Speaker hatfield, majority leaders, thank you. Members of my cabinet, members of the bench, and all of those who serve our state, thank you. I must say everyone is looking fantastic tonight. [ applause ] but this year i want to get one thing straight. This is not the red carpet, so please, i urge you, focus on the substance of my speech. Its about issues, not appearances. [ applause ] i mean, i dont care how distracting the senators outfit is. Cut him a break. Thank you. For your sense of humor. Tonight, i have the honor of both speaking on behalf of the people of michigan and directly to the people of michigan. So whether youre watching from home or you are in this room, welcome. I am glad that you are here. Im especially pleased that my family is here, mark and sherry and sydney. I couldnt do any of this without them. And i also want to acknowledge the dedicated Michigan Army and National Air Guard members who are serving overseas. [ applause ] as they represent our state and defend our country, we owe them our deepest gratitude. Two of our brave Service Members are here tonight. Colonel Anne Alice Clark and chief warrant officer amber burguess. Thank you for your service. [ applause ] and there is another person who isnt with us here tonight, but who is here with us in spirit. Governor bill milli kan. He didnt just leave a legacy, he lived a legacy and the reason is simple, governor millican brought people together, he was a passionate moderate back in the days when that wasnt an oxymoron. He knew the real enemy wasnt on the other side of the aisle. The real enemy was doing nothing. In the governors memory and overlooking the beautiful waters he fought so hard to protect, we will break ground on the millican Visitor Centers at arch rock on macinaw island this year. [ applause ] in your district. Stay on your feet. Please stay on your feet because his son bill is here with us tonight. [ applause ] governor millicans commitment to action is still relevant today, perhaps especially today. If you dont believe me, ask our kids. Ask 13yearold monty scott who is sitting right up there with his mom. Monty lives in Muskegon Heights and his neighborhood was plagued by potholes, potholes almost an ankle deep, and after some expensive car repair bills, he got tired of waiting for the adult in charge to fix them. So monty took action. To the delight of his neighbors and his mom, he grabbed dirt and a shovel from his backyard and filled them himself. When i met monty, had he told me his dream is to go to college and run for mayor. I wouldnt be surprised if monty is giving this speech one day. [ applause ] you can already see hes got the personality for politics, right. Montys generation is a generation of doers, and they want to do good. They inspire me and we, the adults in charge, should do everything we can to build a Better Future for them. Over the past year weve made some good progress. After six straight years of the highest Auto Insurance rates in the nation, we passed historic legislation, Bipartisan Legislation, that puts money back in peoples pockets and brings down the cost of car insurance. [ applause ] in doing so, we preserved quality coverage options, we strengthened consumer productions, and most importantly, ensured an average reduction for the next eight years. This has already resultd in the michigan cat graphic claims association that will save drivers 120 per car this year. Thats progress. Also last year, with secretary of state benson, we launched redistricting efforts to strengthen our democracy and to make our elections more fair. With attorney general nestles leadership were Holding Companies that profited from peddling opioids and corporate polluters that put harmful pfos into our water accountable. [ applause ] weve made meaningful criminal justice reforms too. We have a new law that will raise the age for juvenile offenders from 17 to 18 and last year Lieutenant Governor gilchrist and chief Justice Mccormick cochaired a Bipartisan Task force focused on our county jails. It will help make real reforms in our criminal justice system. By the way, last year, garland became the first africanamerican Lieutenant Governor in our States History to sign a bill into law. [ applause ] its been a year of firsts. We created and named the first clean water public advocate and created the Environmental Justice advisory council. The first pride flag flew over the governors residence and the romney building. [ applause ] i hosted the first celebration during the month of ramadan at the residence. [ applause ] these firsts honor the beautiful diversity that is michigan. Unfortunately, weve also seen an uptick in hateful, harmful language in michigan and across the country. A lot of it starts in washington, d. C. , and now, it can feel like its working its way to lancing. Whether it is misogyny in the workplace or is threats of violence online, it is unacceptable. Lets debate, lets disagree, but then lets everyone in this room live up to our responsibility to stand up to hate and harassment. [ applause ] remember that our children are watching. In michigan, diversity is our strength. Doing is our strength. So my friends thank you, representative. So, my friends, what are we going to do in 2020 . Is well, i say, lets take a cue from monty and dig right in. Anyone watching the National Debate right now has heard a lot of talk about plans. When it comes to tackling michigans problems i have a plan a and a plan b. Plan a was simple, it was in my budget last year. When i spoke to you then, i told you i was rolling up my sleeves and ready to work with anyone who is interested in solving problems. I still am. But we cant afford to wait. Over this year, i made tough decisions that didnt make some of my friends happy and it was not easy, but leadership requires tough choices. Leadership means coming together around a significant problem and working through it. Sometimes we dont make our friends happy. I had hoped that legislative republicans would follow suit on other tough issues in order to move michigan forward together. They havent, but i am still hopeful. Michiganers are hardworking people and they expect results. They deserve leaders who will work hard and get things done. They wont accept excuses and neither will i. I am not here to play games. [ applause ] thats why its time for plan b. And its not getting monty to fill all the potholes in michigan. For those of you who want to keep playing games im going to press on without you. Im going to use the power of my office to do what i said i was going to do because for me, for michigan, impatience is a virtue. No more waiting around to fix our roads or improve our schools or strengthen our families. The people of michigan are counting on us, and it is time to act and it starts here and in this room. Tonights speech will be shorter than usual. Believe me, the people of michigan dont want more ceremony. They want concrete action, and sometimes they just want concrete. [ applause ] ill follow up more on a variety of topics including Critical Issues like Drinking Water and Climate Change throughout the year. Water is one of michigans greatest and most urgent challenges because it touches nearly every aspect of our lives. Recent headlines about pfos and great lakes record water levels and their impact on tourism and agriculture and infrastructure speak to the magnitude of the urgency of the challenge ahead. You will hear a lot more about this in the coming weeks. Tonight, im going to focus on roads, education, jobs, and health care. Ive spoken about building bridges, metaphorically between our two political parties, but disappointingly, weve had political gridlock. Weve had to literally close bridges in michigan. Last year i proposed a real solution that would have fixed our roads by 2030 and freed up funds for the education of our kids. That was plan a. It was a serious solution. It was a real solution. It was an honest solution to the problems that we inherited. But some thought otherwise. Lets just say it wasnt warmly embraced. But im not giving up because the problem remains. In fact, its worse because another year has passed. Michigan roads are the most beat up and dangerous in the country. Michigan families pay more than 600 a year in car car repairs, cracked windshields, blown tires, busted rims, thats money that could go into your child care budget or Retirement Fund or rent. And its also bad for business. We cant ask a business to invest in michigan if we refuse to invest in ourselves. And we cant protect Public Safety if our roads put people in danger. Inaction is not an option. When i introduced my proposal i said i was happy to consider alternative solutions, but no one came up with any, at least not serious ones. Diverting money from teacher Pension System to fill some potholes, come on. Selling bridges . Not serious. And letting roads turn back into gravel, i dont think so. Any proposal that creates more problems than it solves is not a serious solution. [ applause ] and so its time for plan b, executive action. Tomorrow i will ask the state Transportation Commission to issue state road bonds so we can start fixing the roads now. My rebuilding michigan plan is financed without an increase at the gas pump and it will do three times, save time, save money, and save lives. Since it doesnt require the legislature to act, we can get started right away. And thats important. Cutting down on the time we take to repair michigans most frequently travelled trunk lines and state roads is fiscally responsible. We can add and expand 122 major new products. Im sorry, major new projects. And nearly double the amount available to fix roads over the next five years than if we wait. We can get to work on the state trunk line roads and freeways and take advantage of todays low interest rates. Over the long haul, we are going to actually save money. It just makes sense. So from now on, when you see orange barrels on a state road, slow down, and know that its this administration fixing the dam roads. [ applause ] but let be be clear, these new projects will only address the worst of our most highly traveled state roads. We still need the legislature to come up with a real longterm solution to fix the roads. So the next time you are driving down your local street and hit a pothole or see a bridge closed, call up the leadership in this building and encourage them to act. [ applause ] a longterm infrastructure fix isnt the only solution for the hard working people of michigan that we need. Michigan has boasted 10 straight years of Economic Growth, but michiganers arent all showing in it. And at a historically low unemployment rate, many people are still struggling to get ahead. Some are under skilled. Some are overworked. Some are under paid. And we are doing something about that. Since i took office, we announced nearly 11,000 new auto jobs. Thats five times more than the Previous Year and the most ever announced in a single year in the history of the medc. [ applause ] our deal with Fiat Chrysler is one of the nations largest automotive deals of the last decade. Adding over 6,000 jobs and generating 4. 5 billion of in investment. And first time in 30 years opening of a new Assembly Plant in detroit. [ applause ] our deal with Ford Motor Company will create 3,000 jobs, producing the first ever fully electric f150 securing michigans poll position in mobility and innovation. And just this week we worked with General Motors to announce more than 2. 2 billion investment in their detroit facility. [ applause ] i know you remember a year ago that that plant was on the closure list and now we are adding more than 2,000 new jobs for michiganers [ applause ] we are growing jobs outside of the auto industry. My administration is continuing to work with the Canada Administration on working on the bridge that will create thousands of jobs and spur Economic Growth in our state for years to come. The Canadian Council general is here with us tonight. Please join me in applauding our canadian neighbors for doing this project and remaining a steadfast partner. [ applause ] but the truth is that many michigan residents have a job. The problem is many have to have more than one. And 43 of our neighbors cannot afford basic expenses, like food and housing. That means on a block with five families, at least two of those families are barely getting by. Michiganers needs stability and better pay so we can save more. We should be able to take time off whether on our kids are bor afford child care when we are ready to go back to work. We need employers who invest in a strong workforce. Take over time protections. When i was growing up, if you worked more than 40 hours a week, you were paid overtime. It was that simple. It should still be that simple. If you are working extra hours, sacrificing time with your loved ones on behalf of your employer, you deserve to get paid for that. [ applause ] but right now only workers making 35,000 or less have overtime rights. That flesh hothreshold is too l. As it stands only one in six salaried workers in michigan benefits. So ive directed the department of labor and Economic Opportunity to expand the overtime pay to tens of thousands of michigan workers. If you are on the clock, you deserve to get paid. [ applause ] we are also cracking down on companies that miss classify their employees to short change them on payday. Thats called payroll fraud and its illegal. [ applause ] so while most of our employers do right by their employees, there are some that dont. And im determined to make sure the hard working people of michigan are respected. Protecting thank you. Lets keep rolling. Protecting our workforce is one step, but preparing is another. And that starts with our kids. Michigan ranks in the bottom of literacy. We are doing something with that too. We are working to make prek where test levels are low and poverty is high. And we are providing better access to child care. [ applause ] and we are providing better access to child care for parents who are in school or working full time. Then, once kids reach school age, we are making sure they get the reading help that they need. We have already tripled of literacy coaches in state. The next step is to have the literacy coaches train the educators to better identify and support struggling readers. Youll hear more about this next week when we present the budget. We are also partnering with the Community Foundation of greater flint, the battle creek foundation, and others to help families navigate the third grade reading laws signed by my predecessor. [ applause ] this punitive law could be a nightmare for families. And this initiative will give students and parents the resources they need to get through it. We can get ahead if we start early. But our work cannot stop with early literacy. All students should have the opportunity to go to all schools. The one size fits all does not work, any teacher can tell you. [ applause ] thank you. Any teacher can tell you that every student has potential, but their needs are often very different. This year together we move forward on an equitable formula. We did that today. An equitable funding is essential to meeting the needs at our at risk students and students with special needs, ensuring that every child gets the skills to graduate and succeed in our workforce. [ applause ] so while we are talking about skills, in 2019 i set ambitious goal to increase the number of michiganers with a post secondary credential to 60 by 2030. To get there, there is Bipartisan Legislation called michigan reconnect that will provide tuition free skills training and degree programs for adults. To the champions of these bills, senators horn, representatives frederick, kennedy and anthony, thank you. Now lets get this proposal passed and to my desk. [ applause ] our Business Community supports michigan reconnect, and here is why, we have over 100,000 in demand jobs to fill. These are good paying jobs. Jobs in construction and it and advanced manufacturing, but they demand specialized skills training. Meeting our goal and filling these jobs depends on more than just passing a bill. It depends on our young people. So, to Michigan High School students, including mine, i have two words, keep going. Make a plan for after high school. Find a program that is a good fit for you, whether its a Union Apprenticeship program, a community college, or a university. And please, class of 2020, fill out your fasa form. [ applause ] my kids are laughing at me because they know i have a hard time saying that word. Fasa unlocks the pell grant and additional federal and state financial aid. Last year our students left 100 million federal dollars on the table. We cannot make that mistake again. So ive launched the fasa challenge, the high school in michigan can earn prizes and top school can take home 10,000. [ applau [ applause ] so parents and counselors tell your students, students tell your friends, filling out this form is important for your future. Everyone deserves a path to post secondary success. [ applause ] and everyone deserves access to a quality Affordable Health care. In 2014 we expanded medicaid to cover more than 600,000 michiganers. It was a good thing for our state, but more must be done. Many residents lack access to Affordable Health care. Either they dont have insurance at all or the costs are so high they cant get the coverage and care that they need. You would think that washington would be trying to figure out how to improve the Affordable Care act instead of using our court system to kill it. Dismantling the aca would be disastrous for our state and devastating for our people. One of the most important aca provisions prohibits an Insurance Company from denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions. Without that provision, the coverage of millions of people in our state would be at risk. We need to enshrine these protections in our law. Some democrats in the legislature have come up with a proposal, and its a good one, like protecting people with preexisting conditions and preventing Insurance Companies from discrimination. But we need support of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. I urge you here to think about your constituents, think about any woman you know who has a child, or any child that has asthma, or someone with a chronic condition like diabetes or high blood pressure, pass these protections. It is the right thing to do. [ applause ] and we need to prevent Health Crisis too. Tan and on that front we have made a lot of progress, we have helped Mental Health issues to get the support they need. I signed Bipartisan Legislation that protects more than 83,000 michigan residents access to Mental Health services. And we are helping michiganers struggling with opioid use disorder. Opioid deaths in our state have near nearly tripled in the last decade. I set a goal to cut the number of opioid deaths in half over the next five years. In the coming months i will create a task force that will focus on Prescription Drug transparency and lowering costs. Because if you cant afford to fill a prescription, you can wind up in the er or worse. And my administration is also working to ensure a safe, healthy vohealt healthy environment for all new moms, especially moms of color. This year my Budget Proposal would extend Health Coverage for low income women who have had babies. We will extend most par par tenncare from 60 days to one full year after giving birth. [ applause ] move up a womens first postpartum visit to within three weeks to comprehensive visit to six weeks. And this will help moms feel and work through postpartum anxiety after giving birth. Well let a woman choose her Birth Control that works for her. [ applause ] a novel idea, i know, but we are going to ask a woman what she wants. [ applause ] we will ensure she can get it in one visit, and we will provide coverage for it. Well increase access to treatment for substance addiction and Mental Health services that work for moms. And we will expand access to Home Visiting programs. This will make a crucial difference for new moms and for the youngest michiganers. Well make an intensive effort to eliminate the disparities in care for new moms of color, especially. Because right now black women in michigan are three times more likely than white women to die of pregnancy related causes. That is a staggering disparity. So im working with michigans medical community to address it. Ive enlisted the help of the new ceo of dedetroit Medical Center dr. Audry and asked our partners at universities to have bias training in their curriculum. [ applause ] so that is people of color seek health care, theyll be treated with equal dignity and respect, which will yield better outcomes. Dr. Randolph rash the dean of the Michigan State University College of nursing, who is here tonight, will head up this effort. Both dr. Gregory and rash are up here in the gallery with us tonight. [ applause ] we immediate our medical professionals and our future doctors and nurses to be aware of bias and root it out so we can promote equity in outcomes for every baby and every mom. So heres the bottom line, the health of our state is only as good as the health of our residents. [ applause ] i want to end where i began, impatience is a virtue. Sure, its good to be patient when you are waiting in the line at the Grocery Store or when you are on the phone with Customer Service or when you are a lions fan. But not now. Not when peoples lives and livelihoods are at stake. Not here in a state that faces challenges from pocket books to potholes. Where our Road Conditions prove that waiting to act only makes things worse. In 2020, in michigan, we can afford to it be a little impatient. We need to be a little impatient. In the bling of an eye my daughters will be 0 of to college and joining the workforce. And the same goes for monty and for all our kids. Lets fight for them, not with each other. [ applause ] lets show them what is possible. The people of michigan are on the move. And its time for lansing to catch up. Its time for action. Lets get to work and lets move some dirt. Thank you. [ applause ] [ applause ] President Trump is continuing his four day campaign road trip of rallies and fundraisers through the western u. S. Today with a stop in colorado. Hes holding an event in colorado springs. You can also watch online cspan. Org or listen live with the cspan radio app. Here on cspan 3 this evening, we continue American History tv museum week, highlighting washington d. C. Area museums with exhibits exploring the american story. And take you to the museum 1830 indian removal act. Part of museum week every night this week showing the types of programs youll find on American History tv every weekend here on cspan 3. One of our neighbors was a priest. We used to come by once a week to ask my father for the donation to the church and also some Dairy Products for some of his constituents or some of his people that could not afford it. In 18 years my father never refused such a request. One day in november of 1942 the same priest showed up, however, this time he showed up with an armed Police Officer and two armed guards soldiers also armed. We did not know why that happened this time, so we all went out to find out what was going on. When we came close to the priest, hes looking at the Police Officer, pointing at us and saying, these are jews. So we were turned in to the police. The hearing was held 75 years. Watch it tonight 9 00 p. M. In cspan
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