January 28, 2021
By Jessica Mathews & Jon King / news@whmi.com
Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered her third annual State of the State Address Wednesday night, highlighting both successes and challenges still to overcome during the continuing pandemic.
Speaking from her Capitol office, the Democratic Governor said 2020 was a tough year and acknowledged the more than 14,000 lives lost to COVID-19. She noted that over the past year, people confronted historic converging crises â a worldwide pandemic, the recession it caused, a 500-year flooding event, a nationwide call against racial inequity, and a deeply divisive election. Based on the political environment this past year, Whitmer said people might think Republicans and Democrats in Lansing canât find common ground on much of anything but the reality was that they took real bipartisan action to get things done â noting she signed two balanced, bi-partisan budgets that prioritized public schools, public safety and public health.