State Rep. Greg Alexander, of Carsonville, today said many proposed initiatives within Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address will only further hurt taxpayers who help fund state government – while not addressing real priorities that are impacting them every day.

Whitmer laid out plans for additional green energy incentives, housing earmarks, and other costly, big government ventures. These plans come on the heels of a state budget for the current fiscal year that spent over $80 billion.

“This is about responsible budgeting and priorities for a majority of people in Michigan,” Alexander said. “After five years, Gov. Whitmer still has no plan to permanently fund road repairs for roads people in our communities use every day. No new funding was distributed to local road agencies in our state and our previously enormous state surplus that could have been used to help fund repairs is gone. Our state is also falling further behind with student performance in the classroom, and we should be focusing on putting more money back in people’s pockets with lower taxes instead of nickel and diming them to pay for state government’s bloated budget.

“The proposals the governor laid out will only take us further down a path that makes Michigan less affordable and more costly for hardworking families.”

Alexander said the Legislature should use the current 54-54 split in the House to advance reforms that can get bipartisan backing. This includes road funding and reforming a beleaguered Unemployment Insurance Agency that has let down individuals seeking benefits they were owed and squandered billions of dollars through fraud. Alexander welcomed Bill Herron, a small business owner from Kingston in Tuscola County, as his guest for the address.

“Government overreach and taxes on small businesses have made things extremely difficult for our local job providers,” Alexander said. “The governor says she is committed to growing Michigan and making our state more attractive, but big government gimmicks and giveaways are not the answer when you’re continuously going to hardworking people to get that money. We need a more practical approach that focuses on the big picture.”