LANSING — Last month, Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered her final State of the State speech to a Michigan House chamber filled with elected officials, notable Michiganders and streamed live across the state. While her final line, “Big Gretch, Out!” was the most memorable line, the proposals she offered will help define her final year as governor. Here are the highlights of what Governor Whitmer proposed.
Literacy
What she said: “Strong readers and writers grow up to be more confident speakers, better problem solvers, and great entrepreneurs. Illiteracy is a challenge that compounds over time. How could anyone enjoy learning when you can’t read your textbook? Struggling students grow up anxious about getting called on in class, become increasingly disengaged, and ultimately struggle to fill out mortgage applications, pay bills, or apply for a job. Tragically, American students are falling behind, and Michigan is no exception. There’s a gender gap here too. Boys are behind girls in reading at every age. Michigan is 44th for 4th grade reading. Forty-fourth. This is a serious problem. Our kids deserve better.”
What she’s proposing: Early Starts, Proven Methods, Extra Help
Whitmer is calling for funding free, full-day Pre-K for All to set every child up for success. The governor also proposed more support teachers by adopting effective curriculums statewide AND fund additional professional learning, like LETRS (letters) training, to ensure we’re teaching literacy using the most effective strategies to improve student outcomes. Finally, Whitmer called for more tutoring and small group support in class, at after-school programs, over the weekend, and during the summer too.
Housing
What she said: “Next, let’s talk about another national issue we must tackle together—housing. In the 90s, I bought my first house as a 28-year-old. If you’re a 28-year-old now and you think that sounds crazy—you’re right. Because a lot has changed since then:Just 1 in 5 homes are sold to first-time homebuyers. That’s an all-time low. The median age of a first-time homebuyer is 40. That’s a record high. And the average income of first-time buyers is $97,000. That’s also an all-time high.
It’s hard out there. There’s a multi-million-home shortage nationwide while the majority of houses that are for sale are unaffordable.”
What she’s proposing: Building more housing, tax credits for construction, cutting red tape and streamlining zoning.
Healthcare
What she said: “Last year, the majority in Washington, DC voted to slash Medicaid and SNAP by $1 trillion, ripping health care and food away from millions of our neighbors, family, and friends. They went home and did nothing and let premiums on the Affordable Care Act skyrocket. I’m calling on members of Congress: renew the ACA subsidies to provide real relief to Michiganders who now must pay thousands more for the same coverage they had last year. A lot of the federal changes will only make it harder and more frustrating for folks who are perfectly eligible to get the care they need. Even if you don’t get your health care through Medicaid or the ACA, we will all be impacted by these big cuts. The domino effects of higher premiums, hospital closures, reduced services, and workforce reductions will impact us all, even if you have good insurance.
No state can pick up the massive tab the federal government is dropping on us. It’s just not possible. What we can do is make health care more convenient and more affordable.”
What she’s proposing: Four commonsense solutions on medical debt including; capping interest rates on medical debt, preventing medical debt from showing up on your credit report. requiring hospitals to set up financial assistance programs for patients and banning liens or foreclosures on homes because of medical debt. Due to the massive cuts from the Big, Beautiful Bill, Whitmer also proposed a significant investment to stabilize Medicaid funding.
