LANSING, Mich. — In this week’s State of the State address, we’ll get to find out what Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to prioritize for Michigan in the next year.
When it comes to issues like infrastructure and small businesses here in our state, stakeholders told FOX 47 News they want continued funding and room to grow without interference, respectively.
“We’ve invested a lot of money into our infrastructure over the past five years, but that runs out in the next three or four years,” said Lance Binoniemi, a spokesman for the Michigan Infrastructure & Transportation Association. “Unfortunately, our problems don’t run out in the three or four years and that money does not fix our total problem that we have.”
When it comes to improving the state’s infrastructure, Binoniemi says he is hoping the governor mentions more investments in infrastructure.
“We’re really hoping that the governor comes out with some bold initiatives like she did in the first speech of her first term. To invest more into our infrastructure and hopefully put a prominence towards it again,” Binoniemi said.
As far as small businesses in our state, Brian Calley, president and CEO of the Small Business Association of Michigan, says they’re looking for something a little different.
“What we’re hoping not to hear are big sweeping changes in the business environment. That we don’t create uncertainty or get in between the employer employee relationship,” Calley said. “We’d like for government to kind of stay out of that as much as possible and let entrepreneurs do what they do.”
In addition, Calley tells FOX 47 News the Small Business Association of Michigan wants to see investments in the next generation of workers.
“That means our primary education system all the way through to workforce development programs,” he said.
Gov. Whitmer’s fifth State of the State address, and her first in her second term in office, is at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
