Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has scheduled her seventh State of the State address for February 26, as per CBS News Detroit. Unlike previous years, Whitmer will deliver her speech later in the year, a shift attributed to the scheduling around President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration and a show of respect for legislators attending the event in Washington D.C., as noted by The Detroit News.
Whitmer's address, expected to cover jobs, cost-lowering, and continued investment in Michigan's education system, comes after a political shift in the state, with Republicans regaining control of the Michigan House in the recent elections. However, Democrats still maintain control of the Senate. Speaking to her plans, Whitmer said, "I look forward to delivering my 2025 State of the State Address, where I will lay out my plan to build on our years of strong, bipartisan progress and strategic, fiscally responsible leadership," as reported by Michigan Public.
In preparation for the address, Republican House Speaker Matt Hall extended an official invitation to use the House chamber and expressed his interest in Whitmer's plans for road and infrastructure funding. Hall wrote, "We delivered a detailed roads plan to you earlier today that would increase funding by more than $3 billion dollars and do it without raising taxes by one dime," as mentioned by Michigan Public.
With various challenges facing Michigan, including those related to housing, caregiving, and infrastructure, Whitmer's office highlighted the successes and the new legislation going into effect this year, such as changes to the minimum wage and automatic voter registration. The governor's past speeches, including her recent remarks at the Detroit Auto Show, underscored the desire for bipartisan cooperation: "I don't want to pretend that we're always going to agree, but I will always seek collaboration first," Whitmer stated, according to CBS News. Despite the legislative ebb and flow, the forthcoming State of the State address is poised to lay out a roadmap for the future of Michigan's governance and policy directions.
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