LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave her fifth State of the State address at the Capitol where she outlined issues like lowering costs for Michiganders, offering universal free pre-school and strengthening gun-control measures among many other initiatives.
“Michigan, the state of our state is strong and ready to go. My proposals tonight will tackle the challenges people are facing right now, make a real difference in their lives and make Michigan more competitive," said Whitmer.
First, she called to repeal Michigan’s retirement tax and expand the Working Families Tax Credit.
“The Working Families Tax Credit, formerly known as the EITC, is a bipartisan tax break at the federal and state level. Boosting it delivers an average refund of at least $3,000 to 700,000 families," Whitmer said.
Whitmer also announced a major proposal of free 4-year-old preschool.
“Let’s expand our bipartisan preschool effort—the Great Start Readiness Program—so every 4-year-old in Michigan can access a free, public preschool education by the end of my second term.”
Finally, Whitmer outlined efforts to cut down on gun violence in the state with calls for universal background checks, safe storage laws and extreme risk protection orders, also called red flag laws.
“Despite pleas from Oxford families, these issues never even got a hearing in the legislature. This year, let’s change that and work together to stop the violence and save lives," she said.
State Rep. Kathy Schmaltz, who represents Jackson, says she would have liked to have heard a clear timeline for when Michiganders expect tax relief.
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