Tonight, before a joint convention of the Michigan Senate and Michigan House of Representatives, Governor Rick Snyder delivered his seventh annual State of the State address.  He began by speaking about the successes within the state over the past year.  Governor Snyder emphasized the economic growth in the state.  Michigan has become a place that if you work hard, you will get ahead.  He touted the private sector job growth as being top in the Great Lakes states, as well as several counties in the state that have significantly reduced their unemployment rate.  Additionally, Michigan has the highest net growth of individuals with bachelor’s degrees in the Great Lakes region; crediting the business climate in the state, and the growth of better jobs in the state.

Governor Snyder also touched on the growth in the agricultural industry in the state.  He also spoke about the growth in tourism, including the Upper Peninsula being named one of the top ten destinations in the world.

As with prior years, Governor Snyder spoke on the state’s budget, including completing the budget ahead of schedule for the past several years and growing the state’s rainy day fund.  The Governor stated they’ve created the proper environment for job creation, allowing companies to add jobs.

The Governor spoke on the success and resurgence occurring in Detroit.  He touched on the city exiting bankruptcy and the restructuring of the public school system.  The governor sees additional opportunities in the city, including expanding opportunities for residents to attend four-year universities.  On the flip side, he spoke of the issues in many local governments, including unfunded liabilities.  He is calling for a workgroup to ensure financial stability leading to effective delivery of local services.

On the health care front, Healthy Michigan has provided 2.8 million primary care visits to Michigan residents, plus it saves the state hundreds of millions of dollars.  Governor Snyder stated his intentions to work with the federal government to ensure the continuance of the program, even if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.  The Governor also spoke about the success of the Healthy Kids Dental program, providing dental care for children statewide.

Governor Snyder shifted to the environment and how essential it is to the state.  He also spoke how the energy legislation, passed last month, will protect the environment and provide for the needs of state residents.  Also on the environment, Governor Snyder is calling for a workgroup to tackle environmental justice.

The Governor spoke on the water crisis in Flint and the steps taken by the state to aide the City of Flint.  He pledged his continuing commitment towards finding a complete resolution. The Governor touted the key progress that has been undertaken in the city, including replacing many pipes in the city.  On the topic of infrastructure statewide, he called for a review of all sources to find the additional funding necessary to repair the state’s crumbling infrastructure.  In terms of water quality statewide, he’s proposing a stricter standard than the federal government to the Lead and Copper Rule.

Other highlights include:

• Reducing wait time for senior in-home services
• Increasing the number of veterans using state services
• Calling for a workgroup to better the state’s veteran’s homes
• Expanding the secure neighborhoods program to additional cities
• Place an emphasis on community policing and providing additional training
• An expansion of the vocational training programs in state prisons
• Schools need to have increased computer science education, Governor Snyder is calling for a workgroup to find solutions
• The state has a very successful program helping community colleges buy updated equipment, allowing students to be trained on the technology and system they will use upon graduation
• Increase the help provided to residents with disabilities to enable them to enter the workforce
• The Governor’s goal is to have 10 million residents within the next three years
• Governor Snyder applauded Uber (an MLC client) for setting up shop in Detroit, because there is opportunity and talent in the city

He closed his remarks by stating the state can be better, if everyone works together to improve the state.

MLC will provide further information and details on the Governor’s remarks, as well as the Democratic response, in this Friday’s newsletter on the MLC blog.

For more information, please visit www.mi.gov/StateOfTheState.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.