subcommittee hearing live at 2:30 p.m. eastern on c-span three. c-span now, the free mobile app or online on c-span.org. >> do solemnly swear that in the testimony you are about to give, will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god? >> saturdays, watch american y tv's 10 part series, congress investigates, as we explore major investigions by the u.s. house and senate in our country's history. each week, historians will tell the stories and we will see historic footage from those periods and examine the impact and legacy of key congressional hearings. this week, the 1871 investigation during the reconstruction period looking at the violence toward free black slaves by the kkk. watch congress investigates saturday at 7:00 p.m. eastern on c-span two. >> now we head to the midwest

for remarks the michigan governor gretchen whitmore who is in the middle of her second term. in her state of the state address, she talks but i can walk to the -- economic development, reproductive rights and housing needs before a joint session of the legislature in lansing. the state house has been evenly split since november with 54 democrats and 54 republicans. governor gretchen witmer patients address runs just under one hour. [ applause ]

>> members of the commission, the governor of the great street of michigan, gretchen witmer. >> thank you. good evening, michigan. the home of the best football in the country is that right? >> from our national

championship wolverines to our detroit lions. i'm excited to be here tonight between two leaders and have gotten a lot done over the past year. my good friend, speaker joe tate and the senate majority leader. and i want to acknowledge minority leaders matt hall and erin nesbitt. thank you for your leadership.

and happy early birthday to you, senator nesbitt. tomorrow. i know. we together delivered a balanced budget focused on the kitchen table issues in 2023 and i know that we are going to do that again this year in 2024 and i want to acknowledge so many incredible partners that i have in governance. lieutenant governor garland gilchrist. our attorney general, david nestle and secretary of state jocelyn benson. and i always want to make a point of acknowledging two incredible public servants that lead groups of public servants that show up on the front line

in the most dire times. please join me in thanking major general paul rogers and colonel james grady from the state police and national guard. to our state employees, my cabinet, and my executive office team, thank you for your tireless efforts on behalf of the people of michigan. let's get this show on the road. like some of you, i'm a product of the 80s. i love big hair and bold leather jackets. classic movies and of course the classic rock.

and all great albums from the 80s have some things in common. chart topping hits that everyone loves and deep cuts for the fans and a few experimental tracks. at their best, these are timeless records whose impact transcends a single year or artist. at our best, this is what we aspire to do too. get things done that outlast us. make policy for future generations. over the past year, our record, like any great album, had something in it for everyone and all the tracks or policies were bound by a common theme. making a real difference in people's lives. we compose this record thanks to the people in this room and everyone at home. groups only 16 when all of its members are thriving. lately, michigan has been playing in harmony. so let's go through the set list. a lot of people had faith we would roll back the retirement tax on our seniors.

we got it done to save a half million senior households and an average of about $1000 a year. want to thank angela witmer for her leadership. [applause] >> we rollback the tax and i want to thank the senator for her leadership. >> [ applause ] we quintupled the working family tax credit so people working nine until five that are second or third shift get hundreds more back in their pockets. let's acknowledge senator

kristi mcdonald rivet for getting it done. this year the senate and the house at democratic legislative majorities and delivered $1 billion in tax relief. it this year's seniors locate more of what they earned and hundreds of thousands of working families will get refund checks, putting money back in their pockets. to help with groceries, gas, home repairs. we all know that girls just want to have fun. and pay down debt, so we did. we have paid down $18 billion in state that and we brought our rainy day fund to nearly $2 billion and we have created a rainy day fund for schools and put nearly $500 million into it. we are making great strides and

we won't back down in our fight to protect reproductive freedom. [ applause ] >> michiganders past prop three and repealed the1931 abortion ban thanks to the hard work of so many in this room including representative trotsky and to senator giese. [ applause ]and for every sweet child of ours in michigan, we have made school lunch and breakfast free of charge for every michigan child. [ applause ] all 1.4 million

michigan public school students get two meals a day so they can focus on learning and so their parents can save $850 a year on groceries per student. i want to thank the senator darren and representative representative regina white weiss, who led this effort. >> [ applause ] when i introduced my next budget, we will keep feeding students and lowering grocery bills for families. [ applause ] we also put cost saving pieces of the affordable care act into state law. you might be wondering what

does cost got to do, got to do with it. now young people can stay on their parents insurance until they turn 26, and you can't be charged more for having a pre- existing condition. [ applause ] because no one should be running up that bill to get better when they are sick. okay. [ laughter ] a little bit more coffee before the next estate of the state. some of folks are trying to repeal the aca and strip healthcare a way for kids in seniors and working families. we've got your back like a rock here in michigan.

[ applause ] we will protect your care no matter what. i want to thank the representatives for their hard work on this issue. [ applause ] while other states restrict your freedom to be who you are and love who you love, we heed the words of ms. diana ross and say we are coming out to protect the rights of the lgbtq plus communities. [ applause ] thank you, senator moss and of course

representative hoskins for your work on this. [ applause ] we also ended discrimination bypassing the chrone act. thank you, senator anthony. [ applause ] and finally, to protect every breath you take and our great lakes, we enacted historic clean energy packages. together we will reach 100% clean energy by 2024, i'm sorry, 2040, lower the cost of scoped utilities by an average of $145 a year and create thousands of the greatest paying jobs backed by the labor standards of the country and make more energy here with american workers. [ applause ] i want to thank

senator singh, guist and the representatives for making michigan a national leader on climate action. [ applause ]so, we have a heck of a record and restart fired up. my fellow michiganders, the state of our state is ready to rock. [ applause ] we got into the groove last year but great bands do not rest on their laurels. they make it better than the last one. let's talk about the challenges

that michiganders face today. top of mind is cost. it is hard to buy a house, afford a car or save for retirement while keeping up with the bills. people put things off to make ends meet, replacing old tires, busted gutters, body and your child a warm coat. no matter who you are or where you come from if you work hard, you should be able to provide for your family and have a fair shot at a better future. we should have the freedom to live the way that you want. that is the american dream and you should be able to chase that in michigan. atour best is what we are, a home for opportunity, for people seeking a good life and a good cost of living. tonight that's what i'm going to focus on, how we keep lowering costs and improve education to set up our children for success. make more stuff right here in michigan and compete the world. so first, cost.

no one likes paying six dollars for a box of cereal or an oil change than last year but i want to be up upfront. i cannot solve global inflation alone. no one person can not even a president. if you meet someone who says they have a secret plan to fix inflation, run the other way. what we can do is make life more affordable by lowering cost on the biggest items in your monthly budget. when your paycheck hits your bank account, you know the largest most important expenses are going to be housing, childcare, transportation, education, utilities. food. from axing the retirement act and get free school meals, the michigan achievement scholarship program that lowers the cost of thousands to programs like try a share, the cost -- slashing the cost by

66%. things are headed in the right direction. inflation and slowing down. unemployment remains low and take-home pay is up. it's a great time to find a great paying job with unions fighting successfully for better pay and benefits. president biden's policy to create jobs and supply chains home to michigan around the world. [ applause ] still michigander's need more breathing room. we will continue our to lower cost of the biggest items on the budget. let's jump in. a few weeks ago i rolled out the michigan vehicle rebate to lower the cost of buying a new car with a thousand dollar rebate off any car. and $2000 for electric vehicles. it was assembled by the union you get an extra $500, so , so

that's an extra $2500 off. my rebate would be offered at the point of sale so you actually save money if you walk out of the dealership. the auto industry has been the backbone of the economy for a century powered by the men and women of the uaw. [ applause ] we want the auto workers and industry to thrive right here in michigan and i know that unites us. [ applause ] so let's hope that -- help them best both do what they do best. make the world's best cars and trucks with of the my vehicle rebate, we can lower cost to support to a union made future. next, housing. usually the largest expense in anyone's budget.

right now too many spend more than half their income on their rent or mortgage. our housing stock is old. it nearly half of all units in michigan were before 1970. young people site housing affordability as one of their top concerns. these are statewide challenges. in traverse city school district they need housing for teachers who have nowhere else to live. on the west side there are not enough homes for growing families and i know they see higher rates when they reassign. in other words, the rent is too high-end we don't have enough houses. [ applause ] so our response is simple. build baby build.

let's go. [ applause ] our target is clear in michigan's first ever statewide housing plan that i commissioned last year we set a goal of 75,000 new or refurbished units in five years and we are headed in the right direction. in the five years since i took office, we've invested double that we did the previous eight years to build or rehabilitate 34,000 housing units and supporting construction jobs across the process. local partners are getting it done. november 2022 to november 2023. laying open, mccomb and kent permitted over 8,000 units. let's build more of every kind of housing single-family home. apartments, mixed-use buildings. in 2024 we will pick the largest investments to build

housing in michigan's history. let's get it done. [ applause ] we will invest almost 1.4 billion to rebuild -- build and rehabilitate nearly 10,000 homes. that it is 10 times what we put into housing just 10 years ago. getting this done will support thousands of middle-class jobs and skilled trades from pipe fitters and carpenters and rivers. housing is a serious challenge. we are making a serious investment. it's about so much more than just a roof over your head. housing builds generational wealth. it forms a foundation for success in school, work, and life.

let's work together to build housing so every michigander has an affordable place to call home. finally, the calling for a new caregiver tax credit. it will put money in the pockets of those that care for a relative. i know how tiring caregiving can be when you are juggling a career and kids of your own. when i was sandwiched between my newborn daughter and my mom, who was dying of cancer, i was pushed to my limit by having the resources and help. maybe you are concerned about how your kids would take care of you while living with her own life. the caring for my family tax credit could see thousands up to $5,000 on their taxes. [ applause ] by allowing people

to write off counseling, transportation, nursing, or respite services, we can save them were money. we can help more seniors age at home in dignity because of the long term option. we can support parents and children with long-term care needs by saving them money. we know the burden of caregiving falls disproportionately on women and especially women of color. while the caregiving work they do is often invisible. it is an voluble. family members provide about $522 billion in uncompensated care every year. let's support them by giving them a tax break so that they can take care of their loved ones.

[ applause ]now let's talk about education. this is a priority all parents share, whether you're in a small town or a big city. republican, democrat or independent, getting ahead or just getting by. you want your child to succeed. i'm proud of the record bipartisan investments we've made since i took office. republicans and democrats came together to raise per-pupil funding by 22% in the last five years. that's hundreds more for every child, invested directly to the local school district. we invested in campus safety

and mental health and made breakfast and lunch free. when kids are unsafe, struggling, or starving, they cannot reach their full potential. every parent knows the person standing in the front of the classroom matters. educators are undermined or criminalized just for doing their job. in florida, teachers were disrespected and book bands are rampant. two weeks ago, a district band the dictionary. in the dictionary. in texas nearly 1 in three teachers are not certified. we are sending a message loud and clear, we support our teachers. [ applause ] nd future

educators pay and help full-time teachers with student loans, so we walk the walk. we fund scholarships for future educators. we hope current teachers with their student loan so they stay in michigan. if you have experience you can enter the classroom without jumping through bureaucratic hoops. as a result, employment rates in michigan teacher prep programs are beating other states. a message to america's teachers, if you want to teach, we want you here. [ applause ] in michigan we will

let teachers do what they do best. teach. we know education in michigan needs more support and more work and want to student outcomes to exceed our expectations. we need to better prepare students for success after they graduate whether they go right into the workforce or enter community college or a trade school or a four-year university. there is no correct path, but every person deserves a path. it depends on the person. we can get everyone ready. a big part of that is supporting education earlier and continuing later. four-year-olds that go to kindergarten are more likely to graduate, go to college and earn more over their lifetime and we know higher education or

skills training leads to higher income. if you get an associates degree you can earn $23,000 more a year. the best paying job today and in our future economy requires some education after high school. so we must support our kids from pre-k through postsecondary to prosperity. last year i proposed for all -- pre-k for all. giving every child a solid academic foundation. together, we are changing our definition of education to include pre-k. last year we expanded pre-k to 5600 more students. you know why? -- what? it this year we are going to go a lot further. let's deliver for every single four-year-old in michigan two years ahead of schedule.

[ applause ]when we get this done, no matter who you are, where you come from or how much you make your child can be enrolled and be successful. let this be a message to parents in other states. come to michigan. we've got your back every step of the way and we will save you $10,000 on your child's education. [ applause ] we need to be a state of lifelong learners and we know that education doesn't and after high school graduation. that's why we lowered the cost with the michigan achievement scholarship, saving thousands. [ applause ] b training for medt

and electricians tuition freeedt for we made community a college an job training for medical texts and electricians tuition free for anyone 21 and older with the michigan reconnect. today i propose we go further. in the next budget, let's take the 21st years of community college and tuition free for every high school graduate. [applause] [cheering] an average of $3,000 in tuition.ge as michiganders pursue a certificate or a degree at a community college, they can save

an average of $3000 in tuition. this is a transformational opportunity for graduating seniors and will help us achieve our 65-30 goal having 60% of the adult population post secondary skills, training, or a degree by 2030. every single michiganders should be able to count on a free public education from pre- k through community college. that is the michigan guarantee. let's get it done. [ applause ] finally, let's talk about making it in michigan. over the last few years we have seen a manufacturing renaissance driven by president

biden investment in american workers and it is happening nationwide with 800,000 manufacturing jobs added since 2021. companies are investing in america especially in michigan in a big way. we are competing and winning the future of the auto industry making cars and semiconductors and batteries here instead of china. you may have heard about expansions by the big three in detroit, flint, so many businesses from other states and nations expanding or moving to michigan. calumet electronics, nell hydrogen giga factory, scout motors, there are indeed hub in lodi. the battery plant in detroit. huge aluminum recycling facility in michigan and the semiconductor wafer plant in bay city. we are showing the world that we make a lot more than just cars. in the decades ahead we will dominate manufacturing of batteries and chips and clean energy too. to keep winning we must upgrade our economic development tool

kit. we can and must outcompete our neighbors. tonight i want to talk about some new tools. we know michigan is home to a lot of research and development or r&d. thanks to our leading universities and businesses. unfortunately we are one of just a handful of states without a tax credit to incentivize r&d. every other mid western state has one and r&d tax credit will unleash innovation while lowering cost for businesses. let's get it done. [ applause ] hire the michigan fund to lower payroll taxes to these firms. value here is system, the more our current toolkit limits our ability to attract small and second stage businesses. let's start the higher michigan

fund to lower payroll taxes for the storms. the value is simple. the more you hire in michigan, the more you should save in michigan. we had a similar bipartisan program years ago that worked well. let's bring it back because, well, everyone loves a throwback, right? we also need to uplift regions that have too often are left out and left behind. renaissance loans are strategically selected areas that would lower taxes for businesses and entrepreneurs so that we can drive investment and create local jobs. we already have several of these statewide but there are strict categories that define them and eligible projects within them are so tightly defined. let's simplify these into a single flexible category to incentivize growth in michigan and finally let's establish an innovation fund to invest in high growth start-ups that will create the future right here in michigan.

right now we have no state level mechanism to attract and retain promising young companies with the new innovation fund we can launch hundreds of new michigan base start-ups and create thousands of jobs. together we will build the infrastructure for innovations so founders can start and build their companies right here in michigan. [ applause ] the growing michigan together council identified infrastructure is one of the keys to growing our as we win all the projects our infrastructure has to keep up. the growing michigan together council identified infrastructure as one of the keys to growing our population. that's why we are fixing the roads and bridges and everything in between. since i took office we have

fixed 20,000 lane miles of road and 14 bridges supporting 118,000 good paying jobs. i know that you saw it last year. the orange barrel was in full bloom. [ applause ] and the hard-working men and women who fix our roads were out in force getting the job done. four years ago i started this roster and rolled up the rebuilding michigan plan. a $3.5 billion investment to fix our roads, supporting jobs without raising taxes. it focused on vital economic corridors including 96 and 275 in metro detroit. the 94 in jackson. 196 between holland and saga taught and 497 -- 496 just a few blocks from here.

we made progress on them all. tonight i'm calling on the michigan department of transportation to authorize final $700 million of rebuilding michigan plan. [ applause ] d through warren and a bridg the final round of projects n includes 94 along metro airport in detroit, 696 from southfield through warren and a bridge in the eerie township. the rebuilding michigan plan is making commutes safer. saving drivers time and money and allowing businesses to ship projects products more easily across michigan. let's keep fixing those roads. [ applause ] every michigander deserves a classic michigan story.

you work hard, follow your dreams and build a great life. when you get knocked down, you get up again. you keep fighting, that's what makes us special. just look at our alliance. once -- yeah. [ applause ] defines every michigander on the way up they turned nay sayers and once a punch line, we are now a power house. they've dominated by centering the grit that defines every michigander on the way up they turned nay sayers and cynics into dreamers and i don't know if you recall but our wolverines are our national champions, right?

[ applause ] both i'm looking at my fellow re spartans, i know it's hard some sometimes but both these incredible teams are showing the country what michigan is all about. that story, our story can be seen in our people's stories. tonight i want to tell you one about a woman named elaine. elaine is here with us today. elaine, if you wouldn't mind standing. she's right there. [ applause ] elaine was born in the wake of world war ii. she was one of 7 kids and grew up poor. after graduating from high school she worked odd jobs and

got marry and moved to chicago. after her divorce she came home to michigan with her sons. she struggled as a single mom. one day over dinner in the parking lot of a fast-food joint, she made her sons a promise. one day she would be able to eat sit-down restaurants with metal forks and waiters that refill your drink without asking. elaine worked hard using food stamps to put groceries in the fridge and housing assistance to put a roof over her son's head. she was a secretary for years but wanted to chase her dream and get a job that gave her a sense of purpose. she never thought she could do it. well, elaine, i am glad you proved yourself wrong. she went back to wayne state with a pell grant and earned 2 degrees.

[ applause ] successful careern saginaw. successful careern she volunteered after graduating with her masters in social work at 45 she had a successful career in saginaw. in retirement she volunteers at local shelters and even wrote a book, "my grandchildren make me laugh." what elaine is most proud of, however, is who her sons have become. she calls themselves fine young men who care for themselves and for their families. mark and cody are with her today. one works at the same clinic elaine did and the other heads back to college soon following in her footsteps. elaine and my mom were born about six years apart. they both worked hard and faced adversity and persevered. they are both strong, proud

women from michigan and that's a badge of honor. [ applause ] [ cheers and applause ] elaine's story is a michigan story. she had simple dreams for her kids. she wanted them to get a great education and eat at a restaurant occasionally. she wanted them to have hope and be good people. tonight's proposal that is we are focused on is that we can make more stories like elaine's possible in michigan. we will build a michigan, if you get knocked down, you have the support you need to get back up. lowering cost on the biggest items in your bid get -- budget. improving education so that your kids can thrive and

ensuring you can make it, no matter who you will are or what you have been through. we will deliver real change for people right now and michiganders for generations to come. that is what michigan is about. getting things done for people we have never met. a mom like elaine. a mom who can afford a nicer place to live in a new housing that we are building. so if you can get associate's degree, tuition with the michigan reconnect. making more time to study in the mornings because our parents don't have to pack a lunch for their kids, being able to drive them to school on safe roads where they know that they will be taught by a skilled educator and receive a public education from we are a state of humble, hey, go at it. [laughter] [applause] we are a state of humble hard- working people with big dreams for our children.

this year let's keep rocking so everyone can have their own classic michigan story. i thank you all for your time tonight. i thank you for the hard work that you do every single day, encourage you to drive safe, root for the lions, and have a good night. let's go! [ cheers and applause ]

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