LANSING, Mich. — State Sen. Lana Theis, R-Brighton, issued the following statement in reaction to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address Wednesday night:
“The State of the State address provides the governor an opportunity to speak directly to the Legislature and the people of Michigan to lay out her agenda for the coming year and serves as a launching point for discussions on issues and legislation.
“Finding a way to fix our roads and establish a long-term funding and spending plan for the state’s transportation system remains a top priority. I am encouraged that the governor signaled she will no longer be pursuing a massive gas tax increase, but I am nonetheless concerned about her so-called ‘Plan B.’ I don’t think it is wise that she work unilaterally or that Michigan pursue a costly bonding scheme to finance short-term road funding. After all, we are all still paying millions for similar decisions that were made by governors Granholm and Engler.
“That is why I have co-sponsored legislation that would limit the ability of state government to purchase such bonds without the consent of the Legislature. Ultimately, more must be done to improve the roads, and I believe that leaders should work diligently to solve the problem within our current resources without further punishing drivers.
“The governor referenced water quality. Water is our state’s most precious natural resource, and we must ensure that our water supply is preserved and protected. We should continue to invest in cleaning up contaminated municipal water systems and holding accountable those whose actions have threatened this essential resource and the well-being of the state’s residents by using a science-based approach to addressing contamination and the preservation of our great resources.
“For our state to overcome its challenges, like solving our roads problem, restoring our broken education system, preserving and protecting our natural resources, and fostering a modern economy for the 21st century, we simply must work together. No one can go it alone. Now, more than ever, the times call for leadership, not divisiveness. That is what the people who hired us expect and deserve.
“So I stand willing and ready to work with the governor, because our state is at its best when its leaders come together for the greater good and do the hard work necessary to make our state a better place to live, study, work and raise families.”
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