State of the State: Watch, read Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's full speech

• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her penultimate State of the State address Tuesday night in Lansing
• Whitmer calls for bipartisan cooperation in Washington and Lansing, where she is again seeking a road funding deal
• She is also pushing to overhaul business permits, close a higher education gender gap and limit cellphones in schools

LANSING — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is delivering her seventh annual State of the State Address Wednesday night in Lansing.

Watch the full video below starting at 7 p.m., or read Whitmer’s full speech, as prepared for delivery and released by the governor’s office. 

Watch Whitmer's full speech

Read Whitmer's full speech, as prepared for delivery

Hello, Michigan! I’m honored to be here tonight for my State of the State Address. Seven down, one to go! If you’re tuning in between the MSU game or the Pistons game…. thank you. 

• To Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson… these are hard jobs and we’re serving in tough times. Thank you for your partnership. 
• To the outgoing Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, Elizabeth Clement… thank you for protecting our constitution and upholding the rule of law. 
• To the state employees, my cabinet, and executive office staff… thank you for your work. 
• To Congressman Dan Kildee… thank you for your years of service. 
• To Marc, Sherry, Sydney, and my entire family… I love you.  
• To our National Guard and State Police… thank you for putting your lives on the line every day to keep us safe. 

Now let’s acknowledge our legislative leaders… 

• Leader Winnie Brinks and her husband, Steve, have three amazing daughters. Here’s to the empty nest! 
• Leader Aric Nesbitt and his wife, Trisha, are expecting their third child this Easter. Congratulations! 
• Speaker Matt Hall, I want to congratulate you and Megan on your recent marriage and give a special shoutout to your stepson! 
• Leader Ranjeev Puri and his wife, Nidhi, are proud parents of three young boys. Hoping they’re Lions fans unlike Ranjeev, who’s a secret cheesehead.  

I look forward to working with all 4 of you and your caucuses to get things done. 

Let’s take a moment to acknowledge another leader and legend… Debbie Stabenow.  

Please stand, Senator. 

Over a lifetime of service as a county commissioner, state legislator, congresswoman, and Michigan’s first woman senator… you fought for farmers, protected our Great Lakes, and championed equal coverage for mental health. You’re a trailblazer who has made a real difference in people’s lives.  

Tonight, I’m pleased to announce that we’re renaming Constitution Hall just across the street as the Deborah A. Stabenow Building in your honor. It’s fitting that the building houses our state’s agriculture and environmental departments who carry on your life’s work. Thank you, Senator Stabenow! 

Finally, to my fellow Michiganders… I took an oath to serve the people of Michigan—all the people. That’s my commitment to you no matter who is in the White House or on the other side of the table in Lansing. Yes, I do hope to find common ground with President

Trump and work with the Democratic Senate and Republican House on our shared priorities. I’m not looking for fights, but I won’t back down from them either. 

In Michigan, we have an opportunity and an obligation to lead by example. Our state represents America in every way… economically, geographically, politically, and socially. People from every walk of life call Michigan home. We don’t always agree, but we move forward together. That is the source of our strength. Let’s show the rest of the country how to get things done. 

Right now, I know that politics, especially national politics, can be exhausting. I feel it too. At a high level, we’re facing 2 big challenges… economic uncertainty and political division. 

First, economics. It’s hard to buy a house or car because of high interest rates. It’s still hard to pay the bills. Just this month, inflation jumped back up to 3%.  

Businesses are facing uncertainty too. Industry leaders and top economic minds on both sides of the aisle are warning us about the havoc that 25% tariffs would wreak on Michigan’s auto industry while raising everyday expenses for families. 

As for politics, there’s no sugarcoating it… we seem very divided today. Partisanship has infected every aspect of our lives, driven by opportunistic politicians and media figures who live by a philosophy of “I win… if you lose.” 

The divisive rhetoric is amplified by algorithms designed to make us angry and keep us scrolling. We’re all being manipulated by the largest and most powerful companies in the world who profit more when we start to believe that we have nothing in common.  

But that’s just not true.  

As governor, I’ve been to all 83 counties—at least twice—and sat down with all kinds of people. When you show up and listen, it’s clear that most of us want the same things, and we’re all frustrated by the same things too. 

Our people are not as divided as our politics. I really believe that. 

I want to ask you all to take a moment and look at the insert in tonight’s programs. These are real quotes from Michiganders who live in your districts. They’re sick of the games. And they’re counting on us to work together. We can’t let them down. 

I’m reminded of a conversation I had a couple years ago with a retiree from Kalamazoo. He and his young neighbor have polar opposite political views. They put up yard signs supporting opposing candidates every two years. But they helped fix each other’s roofs and regularly shovel each other’s sidewalks. They show up for each other, all year long. Their bond is deeper and stronger than politics. This year, if we show up, listen to, and learn from each other, we can move forward together and get things done. 

The good news is that we have a lot going for us. There are a lot of “firsts” and new beginnings worth celebrating. 

• Michigan Tech was just named an R1 research university, joining MSU, U of M, and Wayne State as one of the world’s 150 best research colleges. 
• We expanded RxKids, the nation’s first-ever program that puts money directly in the pockets of new moms and babies to improve their finances and health. 
• We broke ground on the Joan Secchia Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, the first of its kind in Michigan. 
• Palisades will become the first restarted nuclear power plant in American history, protecting 600 local union jobs and clean, reliable power for hundreds of thousands of people. 
• Last year, Detroit reopened Michigan Central, hosted the largest NFL Draft ever, and grew its population for the first time in 67 years.  
• Later this year, we’ll open the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a monument to commerce and cooperation that will carry 25,000 vehicles every day… 2 decades and 3 administrations in the making, I’m proud that we’re finishing the job. 

Our financial house is in order too. While other states are juggling multi-billion-dollar deficits, we’ve got a surplus.  

• Our rainy-day funds are at an all-time high of $2.7 billion. 
• After this year’s budget, we’ll have paid down $26 billion of debt.  
• Since I took office, we’ve repeatedly been named a top 10 state for doing business…  
• grown our GDP by 35%...  
• added nearly 40,000 auto jobs… 
• and raised median household incomes by 16 grand, up to $77,000. 

But ultimately, the “state of the state” isn’t about lines on a chart or metrics on a spreadsheet. It’s about how people feel and think about Michigan. Tonight, we’ll center their stories and recommit ourselves to building a Michigan we can all be proud to call home.  

My fellow Michiganders, the state of our state is strong, but it’s on all of us to make it stronger and kinder too. 

A few weeks ago, I released my 7th budget proposal after encouraging news that state revenues were $1 billion higher than expected. Michigan is on the move because Michiganders are hard at work. Let’s show them we are too with a balanced, bipartisan budget by the end of June that’s focused on the fundamentals. 

Last month, at the Detroit Auto Show, I laid out my initial priorities for 2025—economic development, roads, and trade with Canada. Speaking of trade… I’m grateful that Republicans, Democrats, and private sector leaders are speaking out against widespread, 25% tariffs on our neighbors.  

Because we know saying no to Canada means saying yes to China. 

I’m also grateful the President decided to pause. As I’ve said before, I’m not opposed to tariffs outright. But they’re a blunt tool when the Michigan economy is on the line. 25% tariffs on everything would…  

• slow down construction… 
• shutter small businesses… 
• lead to layoffs in the auto industry… 
• and cost Michigan families an extra $1,200 a year at the store and the pump because companies will pass their higher costs on to you.   

It would be a disaster. But don’t just take it from me. A few weeks ago, I asked Michiganders directly. And in less than 48 hours, I got 3,000 written responses.  

• Brandon from Bath is a pharmacist who knows tariffs will raise prices on prescription drugs, forcing people to choose between their health and their bills.  
• Jacquelyn from Interlochen owns a heating and cooling business and said tariffs would force her to raise prices, just to stay open.   
• And Steve from Leroy is a retiree who wants to buy a new car but can’t if tariffs cause prices to go up by an average of 3,000 bucks. 

For them and every Michigander, let’s keep speaking with one voice for smart trade policies to level the playing field and secure American jobs without jacking up costs. 

On tariffs—and every issue—Michiganders expect us to work together in Lansing because that’s how things get done.  

As a legislator, I served in the minority for 14 years. I often partnered with my Republican colleagues, including on Healthy Michigan, our Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act that covers hundreds of thousands of people.  

As governor, I’ve signed 6 balanced, bipartisan budgets and nearly 1,500 bipartisan bills… 1,000 with a Republican legislature. My north star has always been collaboration.  

That’s what governing means… you work with anyone to get things done. 

So, what should we focus on this year? Let’s keep it simple. 

• One… Costs. Let’s make life more affordable. 
• Two… Jobs. Let’s create more opportunities to help people earn more money. 
• Three… Results. Let’s make government work better for the people we all serve. 

Lowering costs is our top priority. While no one in this room can single-handedly bring down prices, we can tackle the biggest items in your budget. Let’s start with housing. It’s a tough market right now. 

• Mortgage rates are above 6%. 
• Home prices have shot up 50% in 4 years. 
• The median age of a homebuyer hit 56 years old—an all-time high. 
• And just a quarter of homes went to first-time buyers—an all-time low.  

Rebekah, from Carleton, told me she has “simple dreams… a nice kitchen to bake in, a small yard for a garden, and a dog.” She recently toured a house in Detroit and competed against 40 other bidders. 

Our young people are suffering the most… but I want to call attention to the fact that this crisis disproportionately impacts young, single men. They buy just 8% of homes sold today, compared to single women, who buy 20%.  

As a dad of three and proud Detroiter, I know Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist is passionate about housing. He’s cut a lot of ribbons and is focused on making our state a better place for families like his. 

We both know that every young person wants to protect and provide for themselves and their family, and that starts with a place to call your own. If you can’t buy a house, it’s hard to build wealth or feel like you’re ready to have kids. It’s all connected.  

While the state already has programs in place to…  

• help you become the first person in your family to buy a house,  
• pay up to $10,000 of your down payment,  
• lower your mortgage rate by 1%,  
• and save you thousands on your federal taxes…   

… we must also address the core issue of supply. Right now, we’re short 140,000 homes statewide… and the way forward is clear…  

We gotta build, baby, build! 

Both Texas and Minnesota built more housing and drove costs down. MSHDA has been doing their part, with 2 straight record-breaking years.  

This year, let’s do it again.  

This year, let’s invest $2 billion to build, buy, or fix nearly 11,000 homes.  

This year, let’s make the largest housing investment in Michigan history.  

Getting this done will create more than 10,000 construction jobs, lower costs, and help more people achieve the American Dream. 

Moving on… to wages. Last week, Republicans, Democrats, workers, and business came together to forge a fair deal on minimum wage and paid sick time. 

Because we worked together…  

• The minimum wage will rise to $15 an hour for more than 700,000 workers 1 year faster than before… 
• The tipped minimum wage increased by the largest amount ever and will keep going up... 
• Workers will have more time to care for themselves and their families because Michigan now has the best earned sick time in the country … 
• And small businesses will have more flexibility. 

These last few weeks showed us that we can work through hard problems to deliver real solutions for Michigan.  

Another big cost a lot of people bear is health care, including medical debt. A couple years ago, we secured $4.5 million in our state budget to relieve some medical debt. It was a good start… but just a start. 

With inflation and tariff talk, we need to find a more significant, bipartisan way to help the nearly 700,000 Michiganders with medical debt. I want to thank Senator Sarah Anthony for her focus on this issue. We’re one of just a few states with no consumer protections for medical debt. That’s not right.  

This year, let’s work across the aisle to reduce medical debt so being sick or getting hurt doesn’t also mean being broke for the rest of your life. 

Now, let’s talk energy. Everyone’s eyebrows raise when that first winter utility bill hits. A few months ago, Republicans and Democrats came together to do something about it.  

Led by Representative Helena Scott and Senators Sam Singh, Rick Outman, and Veronica Klinefelt, the legislature expanded the Michigan Energy Assistance Program, or MEAP, which already saves about 50,000 households more than $700 bucks a year. I was proud to sign this bipartisan expansion, which could save 335,000 more Michigan families hundreds on their energy bills. 

Next, one of the 2 certainties in life—taxes. For too long, the working class have paid more than they should. In 2023, that changed when I signed legislation to roll back the retirement tax and quintuple the Working Families Tax Credit.  

This year, hundreds of thousands of senior households will save an average of $1,000 on their taxes and 650,000 families—home to half the kids in Michigan—will get an average tax refund of $3,200 bucks. 

I want to thank Majority Leader Brinks for her work on both these commonsense changes. Together, we put $1 billion back in people’s pockets and lifted 20,000 children out of poverty. 

When our kids get a great start, they get a strong foundation to build a good life.  

• It’s why we feed all 1.4 million public school students free breakfast and lunch, saving families nearly $900 bucks a year per kid on groceries and valuable time every morning.  
• It’s why we delivered free pre-K for all, so every 4-year-old can arrive at kindergarten better prepared to learn while saving their parents $10,000.  
• It’s why we expanded 3,600 child care centers to serve 37,000 more kids.  

But we still have work to do. Connor from Kalamazoo is an engineer and his wife is a nurse. They both work, have two kids, and still struggle with the high cost of child care. Connor says it’s one of the big reasons why a lot of his friends aren’t having kids at all.  

I want to thank Representative Carol Glanville for her leadership here. If we want to grow our population, we must continue expanding affordable child care. This is pro-family, pro-child, and pro-growth policy. Let’s get it done. 

Next, I want to talk about fiscal responsibility. Most Michiganders are watching their expenses more closely. State government should do the same.  

Every February, after I propose the budget, the legislature adds earmarks. These can be important: fire stations, roads, schools. Some of them… not so much.  

The problem is that these earmarks are added without transparency and have been for years, under both Republican and Democratic control.  

Speaker Hall is passionate about bringing accountability to the process, and I agree. In this year’s budget, let’s have total transparency on all earmarks. If you want to invest taxpayer money, put your name on it. If they can do it in DC, we sure as hell can too. 

Now, let’s talk about jobs, starting with making it as easy as possible for Michiganders to get the skills or education they need to earn more money. Over the last few years, it’s exactly what we’ve done.  

We boosted career and tech education, giving students hands-on experience with wood, metal, power tools, and computers in high school so they can land a good job after graduation. In this year’s budget, let’s work together to make the largest investment in career and technical education… ever. 

In 2021, we launched Michigan Reconnect, a bipartisan program offering anyone 25 and older a tuition-free associate’s degree or skills certificate at their local community college. Today, more than 200,000 Michiganders have taken that first step.  

In 2022, we created the bipartisan Michigan Achievement Scholarship, lowering the cost of a bachelor’s degree by up $27,500. Today, more than 56,000 students are already saving thousands of dollars. I want to thank Representative Samantha Steckloff for her work on this. 

And last year, we delivered the Community College Guarantee, giving every high school grad the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree or skills certificate tuition-free. Today, more than 240,000 Michiganders attend one of our 31 community or Tribal colleges.  

But just like with housing, there’s a gender gap in higher education. Women outnumber men at community colleges, universities, and most of all, in Michigan Reconnect, where enrollment is 2-1, women to men. We’ve built great programs open to everyone, but we need to do a better job of getting more young men signed up. 

That’s why, soon, I’m signing an executive directive that will make an effort to reach more young men and boost their enrollment in our higher education and skills training programs. 

For the Michiganders working hard to put themselves through these programs, it’s life changing. 

Evan from Bay City is a young dad. After stepping away from college to work full-time in restaurants and retail, he enrolled at Delta College with Reconnect and hopes to find a career in public service. He wants to serve his community and make his son proud. 

Anthony from East Lansing is a husband and dad who was an EMT during the pandemic. He used Reconnect to earn an aviation mechanic’s license and now works at the Lansing Airport.  

My message tonight goes out to all young people, but especially our young men. I know it’s hard to get ahead right now. But I promise you, no matter how hard life might get, there is always a way out and a way up. 

The last thing any of us wants is a generation of young men falling behind their fathers and grandfathers. I’ve heard most about this issue from moms, who love their sons and are worried about them.  

And to the women out there who are succeeding after decades of having the deck stacked against them, I see your resilience and I want you to know that I will never abandon my commitment to equal opportunity and dignity for everyone. 

Generations of our moms and grandmas fought hard for the economic rights and personal freedoms we enjoy today. They made our lives easier, and our responsibility to our sons and daughters is to build a state where they can all succeed. As a mom of 2 smart, driven young women and stepmom to 3 successful young men, I know that their success is connected to the success of their peers… all of their peers. 

In Michigan—men and women—want to protect and provide for their families… be financially successful… and be good role models. 

That’s why no matter who you are, we want to help you learn more and earn more. So, look at an apprenticeship, find a scholarship, or sign up for Reconnect. Get your education, debt free, and build the life you deserve. 

Training the next generation of workers is also critical to our national security. Last year, we partnered with the U.S. Navy and Macomb Community College on the Michigan Maritime Manufacturing Initiative, training hundreds of workers in Macomb County to build submarines. The first class of workers will graduate next month, ready to build the biggest, baddest ships that keep our nation safe. 

But there’s another bipartisan defense project in Macomb County that needs our attention—Selfridge. The base supports thousands of local jobs and hundreds of military families. It’s home to some of the nation’s most elite pilots. They complete all kinds of missions, including protecting our border from drugs and crime. 

For people like Thomas from Warren, this is personal. He urged us to work together for Selfridge because of how much it will mean not just for the county, but for our country. 

I’m proud that we’ve always worked across the aisle on Selfridge, and I want to thank Representatives Debbie Dingell, Lisa McClain, John James, Senator Stabenow, Senator Elissa Slotkin and, of course, Senator Gary Peters. A former naval officer, he’s fought

hard for service members, military families, and defense jobs, and I know he will continue until the very last minute of his term. We’re all doing our part, but we need federal support. 

That’s why on Saturday, in DC, I spoke with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about supporting a fighter mission at Selfridge.  

Let’s support our brave men and women in uniform at Selfridge in our next budget and work with our federal partners to save Michigan jobs and protect our national security. 

Now, let’s talk about another driver of jobs and growth—those damn roads. We need safe roads to go to work, drop our kids off at school, and run errands. Businesses need a solid transportation network to ship products and ensure their employees can get to work safely.  

In 2020, I created Rebuilding Michigan, a $3.5 billion bond plan to fix our most heavily trafficked state highways and bridges. Why? Because for years, a lot of governors and legislators tried and failed. We made progress on our state roads, but let’s be real, my plan was always a short-term fix.  

There’s a lot left to do, and with Rebuilding Michigan phasing out soon, we’re facing a serious funding cliff. I’m hearing from construction companies who are expecting layoffs because of the uncertainty.  

We need a sustainable, long-term solution for local roads. Every pothole is a reminder that we must act now. I mean… just take Michigan Avenue from here to MSU. You’ll see what I’m saying—it’s like the surface of the moon.  

Why? Because the City of Lansing gets about $17 million from the state for local roads. It needs 17 times that much, around $300 million.  

Michiganders in every part of our state are passionate about their roads. Phyllis from Rapid City was evocative in her description of Crystal Beach Road… “it’ll rattle your brains out.” There’s a road like that in every town. We know that bad roads cost drivers more than 750 bucks a year.

Now, I know there are a couple different plans out there, including mine, and I know none of them are perfect. But what’s not okay… is no plan. Michiganders won’t accept inaction. To get it right, we’ll all have to recognize some hard truths.  

• To my friends in the GOP… a long-term fix means new, fair sources of revenue. We can’t cut our way to better roads by slashing public safety, health, or schools.  
• To my fellow Democrats… cuts will need to be a part of the solution. 
• To the business community… we can’t put this on the backs of the middle class.  

For all of us to be part of the solution we must all compromise… and that’s the way it ought to be.  

Let’s get back to the negotiating table in the coming days and weeks to find a long-term, bipartisan solution so we can fix more of those damn roads.  

Our 3rd big priority for 2025 must be results. Let’s start with permitting. Permitting has been broken for a long time, leading to slower construction, fewer jobs, and higher prices. In Michigan, we’re done waiting around.   

• We already revamped brownfield redevelopment, making it easier to turn abandoned property into new housing, factories, or parks.  
• I signed an executive order eliminating 26 boards, councils, and committees without compromising protections.  
• And about a year ago, I had my team review every single one of our state permits—all 401. We found plenty of overlaps and obsolete processes.  

This year, I’ll instruct all state departments and agencies who’ve missed their deadlines to refund any permitting fees that we can under the law. But the reality is that I can only refund a handful through executive action alone. To really speed up permitting and save people a lot of time and money, we need to change state law.  

There’s a huge opportunity here for bipartisanship because we all agree that things shouldn’t take so long.  

• You shouldn’t need a permit to sell ginseng, install a model train, or lime your soil. 
• If you want to fix your driveway, you shouldn’t have to wait any more than 90 days to start.  
• If you want to upgrade your house’s plumbing or electrical, you should be able to go to 1 place and get all the help you need, quickly. 
• And if we can track the status of our Dominos order online, a developer should be able to do the same for their multi-million-dollar project.   

This year, let’s simplify permitting to get things built on time and on budget. 

Moving on to licensing. A lot of our licensing rules and requirements don’t make sense.  

Bethany from Lambertville and her husband, a painter, moved here from Ohio. He was fined for working on someone’s house without a license, even though he had one in Ohio. Come on… that’s ridiculous. Despite our football rivalry, we should honor their licenses.

I know a lot of barbers and hair stylists go through this too.  

I know Representative Tyrone Carter, who’s been working on this issue, agrees. We all want to make it easier and faster and cheaper for you to keep doing what you do best.  

It’s why I directed the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, or LARA, to review all of Michigan’s regulations and find redundant rules. They proposed:  

• eliminating duplicative exams…  
• honoring trade licenses…  
• giving entrepreneurs more flexibility…  
• and streamlining reporting requirements.  

I can enact some of these changes alone, through executive action—and I will. But others require new state law.  

This year, let’s make it easier for people to get and keep a good job, not harder. 

The last area where we must demand better results is education. Since I took office…  

• We closed the funding gap between schools and built up our campuses.  
• We raised teacher pay, cut retiree taxes, and trained thousands more educators.  
• In my budget, I proposed a $10,000 investment in every child, in every school.  

We’ve done a lot of good… but here are some hard truths.   

• Just 24% of 4th graders can read proficiently. 
• The same percentage of 8th graders are proficient in math.  
• I get that this is a national trend, but the reality is that we invest more per-pupil than most states and achieve bottom 10 results. 

We spend more and we get less. It’s not acceptable. For our kids, let’s do better. Let’s face our literacy crisis with fierce urgency.  

Late last year, I signed bipartisan legislation to use proven, science of reading strategies—like phonics. It’s how a lot of us learned how to read and we should get back to it… because it works. These new laws also require schools to test for dyslexia so they

can identify students who need extra help early. I want to thank Representative Matt Koleszar and Senators Jeff Irwin and Dayna Polehanki for their leadership here. 

Additionally, my education budget this year centered on the SMART Plan, or Students, Metrics, And Results with Transparency. I proposed… 

• targeting investments into schools where most kids are falling behind…  
• changes to get funding into classrooms faster, without bureaucracy…  
• and more transparency to notify parents about performance.  

This year, let’s pass a SMART education budget and get our kids on track for the bright futures they all deserve. 

Now let’s talk about mental and physical health, both of which are linked to academics. Let’s start with phones, which have completely changed our children’s lives. 95% have access to a smartphone and half say they’re online “almost constantly.”  

Amy from Rochester Hills volunteered recently on a 6th grade field trip. You all remember field trips… the bus ride over was loud, full of excitement about the day ahead. Amy’s bus was silent. Kids were glued to their phones. Amy’s daughter wishes she was born before social media. 

Our educators get it. It’s hard to teach geography or geometry when you’re competing against memes or DMs. Other states—red and blue—have taken action. So has most of Europe and Canada. I understand the need to be connected to your child. But we can do better. 

This year, let’s pass bipartisan legislation to limit the use of phones in class. 

We’ve seen encouraging data about how commonsense restrictions on phone use during class lead to more learning and less bullying. Kids listen, raise their hands, and make more friends. They talk during field trips. Three-quarters say they feel happy or peaceful without their phone. That’s what school should be about. 

Finally, let’s talk about vaping. Almost 14% of high schoolers use vapes. We all know that this addiction has long-term risks and that it starts early. 90% of smokers begin before 18. If we don’t act smart on vapes, we risk our children’s health and futures.  

That’s why, in my budget this year, I proposed closing a longstanding loophole and taxing vapes similar to how we tax cigarettes. 32 states—red and blue—already do the same, including all of our neighbors. I’m grateful to Senator Sam Singh who started work on this last year. In 2025, let’s get it done to protect our kids. 

Final stretch here, folks. I think we’re on the same page about lower costs, more jobs, and better results. But as I leave you, I have 1 question: when you think Michigan, what do you think? 

For us, it’s everything. It’s home. But let’s ask ourselves, when other people think Michigan, what do they think? When businesses around the world think Michigan, what do they think? How about couples looking to start a family, entrepreneurs hoping to start a business, or seniors seeking a happy retirement? 

Because if we’re being honest, our brand has taken a beating over the last couple of decades. After the Great Recession, the Flint Water Crisis and disinvestment in roads, schools, and health care, people on the margins were suffering in Michigan. Our water quality, our old factories, our sports teams… all punchlines in cruel, unfair jokes.  

I ran for governor to restore trust and rebuild Michigan. I was sick of us being a punching bag. Now, I have the best job in the world because I get to help the Michigan we all love live up to our potential.  

Over the past 6 years, we’ve reinvested in the fundamentals and brought manufacturing back home. We lowered costs for families and our young adult population is growing faster than 45 other states. Our Lions started winning.  

Now, in a divisive national moment where America needs a new way forward, Michigan can lead. Because at our best, we’re strong and kind. And kindness is strength. 

When you think Michigan, think about the people whose stories I shared or the voices quoted in the program. Let them guide our work. Because they’re counting on us. 

Consider what Josh from Grand Rapids, who moved here from out of state and now proudly calls himself a “Michigander for life,” wrote about our state’s character. “Our seasons are tougher, but our people are warmer, and our lakes are fresher. Being a Michigander

is about offering someone a hand when they trip and fall… holding open the door… and trying to be a little better every day.” 

Whether we’re negotiating here in Lansing, driving down a 2-lane farm road, or holding open a door, let’s be the Michigan that Michiganders know we can be.  

At a dark moment when bullying and lying seem to be in style, let’s be intentional about putting out light. 

Let’s welcome challenges, embrace our differences, and work together to get things done. 

Let’s Think Michigan. 

Thank you, drive safe, and goodnight! 

On cellphones

With respect to cellphones in schools, Whitmer intends to note “detrimental effects” on the “mental health and educational outcomes” of young people. She’ll call on lawmakers to pass legislation limiting — but not outright banning — their use in schools, her office previously told Bridge Michigan. 

Regarding vaping

As for vaping, Whitmer is set to mention a proposal to extend the 32% wholesale tax currently placed on tobacco products to other addictive nicotine products like vapes and oral pouches, such as ZYNs.

She first rolled out the tax idea during her budget proposal in early February