GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Governor Gretchen Whitmer traveled to Grand Rapids on Monday to sign bipartisan spending legislation that included investment in higher education as well as debt relief for five struggling school districts in the state.
One of the school districts to have their debt forgiven was Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System, which owed over $30 million and had been dealing with debt for nearly a decade.
"We have gone through a lot, we've been battered, we have pain, we have wounds from trying to do the right things," Bishop Willie Burrell of Christ Temple Apostolic Faith in Muskegon Heights said. "But a lot of times in these kind of societies and Black communities, it's difficult to get the finance that you need to support the schools."
Other investments in the bills included $30 million in funding for Grand Valley State University's new Blue Dot Lab.
Blue Dot, meant to be a hub for technological education at GVSU, has been one of the university's top goals as part of what it's labeled as its "Master Plan."
"The digital transformation that is impacting every industry requires education, skills training and a new level of digital competence," GVSU President Philomena Mantella said Monday. "The leaders and decision makers of the next generation need to not only keep up with the speed of change, but they must embrace it as they write Michigan's next chapter."
The signing came at the end of a whirlwind year in Lansing as Democrats enjoyed unified control in the state capitol for the first time in four decades.
Governor Whitmer and her allies sought to use their year in power to pass priorities including expansions of LGBTQ rights, tax reform and free breakfast and lunch for over a million public school children as part of a record-setting state budget.
"Michigan is a place where, if you're a woman, you can make your own decisions about your body," Whitmer told 13 ON YOUR SIDE. "If you're an LGBT member, you've got full civil rights protections. If you're a parent dropping your kid off, you know that we now have secure storage, red flag laws and background checks."
13 ON YOUR SIDE sat down with Governor Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist to take a look back at this year in the capitol, as well as the year ahead.
"I think we're gonna build on the momentum that we've had," Gilchrist said.
"You've seen us make announcements about different parts of Michigan where jobs are being created, where businesses are growing, where entrepreneurs are stepping out into this economy to grow the state of Michigan," Gilchrist said. "And we're eager to continue to support that kind of progress through our infrastructure investments, our investments in our roads, bridges, transit system and expanding in that access and making those things more affordable, more reliable, more convenient in Michigan."
However, Whitmer declined to reveal exactly what new policy points she'd pursue in the new year.
"If I tell you everything in the State of the State [address], you won't pay attention to it," Whitmer said.
But one thing that is known is that lawmakers will return to a very different scene in Lansing come January.
Two vacant seats in the Michigan House of Representatives now leaves the chamber tied with 54 Democrats and 54 Republicans through early 2024 when special elections can be held.
It could prove to be a challenge for emboldened Michigan Democrats, given that many of the majority's most high-profile priorities from this year passed without Republican support.
The new dynamic will mean that lawmakers on either side will need to get bipartisan support in order to pass their bills and sell their brands in what will be the beginning of a critical election year.
Republican lawmakers who have raised concerns about Democratic priorities in the last year - from what they've seen as infringement of religious liberties and possession of firearms to high spending - would need to be brought onboard if Democrats, who still control the Senate and the governor's mansion, aim to continue driving policy.
"We are at our best and at our strongest where we continue to find common ground," Whitmer said. "We're not all going to agree on everything. [Gilchrist and I] don't even agree on everything. I mean, he went to [University of Michigan] for Pete's sake."
In the face of the changing dynamic, Whitmer said she hopes bipartisanship can be found when navigating the state's necessities next year.
"I'm hopeful that as we tackle, you know, take on next year's budget and some economic development work that we've got to do to make sure we're competitive and successful. I'm hopeful that we can find common ground with people on both sides of the aisle."
But when asked how they would describe the two believe this year will go down in Michigan history, they both answered with one word.
Whitmer's answer: "Historic."
Gilchrist's answer: "Foundational."
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