GOVERNOR WHITMER ADDRESSES THE
STATE.HER MESSAGE TO LAWMAKERS
-- LETS GET TO WORK.
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MICHIGANDERS ARE HARDWORKING
PEOPLE. THEY EXPECT RESULTS.
THEY DESERVE LEADERS WHO WILL
WORK HARD AND GET THINGS DONE.
THEY WON'T ACCEPT EXCUSES, AND
NEITHER WILL I. I AM NOT HERE
TO PLAY GAMES.
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BRIAN:..ONCE AGAIN, GOVERNOR
WHITMER CALLING FOR ACTION.
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WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE IN
LANSING TONIGHT.LEON HENDRIX
IS GETTING LAWMAKER REACTION,
BUT WE START WITH POLITICAL
REPORTER RICK ALBIN.
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RICK:..GOVERNOR GRETCHEN
WHITMER LAID OUT HER PLAN FOR
2020. A PLAN THAT ALLOWS FOR
SOME UNILATERAL MOVES THAT
WILL NOT TAKE LEGISLATIVE
ACTION. THIS COMES IN THE WAKE
OF HER SIGNAUTRE LEGISLATIVE
PRIORITY FROM LAST YEAR, A 45
CENT PER GALLON GAS TAX, WENT
NOWHERE.
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TONIGHT THE GOVERNOR SAID
SHE'S STILL COMMITTED TO THE
ROADS BUT WILL GO IT ALONE.
SHE'LL ASK THE TRANSPORTATION
COMMISSION TO GIVE HER BONDING
AUTHORITY THOUGH SHE DIDN'T
SAY HOW MUCH. THE GOVERNOR
USED HER SOMEWHAT SHORTER
SPEECH TO CHIDE REPUBLICANS ,
LAY OUT SOME NEW IDEAS AND
LOOK BACK AT ONE BI-PARTISAN
BILL FROM LAST YEAR THAT SHE
SAYS WILL SAVE MONEY
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FOR THOSE OF YOU FOR THOSE
OF YOU WHO WANT TO KEEP
PLAYING GAMES, I'M GOING TO
PRESS ON WITHOUT YOU. I'M
GOING TO USE THE POWER OF MY
OFFICE TO DO WHAT I SAID I WAS
GOING TO DO. BECAUSE FOR MEa&
FOR MICHIGANa& IMPATIENCE IS
A VIRTUE. NO MORE WAITING
AROUND TO FIX OUR ROADS. OR
IMPROVE OUR SCHOOLS. OR
STRENGTHEN OUR FAMILIES. HE
PEOPLE OF MICHIGAN ARE
COUNTING ON US. IT'S TIME TO
ACT
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SO, FROM NOW ON, WHEN YOU SEE
ORANGE BARRELS ON A STATE
ROAD: SLOW DOWN, AND KNOW THAT
IT'S THIS ADMINISTRATION,
FIXING THE DAMN ROADS. CLAPS!!!
////BUT LET ME 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, LONG-TERM
SOLUTION TO FIX THE ROADS. SO
NEXT TIME YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN
YOUR LOCAL STREET AND HIT A
POTHOLE OR SEE A BRIDGE
CLOSEDCALL UP THE REPUBLICAN
LEADERS IN THE LEGISLATURE AND
ENCOURAGE THEM TO ACT.
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AFTER 6 STRAIGHT YEARS OF THE
HIGHEST AUTO INSURANCE RATES
IN THE NATION, WE PASSED
HISTORIC LEGISLATION --
BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION THAT
PUTS MONEY BACK IN PEOPLE'S
POCKETS AND BRINGS DOWN THE
COST OF CAR INSURANCE. CLAPS!!!
///IN DOING SO, WE PRESERVED
QUALITY-COVERAGE OPTIONS,
STRENGTHENED CONSUMER
PROTECTIONS, AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY, ENSURED AN
AVERAGE RATE REDUCTION FOR THE
NEXT EIGHT YEARS.
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RICK:..THE GOVERNOR WANTS MORE
HEALTHCARE FOR LOW INCOME MOMS
WITH NEW BABIES MORE ATTENTION
ON READING SKILL IN OUR
SCHOOLS AND MORE SKILLED
TRAINING TO CLOSE THE GAP.BUT
THE HEADLINE IS THE GOVERNOR
TOLD THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY
LEGISLATURE THAT THEY NEED TO
DO SOMETHING ABOUT LOCAL ROADS
AND SHE'LL HANDLE HIGH TRAFFIC
OR TRUNK LINES.
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BRIAN:..WITH THIS ROADS
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PLAN, THE GOVERNOR IS GOING
AROUND THE LEGISLATURE.HOW BIG
OF AN IMPACT WILL THAT HAVE ON
OTHER LEGISLATIVE OPERATIONS
IN LANSING?
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BRIAN:..NEWS EIGHT'S
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LEON HENDRIX PICKS UP OUR TEAM
COVERAGE NOW.LEON -- THE
GOVERNORS ADDRESS GETTING
REACTION TONIGHT FROM
LAWMAKERS.... PERHAPS NO
SURPRISE THAT IT FALLS RIGHT
ALONG PARTY LINES
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LEON:..THE HIGHLIGHT FOR
LAWMAKERS WAS THE GOVERNORS
AGGRESSION ON ROADS AND HER
PLAN TO BYPASS LEGISLATORS AND
USE EXECUTIVE POWER WITH BONDS
TO FIX OUR ROADS.....
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(( STATE REP. LYNN AFENDOULIS
/ (R) GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIPI
WAS DISAPPOINTED IN THE
SPEECH, THE LACK OF DETAIL
FRANKLY IN ANY OF THE AREAS ))
(( STATE REP. TERRY SABO / (D)
MUSKEGON /HER CALL FOR
BIPARTISANSHIP REALLY STOOD
OUT TO ME LAWMAKERS LINED UP
TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS OF THE
GOVERNORS ADDRESS TONIGHT. IT
CAME AS NO SURPRISE THAT THE
GOVERNOR AGAIN FOCUSED ON
ROADS.....(( THE PEOPLE OF
MICHIGAN DON'T WANT MORE
CEREMONY THEY WANT CONCRETE
ACTION ))BUT REPUBLICANS WERE
ONCE AGAIN PUT OFF BY HER PLAN
TO PAY FOR THEM...(( STATE
REP. MARK HUIZENGA / (R)
WALKER / IT'S NOT HER ONLY
OPTION. WE NEED TO WORK
TOGETHER TO FIND AN OPTION BUT
BONDING IS JUST SIMPLY A
CREDIT CARD. WE NEED TO THINK
ABOUT A LONG TERM SOLUTION ))
(( STATE REP. BRANDT IDEN /
(R) PORTAGE / SURE IT BRINGS
IN IMMEDIATE DOLLARS INTO THE
SYSTEM BUT AT THE END OF THE
DAY YOU STILL THEN HAVE TO
REPAY DOWN THOSE BONDS AS WELL
AS FIGURE OUT A WAY TO FINANCE
THE ROADS GOING FORWARD. ))
DEMOCRATS SAY THE GOVERNOR IS
DOING THE RIGHT THING....((
SEN. WINNIE BRINKS / (D) GRAND
RAPIDS / YOURE A LEGISLATOR.
IS BYPASSING THE LEGISLATURE
THE WAY TO DO THAT? I THINK IN
THIS CASE IT SEEMS LIKE IT MAY
BE A GREAT TOOL FOR US TO GET
A JUMP START ON WHAT NEEDS TO
HAPPEN. IF WE DON'T IT WILL
COST US A LOT MORE IN THE
FUTURE. ))SOME REPUBLICANS DID
FIND NUGGETS THEY LIKED FROM
THE GOVERNORS REMARKS....((
STATE REP. GREG VANWORKEM /
(R) NORTON SHORES / I
APPRECIATED SOME CONVERSATION
ABOUT THE CHILDCARE ISSUE ))((
IDEN / CERTAINLY I THINK THAT
WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE ROADS.
I THINK THAT THAT IS A
PRIORITY. I THINK THE GOVERNOR
IS SPOT ON ABOUT THAT. ))BUT
THE DIVIDE ON ROADS AND HOW TO
FIX THEM SEEMS NO SMALLER
FOLLOWING THIS STATE OF THE
STATE ADDRESS. THE GOVERNOR
PUSHING TO MAKE GOOD ON HER
CENTRAL CAMPAIGN PROMISE....
LIKE IT...(( STATE SEN. SEAN
MCCANN / (D) KALAMAZOO / SHE'S
MADE A PROMISE. SHE'S GOING TO
STICK TO KEEPING IT.))OR NOT
(( ROGER VICTORY / (R)
GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP / THOSE
BONDS GET PAID BY THE MOTOR
FUEL TAX. HOW SUSTAINABLE IS
THAT TAXATION SYSTEM GOING 20
YEARS OUT FROM NOW. WITH
ELECTRIFIED VEHICLES AND THOSE
OTHER ALTERNATIVE FUELS WHERE
IS THAT REVENUE STREAM GOING
TO BE TO PAY OFF THOSE BONDS ))
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LEON:..REPUBLICANS WE SPOKE
WITH TONIGHT SAID THEY AGREED
THAT MORE MONEY NEEDS TO BE
DIRECTED TO OUR ROADS BUT
THEY'D LIKE TO SEE THAT MONEY
CUT FROM SPENDING ELSEWHERE
INSTEAD OF SEEKING MORE MONEY
FROM OUTSIDE THE BUDGET....
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BRIAN:..A MUSKEGON HEIGHTS BOY
WAS A GUEST OF THE GOVERNOR'S
TONIGHT.A VIDEO OF 13 YEAR OLD
MONTE SCOTT WENT VIRAL LAST
YEAR -- AND CAUGHT THE
ATTENTION OF THE GOVERNOR AND
HER PUSH TO FIX THE ROADS.
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MONTE'S MOM POSTED THIS TO
FACEBOOK.AFTER SOME EXPENSIVE
REPAIR BILLS ON HIS MOM'S CAR
AFTER HITTING SO MANY POTHOLES
-- MONTE TOOK MATTERS INTO HIS
OWN HANDS -- AND FIXED THE
POTHOLES HIMSELF..
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19:10:23-36MONTE'S 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. ///
19:09:49-57WHEN I MET MONTE,
HE TOLD ME HIS DREAM IS TO GO
TO COLLEGE AND TO RUN FOR
MAYOR. I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED
IF HE'S GIVING THIS SPEECH ONE
DAY.
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BRIAN:..IF YOU MISSED THE
GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS, YOU CAN
WATCH THE FULL SPEECH RIGHT
NOW ON THE HOME PAGE OF WOOD
TV DOT COM.
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