LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s final State of the State address on Wednesday night came and went as expected. She used the familiar catchphrases, thanked the people in her circle, highlighted what she viewed as the biggest wins for her administration, and focused on the limited time she has left in office.

In an attempt to show what her administration has accomplished, Whitmer also brought attention to big wins from the Trump administration, including no tax on tips. “Wages and GDP are up. Crime and overdose deaths are down. PreK, school meals, and community college all are free. Taxes on retirement, tips, overtime, and Social Security are gone. We’ve fixed more roads, built more homes, and replaced more lead pipes than ever before,” Whitmer said.

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To her credit, Whitmer identified that Michigan kids can’t read. “Michigan is 44th for 4th grade reading,” the governor said. She failed to mention the nearly two-year shutdowns of state education by her own hand, or that her “record investments in education” have not yielded meaningful or long-lasting results.

Also, Whitmer mentioned housing as a problem that “we must tackle together.” However, building new homes is a moot point in the shadow of the state losing close to 20,000 jobs last month on Whitmer’s watch. A report from Challenger, Gray, and Christmas shows Michigan lost 19,714 jobs in January. That marked 18% of job losses nationwide.

Whitmer, who cannot run again due to term limits, encouraged the House and Senate to work with her on her final budget in a timely manner. “Let’s get it done on time… by June 30th,” Whitmer said. She did not add that while budget negotiations stalled last fall and the 35th State Senate seat sat empty, she traveled to Japan and Singapore on an “international business investment” trip.

Regardless of the highs and lows during Whitmer’s two terms in office, the state will see a changing of the guard in November. That’s when Michigan voters will elect a new governor, attorney general, secretary of state, and a host of other government positions up and down the ballot. State Senator Michele Hoitenga (R-Manton) expressed confidence for a new direction for Lansing. “While [Whitmer] expresses optimism, the voices I hear daily and the data suggest that we are far from being ‘stronger,'” Hoitenga wrote on Facebook. “In reality, Michigan has dropped to the bottom in nearly every important metric. It’s time to close the Whitmer chapter and reenergize with a Governor who truly CAN make Michigan stronger!”

State Senator Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Township) is running to replace Whitmer this November. He recorded a response to her speech from his family’s sixth generation dairy and grape farm in Lawton. “Eight years ago, Governor Whitmer promised to fix the damn roads. Yet, despite a nearly 50% increase in state spending, higher taxes and a $9 billion surplus, less than 10% of roads have been repaired,” Nesbitt said.