LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered her second State of the State address Wednesday in Lansing.
Children and the future of Michigan played a big part of her speech. She opened talking about a teenager from Muskegon Heights who filled potholes with dirt and a shovel.
"Monte[Scott] took action. To the delight of his neighbors, and his mom, he grabbed dirt and a shovel from his backyard and filled them himself," she said.
Fixing the roads and the infrastructure are high on the governor's to-do list for 2020.
Whitmer says Michigan will borrow $3.5 billion to rebuild state highways and bridges over five years.
She calls it a responsible way to start fixing deteriorating roads after the Republican-led Legislature rejected her proposed fuel tax hike.
She says it will enable the state to do about twice as much construction on I-, U.S.- and M-numbered routes as it can now.
Whitmer says the money will be used to reconstruct, rather than resurface, roads in high-traffic areas with the greatest need.
"Michigan roads are among the most beat up and dangerous in the country. Michigan families pay more than $600 a year in car repairs. Cracked windshields, blown tires,busted rims," Whitmer said.
"That’s money that could go into to your child care budget. Or your retirement fund. Or rent. And it’s also bad for business."
Whitmer's speech also focused on the economy, education and healthcare. She also touched on substance abuse, opioid addiction, mental health and clean drinking water.
"Water is one of Michigan’s greatest and most urgent challenges because it touches nearly every aspect of our lives," Whitmer said. "Recent headlines about PFAS and record Great Lakes water levels and their impact on tourism, agriculture and infrastructure speak to the magnitude and the urgency of the challenge ahead. You’ll hear a lot more about this in the coming weeks."
She also introduced a plan for literacy, stating Michigan ranks in the bottom 10 states for overall literacy.
"This year, we’re doubling down on the commitment to invest in early literacy. We’re working to make pre-k universal for kids living in districts where test scores are low or poverty is high," Whitmer said.
Whitmer ended the night where she stated it, with the children. Telling the crowd to fight for the future generations of Michiganders.
"The people of Michigan are on the move. And it’s time for Lansing to catch up, " Whitmer said.
You can watch the full speech here.
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