Whitmer lays out vision in State of the State speech

LANSING — Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called on Michiganders to embody the spirit of "happy warriors" in support of a series of broad plans she unveiled Wednesday night during her annual State of the State address.

She laid out a wide-ranging agenda, including proposals to curb gun violence and help students recover from learning losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. While Whitmer has repeatedly said she will work with anyone no matter their political affiliation to solve challenges facing Michigan, she has clear policy partners in the Democratic majorities that newly control both chambers of the state Legislature.

Proposed tax relief to target seniors and low-income working families

Whitmer unveiled her "Lowering MI Costs" plan for targeted tax relief with a repeal of the state's so-called retirement tax − including reinstating a tax exemption for people with public pensions — and an expansion of a state's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for low-income working families.

Republicans and Democrats widely support expanding the credit for low-wage workers, indicating a compromise of some kind is likely, even if not necessary for passage.

Democratic and GOP state lawmakers already put forward proposals to expand the state Earned Income Tax Credit with bills in the House that would increase it to 20% of the federal tax credit and a bill in the Senate that would increase it to 30%.

To address COVID learning losses, Whitmer touts universal pre-k and tutoring initiative

Whitmer proposed making pre-kindergarten programs free to all Michigan 4-year-olds and instituting one-on-one tutoring as students continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted in-person classroom instruction.

The current Great Start Readiness Program, an initiative geared toward at-risk kids, has an income eligibility limit. But the governor wants to nix that, in an effort to ensure every 4-year-old has the opportunity to attend. The move will likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars over a number of years, but the administration argues it would save families $10,000 or more as they avoid hefty payments for early childhood care or education.

She also wants lawmakers to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars to bolster after-school programs and tutoring. Republicans are quick to note she's vetoed funding for tutoring plans in the past, but Democrats suggested they were too similar to vouchers. Both parties agree the pandemic left students in need of additional help.

Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, said in addition to working out the details of how to pay for Whitmer's "Pre-K for All" proposal, lawmakers are eyeing how to retain and recruit teachers. She called the teacher shortage a "very real concern" that needs to be addressed to support the preschool expansion.

Democratic control poised to give Whitmer historic opportunity to enact her agenda

Democratic control of the Legislature is tight. Democrats hold only two-seat majorities in both chambers, raising the stakes of intraparty fights if Republicans stand united against Whitmer's agenda.

Whitmer's call for lawmakers to take up measures to reduce gun violence in Michigan comes after Democratic lawmakers pushed for gun safety measures in the wake of the 2021 shooting at Oxford High School that left four dead and wounded six students and a teacher. GOP lawmakers who controlled the Legislature last year blocked Democratic efforts to force a vote on bills to establish new requirements to safely store guns and keep them out of the hands of children.

Republicans described red flag laws as "divisive." But Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, suggested there could be bipartisan support on bills to create new tax exemptions for gun locks, safes and other storage devices.

While Democratic leaders say they want to work across the aisle, they also plan to wield their majorities if they encounter opposition from Republicans.

"There's certainly no surprises in terms of what we want to do. We want to do it in a bipartisan fashion, but Democrats… are ready to roll up their sleeves and come to work every day to get things across the finish line," said House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit.

Republicans: Focus on jobs, not 'divisive' policies

Members of the Republican minority applauded occasionally during Whitmer’s speech, but largely remained in their chairs when she hit some of the key topics of her address.

“I hope the governor is truly committed to bipartisanship and lowering taxes," state Sen. Joe Bellino Jr., R-Monroe said. "Unfortunately, last term she vetoed over 120 bipartisan bills — including measures to help seniors and families struggling with record-high costs. I have long supported repealing the pension tax and sponsored legislation to end it. I look forward to working with the governor and my colleagues to finally get much-needed tax relief for our retirees. Michigan seniors need relief now. Given our $9 billion surplus, it’s outrageous that seniors would have to wait four years to get the full relief under the Democrats’ plan. We have come a long way over the past 12 years, but we still have much to do to help families and workers. I will continue to fight to build on this positive foundation that helped turn around our state as we work to grow our economy, educate our kids and improve the lives of everyone in our state.”

State Rep. William Bruck, R-Erie, said his top priorities for 2023 include addressing learning loss, access to mental health care, affordable and reliable energy, the environment, and the economy.

“I appreciate the governor’s emphasis on many pressing issues, and I look forward to working together to make our diverse state work for all Michiganders,” Bruck said. “As a father of nine, with seven children still at home, I understand the pinch everyone is feeling when we pay for groceries, gas, home heating and education. As a small business owner, I also understand the vacuum of people leaving our state for educational, employment and retirement reasons. We need Michigan to work for all – from top to bottom and the left to the right.”

The GOP opposes Whitmer's plan to exempt public pensions from income taxes, arguing lawmakers should pursue broader tax breaks. Nesbitt suggested his caucus could oppose any tax credits for retirees or working families that are not expansive and do not take effect immediately.

“The governor’s plan to ‘eliminate the retirement tax’ is half-hearted," state Rep. Dale Zorn, R-Onsted, said. "It creates a system of winners and losers, where people with public pensions get a large tax break, those with other retirement income benefit less, and working seniors get nothing. Seniors with all types of income should be included."

House Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, commended the governor’s general support of economic development incentives for businesses. But he said her talk of enacting gun reform bills and expanding the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include new protections for gender identity and sexual orientation went too far.

Both leaders also agreed the state needs to support child care providers, but neither would commit to GOP votes for the proposed "Pre-K for All" plan without understanding who would benefit and how the state would pay for it.

Zorn said one of his top priorities for 2023 is expanding access to career and technical education opportunities.

“As the state continues to focus on attracting new job providers and growing existing ones, it’s absolutely critical for career and technical education to go hand-in-hand. We must make sure young people have opportunities to learn the skills they need to land well-paying, in-demand careers. A skilled workforce will also make our community more attractive to companies that are looking to grow and invest in Michigan," Zorn said.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Whitmer lays out vision in State of the State speech