RAPIDS, NATIVE BEST LOST HIS
BATTLE WITH COVID-19. THANKS
FOR JOINING US, EVERYONE. I'M
BRIAN STERLING. AND I'M SUSAN
SHAW. FIRST UP TONIGHT,
GOVERNOR WHITMER STATE OF THE
STATE ADDRESS ON LIKE MOST
YEARS.
>> THE GOVERNOR DELIVERED THIS
ALONE NOT IN FRONT OF A CROWD
OF LAWMAKERS. BUT SHE DID HAVE
A MESSAGE FOR THEM. THE
GOVERNOR SPENT A LOT OF TIME
TALKING ABOUT COOPERATION AND
BIPARTISANSHIP. SHE CITED
EXAMPLES OF PAST COOPERATION
AND URGED THE SAME SPIRIT
WORKING ON HER COVID RECOVERY
PLAN. WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE
FOR YOU TONIGHT. AND WE BEGIN
WITH NEWS. A POLITICAL
REPORTER RICK ALBIN WRECK.
>> SUSAN, THE GOVERNOR SAID IN
THIS NOT ELECTION YEAR THAT
SHE WANTS TO WORK WITH THE
LEGISLATURE TO GET MORE COVID
RELIEF TO THE STATE. 5 BILLION
DOLLAR PLUS PLAN WOULD FOCUS.
SHE SAYS ARE GETTING KIDS BACK
TO SCHOOL. DISTRIBUTING
VACCINES AND HELPING SMALL
BUSINESSES. GOVERNOR CITED
PAST COOPERATION ON CRIMINAL
JUSTICE REFORM IN RECENT
BUDGETS AS AN INDICATION THE 2
SIDES CAN WORK TOGETHER. BUT
SHE DIDN'T MENTION THE 10
MONTH LONG BITTER DISAGREEMENT
BETWEEN SHE AND THE
LEGISLATURE ABOUT HER
UNILATERAL APPROACH TO MANY
WARDERS AND CLOSINGS WITH NO
INPUT FROM LAWMAKERS. IT WAS A
LARGELY UPBEAT SPEECH THAT
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE STILL
IN THE GRIPS OF PANDEMIC. BUT
WITH HOPE TO THE VACCINES
BEING DEVELOPED LIKE THE ONE
MADE RIGHT HERE IN MICHIGAN.
THE GOVERNOR ALSO SAID THE
STATE WOULD BE READY FOR
VACCINATING 50,000 PEOPLE IN
THE STATE EVERY DAY. WHEN
THOSE VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE,
THE SPEECH ENDED WITH ANOTHER
CALL FOR COOPERATION N WORKING
TOGETHER.
>> LET'S TAP INTO THAT SAME
ENERGY. AND AND THE PANDEMIC
REVITALIZE OUR ECONOMY AND GET
OUR KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL. LET'S
MAKE GOOD USE OF THIS. NOT AN
ELECTION YEAR AND WORK
TOGETHER. AFTER ALL,
MICHIGANDERS FIRST. COMMON
GROUND TO GROW OUR ECONOMY,
HIS FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES
BACK ON THEIR FEET. IT STARTS
BY ENDING THE PANDEMIC. THE
HEALTH OF OUR ECONOMY IS
INEXTRICABLY LINKED TO THE
HEALTH OF OUR PEOPLE.
AFFECTED. LEE REBUILDING OUR
ECONOMY THIS YEAR REQUIRES
THAT WE PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND THAT HURDLE IS CLEARED
EASIER AND QUICKER. IF WE WORK
TOGETHER. I INVITE THE
LEGISLATURE TO PARTNER WITH ME
AND THE HEALTH OF OUR PEOPLE,
EDUCATION OF OUR KIDS AND THE
RESURGENCE OF OUR ECONOMY.
LET'S GET THE MY COVID
RECOVERY PLAN PASSED
IMMEDIATELY.
>> AND RICK, SHE'S SAYING THE
RIGHT THINGS. BUT THERE'S A
LOT OF BITTERNESS IN LANSING
THESE DAYS. WHAT IS IT GOING
TO TAKE TO GET SOME
COOPERATION HERE GIVEN THOSE
RESPONSE THAT HAVE BEEN
BUILDING FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW
THOSE DIVISIONS BETWEEN THE
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURES AND
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR ARE REAL
AND DEEP.
>> AND WE'LL MAKE COMING UP
WITH ANY KIND OF RESPONSE TO
COVID THE GOVERNOR ASKED FOR
TONIGHT, MORE DIFFICULT. HER
BUDGET BEING DELIVERED IN JUST
A COUPLE OF WEEKS COULD
FURTHER COMPLICATE THE PROCESS
GIVEN THE LONGSTANDING
DIFFERENCES IN SPENDING
PRIORITIES BETWEEN LEADERS OF
THE HOUSE AND SENATE AND THE
GOVERNOR. THERE IS ONE
OPTIMISTIC NOTE AND IT'S WORTH
NOTING THAT THE MONEY THAT THE
GOVERNOR WANTS TO SPEND
OVERWHELMINGLY FEDERAL FUNDS.
THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN PUT
FORWARD AND THEY MAY ALLOW
SOME INCENTIVE EVEN FOR
RELUCTANT LAWMAKERS NOT TO
LEAVE THAT MONEY ON THE TABLE,
BRIAN. SO THAT'S A GREAT
POINT. ABSOLUTELY. RICK ALBIN,
THANK YOU. REPUBLICANS IN THE
LEGISLATURE WERE NOT QUICK TO
EMBRACE THE GOVERNOR'S CALL
FOR COOPERATION. THERE WAS NOT
A FORMAL GOP RESPONSE. BUT WE
SPOKE LIVE WITH LOTT AND
SENATOR ERIC NESBITT RIGHT
AFTER THE GOVERNOR SPEECH AND
HE TOLD US.
>> THAT HE AND HIS COLLEAGUES
HAVE BEEN TRYING TO WORK WITH
THE GOVERNOR.
>> I MEAN, IS TYPICAL THE
STATE OF THE STATE THE
GOVERNOR A LINER PLAN AND
CALLED ON THE LEGISLATURE TO
WORK WITH HER. AND WE'VE TRIED
OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS TO WORK
WITH THE GOVERNOR. WE TRIED TO
PASS AND TAX RELIEF FOR SMALL
BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN
FORCED TO SHUT WANT TO THEIR
OWN BY THE BY THIS GOVERNOR
STRUGGLING DURING THIS
PANDEMIC GET IN AND HELP
PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR JOB AND
NO ONE OF OWN AND SHE BE THOSE
A PIECE OF LEGISLATION LAST
YEAR REALLY COMMONSENSE PIECE
OF LEGISLATION, BUT THIS IS
REALLY NOTHING NEW FOR FOR
GOVERNOR SHE'S CHOSEN TO GO IT
ALONE APPROACH.
>> THIS TIME LAST YEAR. THE
GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS IT HAD A
MUCH DIFFERENT TONE AND FOCUS.
BUT SOME THINGS HAVE NOT
CHANGED. ONE YEAR LATER IN THE
POLITICAL DIVIDE SEEMS TO BE
WIDENING NEWS EIGHT'S
JACQUELINE FRANCIS HAS A LOOK
BACK.
>> IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IT WAS
JUST A YEAR AGO THAT GOVERNOR
WHITMER STATE OF THE STATE
ADDRESS FOCUSED ON FIXING THE
ROADS TONIGHT. IT WAS ABOUT
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY. AND GOOD
EVENING.
>> LAST YEAR I GAVE MY SECOND
SUED THE STATE ADDRESS IN THE
HOUSE CHAMBER HERE IN THE
CAPITAL OPENING TONIGHT BY
STATING THE OBVIOUS GOVERNOR,
GRETCHEN WHITMER DIDN'T WASTE
ANY TIME ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IN
JUST ONE YEAR. JUST ABOUT
EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED IN LAST
YEAR'S STATE OF THE STATE
ADDRESS WHITMER'S MAJOR FOCUS
WAS ON FIXING MICHIGAN'S ROADS
AND BRIDGES SAYING SHE WAS
READY AND WILLING TO DO SO
WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE
LEGISLATURE WHEN IT COMES TO
TACKLING MICHIGAN'S PROBLEMS.
>> I HAVE GOT A PLAN. A AND A
PLAN B, BUT IT WAS PLAN. IS
SHE RESPONDING TO THE STATE'S
COVID CRISIS THAT WOULD SOON
CHANGE EVERYTHING JUST 2
MONTHS AFTER DELIVERING LAST
YEAR'S ADDRESS, THE GOVERNOR
WILL ISSUE A STATEWIDE
LOCKDOWN IN RESPONSE TO THE
PANDEMIC. A MOVE THAT ONLY
DEEPENED PARTISAN LINES
LEADING TO TONIGHT'S RENEWED
CALLS FOR UNITY. WE STILL HAVE
A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
>> TO JOIN FORCES TO END THE
PANDEMIC AND GROW OUR ECONOMY.
AND WHILE THERE WERE SOME
DETOURS ALONG THE WAY WHITMER
MANAGED TO DELIVER ON MANY OF
HER PRE COVID PROMISES MADE
THIS TIME LAST YEAR WELL, WE
HAD TO FOCUS ON THE VIRUS.
>> WE PROVED WE CAN CHEW GUM
AND WALK AT THE SAME TIME. AND
A LOT HAS HAPPENED.
>> IN SEPTEMBER. THE STATE
CLOSED ON ITS FIRST
800 MILLION DOLLAR BOND TO
COVER THE COST OF REBUILDING
SOME OF MICHIGAN'S MOST
GOVERNOR EXPECTS TO MORE THAN
DOUBLE THAT AMOUNT IN FUNDING