LONGER. WE’VE HAD ALREADY THIS YEAR 300 MASS SHOOTINGS IN THIS COUNTRY 300. IN 2022. WHEN ARE
WE GOING TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT
THIS AND STOP MAKING IT A
POLITICAL DISCUSSION AND MAKE IT
MORE ABOUT A LIFE DISCUSSION?
COMMENTS FROM OBVIOUSLY VERY
FRUSTRATED AND PAINED CHIEF
JAMES WHITE. LET’S USE THAT AS A
JUMPING OFF POINT. NOW, AS WE
START OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR
GOVERNOR VERY HAPPY TO HAVE WITH
ME TODAY. TUTOR DIXON TUTOR
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR COMING
AFTER A REALLY TOUGH WEEK. I
POINTED OUT EARLIER JUST ABOUT
THE TIME YOU ALL WERE TALKING
ABOUT GUN POLICY AND GUN
VIOLENCE IN YOUR DEBATE. THIS
WAS WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN
DETROIT. YOU ALL HAVE SIMILAR
POLICIES WHEN IT COMES TO GUNS,
BUT AFTER WE SEE WHAT HAPPENED
ON A NIGHT LIKE THURSDAY NIGHT
OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN DETROIT.
WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT? I THINK
IT’S IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT
WHAT THE CHIEF IS SAYING, AND
THAT IS KEEP THESE PEOPLE IN
JAIL AS THEY IF THEY HAVE
COMMITTED A CRIME. HE DOESN’T
WANT TO SEE THEM BACK OUT ON THE
STREETS, AND THESE POLICE
OFFICERS WAY TOO OFTEN ARE
GETTING AMBUSHED. NO MATTER
WHERE I AM IN THE STATE. THAT’S
WHAT I’M HEARING. OUR POLICE
OFFICERS ARE IN DANGER BECAUSE
THE PROSECUTORS IN SOME CITIES
AND SOME COUNTIES ARE LETTING
THEM OUT NOW, NOT ALL, BUT THAT
IS A PROBLEM AND THAT’S
SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
THE COMMENT THAT YOU’VE HAD
ABOUT GUN CONTROL. IS THAT GUN
CONTROL TO YOU MEANS TWO HANDS
ON THE GUN. UM IT SEEMS A LITTLE
COLD AFTER SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, IS THERE NOTHING WE CAN
DO ABOUT TRYING TO STEM THE GUN?
VIOLENCE THAT IS NOT JUST
WRECKING JUST WRECKED IN DETROIT
THIS WEEK, BUT WE’RE WATCHING IT
ALL OVER THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW,
LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT
HAPPENED LAST WEEK. WHEN YOU
LOOK BACK AT THE FOURTH OF JULY
CELEBRATION IN ILLINOIS, WHERE
YOU SEE GUN CONTROL. AND THAT’S
A SITUATION WHERE THEY HAVE RED
FLAG LAWS THAT DIDN’T WORK. SO
WHY PRESENTED A FAKE SOLUTIONS,
SOMETHING THAT’S NOT ACTUALLY
GOING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM
BECAUSE HERE’S A SITUATION WHERE
YOU HAVE A MAN WHO ALREADY HAD
WEAPONS CONFISCATED FROM HIS
HOME. THE POLICE WERE THERE AND
YET HIS FATHER, HE VOUCHES FOR
HIM, AND HE BUYS IT HERE
ESSENTIALLY ALLOWS HIM TO BUY
THESE WEAPONS SO AT WHAT POINT
ARE WE GOING TO START HOLDING
THESE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE THAT
SEE THAT THIS PERSON SHOULD NOT
HAVE A WEAPON? AND YET THEY’RE
VOUCHING FOR THEM. SHOULD THE
PARENTS BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND
WE’RE SEEING THAT IN OXFORD?
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SAY WHEN
YOU SEE A MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM?
YOU NEED TO STEP UP AND TAKE
RESPONSIBILITY. YOU AGREE WITH
THE CHARGING OF THE PARENTS,
THEN IN OXFORD. IS THAT WHAT
YOU’RE SAYING? YEAH I DON’T WANT
TO SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME ON
THE BROADER ISSUES THAT WILL
BOIL DOWN TO YOU. AND IF YOU IF
YOU BECOME THE NOMINEE, YOU AND
GOVERNOR WHITMER, I THINK THE
ARE BETTER TO OUR TIME IS BETTER
SERVED HELPING REPUBLICANS
UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’RE THE BEST
CHOICE AMONG THE OTHER
REPUBLICANS. YOU ALL HAVE MANY,
MANY THINGS IN COMMON. YOU ALL
FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT THE LAST
ELECTION. YOU ALL FEEL THE SAME
WAY ABOUT DONALD TRUMP. YOU’RE
ALL SEEKING HIS SUPPORT YOU ALL
WANT TO LOWER TAXES IN MICHIGAN?
SO WHY DON’T YOU TELL ME? WHERE
IS THE SEPARATOR OF TUTOR DIXON
FROM THE REPUBLICAN FIELD? I
THINK IF YOU JUST LOOK AT WHAT
WE’VE ALL DONE IN WHILE WE’VE
BEEN CAMPAIGNING, I’VE REACHED
OUT TO PEOPLE, WHETHER IT’S THE
GRASSROOTS OR THE BUSINESS
COMMUNITY AND I’VE SAT DOWN AND
I’VE TALKED TO THESE FOLKS AND
REALLY LEARNED WHAT THEY NEED.
WHETHER THERE ARE REPUBLICANS OR
INDEPENDENTS. YOU KNOW, THIS
STATE IS NOT NECESSARILY RED OR
BLUE, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO TALK TO
EVERYBODY, AND WE HAVE TO BE
ABLE TO TALK TO PEOPLE ACROSS
THE AISLE. AND WE’VE BEEN ABLE
TO WIN THE SUPPORT OF THE POLICE
OFFICERS ASSOCIATION AND THE
BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS WELL. AND
I THINK THAT’S REALLY THE
DIFFERENTIATING FACTOR. BUT THE
REASON I’VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT
IS THAT I COME FROM A BUSINESS
BACKGROUND AND COMMUNICATIONS
BACKGROUND, SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT
OUR BUSINESSES ARE DEALING WITH
. AND SO MANY OF OUR BUSINESSES
SAY WE’RE REALLY BEING CRUSHED
BY WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
GOVERNMENT IN MICHIGAN. AND I’VE
BEEN ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND
SAY WE CAN MAKE CHANGES THERE,
BUT ALSO WE NEED TO SUPPORT SAFE
COMMUNITIES AND TALK TO PARENTS
IN A DIFFERENT WAY ABOUT
EDUCATION. BEING A MAMA. FOUR OF
YOU HAVE BEEN A LEGISLATIVE
EXPERIENCE. ISN’T THAT A GAP IN
EVERY ALL OF YOUR RESUMES? I
THINK THAT’S WHY IT’S SO
IMPORTANT TO GET BEHIND THE
PERSON WHO IS WILLING TO MAKE
THE RELATIONSHIPS WE’VE HEARD
FROM THE OTHER CANDIDATES THAT
THEY DON’T WANT TO WORK WITH THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE ELECTED AND YET
I’VE BEEN ENDORSED BY 20
LEGISLATORS. I’VE SAT DOWN WITH
THEM. I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER.
YOU SAW ME ON THE CAPITOL STEPS
LAST WEEK. I UNDERSTAND WHAT I
NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE I HAVE
THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON MY TEAM. ONE
OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU ALL
AGREE ON. IS YOUR ALL, UH
AGAINST ABORTIONS. WE SAW THIS
PAST WEEK THAT OVER 800,000. IT
LOOKS LIKE SIGNATURES ARE GOING
TO BE DELIVERED ON CREATING A
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IN THE
STATE. AND IT RAISES A PRETTY
GOOD QUESTION AS TO WHETHER YOU
BELIEVE AS GOVERNOR. YOU SHOULD
BE LEADING WHAT YOU WITH WHAT
YOU BELIEVE IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL
BELIEFS OR WHETHER YOU SHOULD BE
REPRESENTING THE BELIEFS OF
MICHIGANDERS BECAUSE POLLS SHOW
US THAT ALMOST THREE QUARTERS OF
MICHIGAN IS A VER OF THE
PROTECTIONS OF ABORTION RIGHTS
UNDER ROE VERSUS WADE, GET ON
THE BALLOT. THEN WE’LL SEE. BUT
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE
OF WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON THE
BALLOT BECAUSE THAT TAKES ALL
PROTECTIONS OFF THE BOOKS SO YOU
NO LONGER HAVE PARENTAL CONSENT.
THERE’S NO EDUCATION AHEAD OF
TIME. IN FACT, IT CHANGES THE
LANGUAGE, SO THEY A HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONAL CAN BE ANYBODY. IT
COULD BE A SCHOOL NURSE. THAT
WOULD BE GIVING SOMEBODY AN
ABORTION WITHOUT APPARENT
WITHOUT HER PARENTS’ CONSENT. SO
I THINK WE HAVE TO BE REALLY
AWARE OF THE NO LIMITS THAT
WE’RE LOOKING AT THE SITUATION
THAT WE’RE LOOKING AT WOULD BE
DISMEMBERMENT ABORTION IN THE
STATE, SO I THINK THERE NEEDS TO
BE EDUCATION ON EXACTLY WHAT WE
ARE LOOKING AT. IF THAT WERE TO
PASS SPEAK TO MY BROADER POINT,
THOUGH, ABOUT WHETHER YOU
BELIEVE THAT AS GOVERNOR, WE
SHOULD BE DEFERRING TO YOUR
JUDGMENT, ARE WE ELECTING YOUR
JUDGMENT. ARE WE ELECTING YOUR
REPRESENTATION OF THE BELIEFS OF
MICHIGANDERS WOULD FOLLOW THE
LOSS OF THE LAW ON THE BOOKS
RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE HAVE AN
ABORTION, NO ABORTION, WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF LIFE OF THE MOTHER.
OBVIOUSLY IF SUDDENLY THIS WERE
ON THE BALLOT, AND THE PEOPLE OF
MICHIGAN VOTE THIS IN THEN
THAT’S BEYOND THE GOVERNOR’S
CONTROL. I YOU KNOW MY POSITION
ON ABORTION. I’VE BEEN VERY
CLEAR. I AGREE WITH THE 1931
LAW. IF THE PEOPLE OF MICHIGAN
WERE TO VOTE SOMETHING ELSE IN
THAT’S LIKE YOU SAID IN THE
CONSTITUTION, BUT THAT’S NOT
WHAT I’M HEARING. ANOTHER THING
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL
HAVE IN COMMON. YOU ALL WANT TO
LOWER TAXES ON MICHIGAN, BUT
THERE’S VERY LITTLE SPECIFICITY
. IT’S ONE THING TO LOWER TAXES
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND NOT
WORRY ABOUT WHAT IT DOES TO OUR
DEBT. WE CAN’T DO THAT IN THE
STATE. WHERE DOES THE SPECIFY
WHERE IS THE WHAT IS
SPECIFICALLY WHERE DO YOU THINK
THAT WE ARE SPENDING ON THINGS
THAT NEED TO BE CUT FOR US TO
ALLOW TAX CUTS HAVE COME OUT AND
I’VE SAID THAT I’VE ALREADY
AGREED WITH WHAT THE LEGISLATURE
HAS DONE. THEY HAVE FOUND A WAY
TO TWICE NOW COME TO THE
GOVERNOR AND LOWER THE INCOME
TAX. TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR
LOWERING LOWERING THE INCOME TAX
. LET’S DO THAT RIGHT AWAY
BECAUSE THAT’S ALREADY BEEN
FIGURED OUT. IT’S NOT A MATTER
OF WHERE WOULD WE CUT? THEY HAVE
ALREADY DONE THIS. THIS IS JUST
A MATTER OF PASSING IT NOW, AND
THE GOVERNOR HAS VETOED THAT
EVERY TIME WHY IS SHE SO OPPOSED
TO TAX RELIEF? IT’S NEVER COME
THROUGH, EVEN DURING THE
PANDEMIC WHEN SHE COULD HAVE
OFFERED TAX RELIEF TO SMALL
BUSINESSES. SHE VETOED THAT AS
WELL. WE’RE LOOKING FOR WHAT WE
CAN DO. IT’S ALREADY BEEN
FIGURED OUT. WHEN IT COMES TO,
UM, ACCORDING BUSINESS, UM WE’VE
WATCHED SOME PROJECTS. BIG
PROJECTS BE ANNOUNCED TO STAY IN
MICHIGAN OR COME TO MICHIGAN.
WE’VE ALSO WATCHED SOME LEAVE.
THERE’S A VERY FINE LINE BETWEEN
CREATING THE INCENTIVES THAT
BUSINESSES WANT TO SEE IN
CREATING GIVEAWAYS AND BEING
COMPLETELY BE HOLDEN TO
COMPANIES AND KIND OF LETTING
THEM CREATE EXTREMELY LONG TERM
AGREEMENTS THAT MAY THAT SOME
PEOPLE FEAR DON’T KEEP THE LONG
TERM GOOD OF MICHIGANDERS IN
MIND. WHERE IS THIS FINE LINE
BETWEEN ATTRACTING BUSINESS AND
YET, UH, KEEPING RESPONSIBLE
EXPECTATIONS ON THE COMPANIES
THAT DO BUSINESS IN MICHIGAN?
WELL WE’VE BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT
WE WANT TO LOOK AT ALL CORPORATE
WELFARE AND EXACTLY WHAT WE’RE
GIVING AWAY. BUT RIGHT NOW, THE
ISSUE THAT I’M HEARING FROM
CORPORATIONS ACROSS THE STATE
AND OUTSIDE OF THE STATE IS IF
WE COME TO MICHIGAN, THERE’S NO
WORKFORCE. THAT’S REALLY THE
FOCUS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE RIGHT
NOW. HOW DO WE BRING PEOPLE? HOW
DO WE INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO COME
TO THE STATE? WHAT CAN WE DO TO
GET FAMILIES TO THE STATE? WHAT
CAN WE DO TO HAVE OUR GRADUATES
STAY IN MICHIGAN, AND THAT’S A
REAL STRONG FOCUS FOR OUR
CAMPAIGN RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE CAN BRING PEOPLE BACK
BECAUSE YOU JUST SAW THE NEWS.
WE’RE LOSING PEOPLE. WE’VE BEEN
STAGNANT SINCE THE EARLY TWO
THOUSANDS. AND NOW WE’RE SEEING
THAT PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY LEAVING
THE STATE. WE’RE LOSING
POPULATION. THAT’S THE WORST
POSSIBLE SCENARIO FOR BRINGING
BUSINESS HERE. IF YOU DON’T HAVE
WORKERS, YOU CAN’T HAVE BUSINESS
HERE. SO WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO
HAVE THAT FUNDAMENTAL
REQUIREMENT IN PLACE. AND THAT
MEANS WE HAVE TO START THINKING
ABOUT DO WE INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE
TO COME TO THE STATE? AND WHAT
DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IT’S
INTERESTING BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN
SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE KNOWN AS
CLIMATE PRINTS. NOW WE HAVE
PEOPLE WHO ARE THIS CLIMATE
GRATION THAT PEOPLE ARE
REFERRING TO WHERE OTHER PEOPLE
ARE BEING CHASED OUT OF OTHER
PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND
MICHIGAN AND THE MIDWEST JUST
HAPPENS TO BE PRETTY WELL
POSITIONED. WHAT ARE YOUR
THOUGHTS, THOUGH ABOUT WHAT THE
STATE HAS TO DO TO WORRY ABOUT
CLIMATE CHANGE AND CREATE A
FUTURE THAT IS ATTRACTIVE TO
OTHER PEOPLE TO COME INTO? WELL
I THINK YOU KNOW I WAS TALKING
TO SOMEONE ABOUT THIS EARLIER
TODAY, AND THEY SAID, HONESTLY,
WE’RE ONE OF THE STATES THAT
DOESN’T HAVE NATURAL DISASTERS.
WE DON’T HAVE A LOT OF THESE
NEGATIVES THAT YOU’RE SEEING IN
SOME OF THESE OTHER STATES. WHY
CAN’T WE KIND OF ADVERTISE OUR
PROGRESS. IN THAT CASE, YOU
KNOW, HERE’S A STATE WHERE WE
HAVE SO MUCH BEAUTY. MY GIRLS
AND I WERE AT THE BEACH OVER THE
WEEKEND. AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE
JUST DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW
BEAUTIFUL THE STATE OF MICHIGAN
IS. SO THOSE ISSUES WE I THINK
WE HAVE ENERGY COMPANIES THAT
ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO COMBAT
THOSE ISSUES NATIONWIDE, AND
THEY’RE IN THE STATE OF
MICHIGAN. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO
AN ENVIRONMENT TO LIVE IN THE
SYSTEM MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN
THE COUNTRY. WE AGREE ON THAT TO
DIXON. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE
TIME AND THEN WE’LL TALK TO YOU