Governor Rick Snyder delivers his eighth State of the State address Tuesday. The State of the State is a yearly event where the governor lays out his priorities for the upcoming year. Some lawmakers have wish lists for what they want the governor to talk about.
Speaker of the House Tom Leonard(R-Dewitt) has several major topics he wants the governor to focus on, like the need for mental health reform. But Leonard says it’s also important for the governor to stress the accomplishments of the Republican Party.
“I think he needs to remind the citizens of the state of Michigan how far we have come along over the past seven years as well,” he said.
Leonard’s counterpart on the other side of the aisle views the past seven years a little differently. Representative Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) leads the Democrats in the House. He says he’d like to see the governor address areas that haven’t seen growth in the last seven years – like schools and infrastructure.
Others will be focused on what comes after the address.
“What happens is following the remainder of the year, don’t always add up,” said Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint). “So what I’d like to hear him talk about which I think the state of Michigan needs more than ever is really transparent leadership. And what I mean by that is, when you say you’re going to do something, do it.”
Environmental groups have one very clear priority for the governor – water. On Monday, environmentalists called on Governor Snyder to talk about the importance of protecting Michigan’s water during his address.
Executive Director for the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, Lisa Wozniak, said the governor has the chance to present a bold vision for an issue that affects everyone.
“The governor could and should address this in a way that unifies our state and talks about the importance of building new partnerships,” she said.
This is the governor’s final State of the State. He is term limited, and a new governor will take over in January of 2019. Watch it live here on WEMU.org startingat 7pm EST.
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—Cheyna Roth is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network. Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
