Singh, D-East Lansing, also praised the move, along with the state’s previous investments in college education.

“I think current investments on higher education and talent – having a great public university at Michigan State University, having (Lansing Community College) in our backyard, we want to make sure that talent of students stay here, find opportunities and jobs here,” Singh said. “So whether it was making sure that college became more affordable to those students or making sure that there were job opportunities once they graduated, I thought it hit the right message.”

Repealing the abortion ban and expanding civil rights protections

Whitmer quickly followed her community college access proposal by saying, “The other half of attracting and retaining young people is standing up for their freedoms.”

She called for the repeal of the state’s 1931 abortion ban, other laws restricting abortion access and the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Whitmer also called for the expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which currently doesn’t protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Protecting these freedoms is the right thing to do and it’s just good economics. States with extreme laws are losing talent and investment because, you know what, bigotry is bad for business,” she said. “Anyone who knows the history of the state of Michigan knows we should build on our reputation as a welcoming beacon of opportunity where anyone can succeed.”

Whitmer said that these protections would make Michigan a more attractive business environment compared to Ohio and Indiana, two conservative states with heavy abortion restrictions that are currently blocked by their respective courts.

Free pre-K access for all children under 4

Whitmer called for free pre-K access for all children in the state, which she says will save effected families an average of $10,000 per year.

“Data shows that children who go to preschool are more likely to graduate, earn a certificate or degree, and get a good-paying job,” she said.

Delta Township's Witwer praised the proposal, saying that it was one of her favorite parts of the speech and would help “bump those kids’ reading and be able to get kids prepared for school.”

Whitmer also showed support for tutoring programs to help children in the state excel in later grades. Brixie expressed her support for this proposal, along with free pre-K.

“Universal pre-K education is one of the most important things in my district and providing all kids access to preschool is important, as well as the tutoring that the governor talked about,” she said.

Republican Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, criticized the proposal as overly broad.

“Does this mean millionaires and billionaires actually get free daycare also?” he asked. “How can we make sure that working families have access to it? And that's something where actually we can work on pretty well, but those that have means, accessibility – I don't know that we can afford to provide universal.”

New gun control laws

Whitmer called for a slate of new “commonsense” gun laws that would have been improbable to consider with the previous Republican-controlled legislature.

She proposed universal background checks and safe storage laws as methods of combatting violence in the state. Whitmer made reference to families impacted by the Oxford High School shooting that left four students dead in 2021, saying the measures will help save lives.

Singh expressed his support for the proposals, while also making it clear that he didn’t believe in taking anyone’s guns away.

“I think we have unfortunately heard time and time again where a young child, often five or six years old, finds their parents weapon because it wasn't stored safely. They end up unfortunately, killing themselves or killing a family member. And to me, that's the parents responsibility,” he said.

“If you're going to be a gun owner, you need to be a responsible gun owner,” Singh said.

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

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: State of the State: 5 proposals that could impact Greater Lansing residents