STATE OF THE STATE

Wisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is up for reelection in November, has vetoed a package of bills passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature that would have made a series of changes to the battleground state’s election laws.

“Taxes,” “insulin” and “jobs” were among the most common words from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address on Wednesday, Jan. 26. Whitmer’s 25-minute speech hit on a slew of topics, but some were more prominent than others. MLive analyzed a transcript of the speech to dissect the themes, and 43 words were used five or more times – not counting words like “and,” “the” and “but.”

General Motors took advantage of a $1 billion state economic incentive fund that was quickly ushered through the Legislature with significant bipartisan support. It was created to make Michigan more competitive after Ford Motor Company snubbed the state for an $11.4 billion electric vehicle investment. Related: Whitmer wants tax cuts for seniors and low-income families. Whitmer temporarily paused in-person classes for high schools earlier in the pandemic but has avoided issuing orders as of late. Whitmer’s 2022 State of the State address: How to watch and what to expect tonightRead Whitmer’s $5.6B plan to fund coronavirus recovery for Michigan schools, economy

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will deliver her annual State of the State address tonight at 7 p.m.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is planning to deliver a State of the State address in a virtual format on Wednesday, Jan. 26.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Monday that the 2022 State of the State address will include a tribute to the Oxford community following the deadly shooting at Oxford High School.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is planning to deliver a State of the State Address in a virtual format on Wednesday, Jan. 26.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will deliver the State of the State address virtually for the second year in a row as COVID-19 cases continue to surge...

Hochul wants to attract more teachers to New York, provide more mental health resources for schools, and ensure more New Yorkers earn a college degree.

With a month for the Beijing Winter Olympics to kick off, the local organising committee rehearsed the award medal ceremony in a venue next to the Bird's Nest National Stadium.

A pair of bills signed this year by Gov. Ron DeSantis, involving vehicle rentals and notaries public, will become law Saturday.

A group supporting former President Donald Trump's agenda is working to bypass Wisconsin's Democratic governor to change the swing state's election laws.

Millions of jobless Americans who have depended on federal unemployment aid as a financial lifeline are about to lose those benefits just as the delta variant of the coronavirus poses a renewed threat to the economy and the job market.

Federal officials are pushing back after Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he doesn’t want government employees going door-to-door to urge people to get vaccinated.

Here is the prepared text for Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s prerecorded budget address and State of the State speech that he delivered to Illinois lawmakers on Wednesday. Read the full story here.

(AP Photo/Al Goldis, File)DETROIT – A New York Times article published Tuesday details Michigan GOP leader Mike Shirkey’s involvement with militia groups and his empathy for insurrectionists at the U.S. Capitol. Allied Itself With Militants,” offers an inside look at how involved Michigan GOP leaders were in coordinating with militia groups through various protests in 2020, leading up to the riot at the U.S. Capitol in January. Next time tell them not to bring guns,” complained Mike Shirkey, the State Senate majority leader, according to one of the protest organizers. AdThe NYT also reports that Shirkey held a meeting with militia groups in his office to establish a “code of conduct.”“Do you tell your people to make sure that there’s not a live round in a chamber? You can read the full, in-depth New York Times article right here.

Amid calls for unity, a war of words erupted Thursday as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republican lawmakers traded verbal blows just one day after the State of the State address. Shirkey said legislators have not had a productive meeting with Whitmer’s office in the last nine months. When asked about what they’d be willing to compromise on, both Whitmer’s office and Republican leaders seemed to be locked in a game of political chicken. The buck stops with me,” Whitmer said after GOP leaders demanded she cede her powers over schools amid the pandemic.

They not only reacted to Whitmer’s speech, but outlined how they will continue to oppose her COVID-19 orders through “political gestures,” Shirkey said. One of those gestures occurred during the Senate’s Wednesday session, where Republicans blocked 13 of Whitmer’s appointments to state positions. Health experts have characterized schools as safer from COVID-19 spread than restaurants, which are open in Michigan at 25% capacity. “Honestly, that was a slap in the face to small businesses in our state,” Wentworth said. Whitmer’s State of the State addressLawmakers react to Gov.

Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State speech was her choice to not wear a mask, he said in two radio interviews Thursday morning. In interviews with Michigan Radio and WJR Thursday morning, Shirkey, R-Clarklake, said the most important thing about Whitmer’s address was not something she said, but something she did: address Michigan residents without a mask on. On WJR, Shirkey said Whitmer “looked delightful” and “delivered her message well,” adding that she addressed many issues in her speech that he thought Republicans could agree on. Related coverage:Whitmer calls for bipartisan COVID-19, economic progress in State of the State addressWhitmer tells Michigan she hasn’t forgotten about roads in State of the State speechMichigan economy, COVID-19 response ‘completely intertwined,’ says Whitmer ahead of State of the State addressOne thing Whitmer has to address in Wednesday’s State of the State? House Republicans unveil $3.5B COVID-19 plan to counter Whitmer proposalWhitmer unveils $5.6B plan to fund coronavirus response, economic recoveryRead Whitmer’s $5.6B plan to fund coronavirus recovery for Michigan schools, economy

Gretchen Whitmer for remarks about Pfizer during her third State of the State address. Whitmer mentioned the company during the speech Wednesday, Jan. 27, and called on lawmakers to pass Good Jobs for Michigan legislation to retain and grow our businesses and create jobs. Pfizer was the first business to utilize Good Jobs for Michigan, Whitmer said, and did so to build their sterile drug manufacturing plant and create 450 good-paying jobs in Portage. “We are so proud that Pfizer calls Portage home,” City Manager Joe La Margo said. “Portage and Kalamazoo County are a hub of innovation and creativity where ideas are hatched, and concepts are brought to life.

Tasked with recapping an extraordinarily difficult year in the annual speech, Whitmer also broke some new ground and illuminated her approach going forward. That’s not the case this year -- Republicans got ahead of the State of the State speech by releasing their own priorities in addressing COVID-19 earlier this week. Effectively rebuilding our economy this year requires that we protect public health,” Whitmer said in her speech. As Charles Ballard, a professor of economics at Michigan State University, put it last week, “Here’s my view of the economy. Gretchen Whitmer’s call for bipartisanship in State of the State addressWhitmer calls for bipartisan COVID-19, economic progress in State of the State addressWhitmer tells Michigan she hasn’t forgotten about roads in State of the State speechThe 2020 ‘heart attack’ Michigan’s economy suffered won’t heal overnight, economists sayMichigan economy, COVID-19 response ‘completely intertwined,’ says Whitmer ahead of State of the State address

In this photo provided by the Michigan Office of the Governor, Gov. (Michigan Office of the Governor via AP)LANSING, Mich. – Gov. “The state of our state is resilience,” the governor said. “While common ground seems less and less common these days, it’s never been more important that we work toward it,” Whitmer said. It should be passed, Whitmer said, so local communities “can move some dirt, too.”___Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00

But the bonding money can only be used on state-level projects, not local roads. In her speech, Whitmer endorsed legislation to give local communities more options to fund local road and bridge projects. “As for your local roads and bridges, last session, legislation was introduced to give local communities more options so they can move some dirt too. Related coverage:Michigan economy, COVID-19 response ‘completely intertwined,’ says Whitmer ahead of State of the State addressOne thing Whitmer has to address in Wednesday’s State of the State? Whitmer unveils ‘Plan B’ for roads: She’ll fix them without lawmakersWhitmer’s new road plan: Borrow $3.5B to fix them nowWhitmer’s $3.5 billion road spending plan green-lighted by state panel

She also recapped her $5.6 billion COVID-19 relief plan, which sends largely federal emergency funding into areas like vaccine distribution, schools and small business assistance. Related: Whitmer tells Michigan she hasn’t forgotten about roads in State of the State speechShe’s since taken smaller bites at the apple. In early 2020, she secured $3.5 billion in bonding through the State Transportation Commission to start fixing state roads and has celebrated those improvements even during the coronavirus pandemic. Gretchen Whitmer’s call for bipartisanship in State of the State addressHouse Republicans unveil $3.5B COVID-19 plan to counter Whitmer proposalMichigan economy, COVID-19 response ‘completely intertwined,’ says Whitmer ahead of State of the State addressOne thing Whitmer has to address in Wednesday’s State of the State? Whitmer unveils $5.6B plan to fund coronavirus response, economic recoveryRead Whitmer’s $5.6B plan to fund coronavirus recovery for Michigan schools, economy

Gretchen Whitmer will deliver her 2021 State of the State address Wednesday night. The address is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday -- watch here on ClickOnDetroit and on Local 4. The AP reports Whitmer will seek “common ground” with the Republican-led Legislature in her State of the State address, pitching a multibillion-dollar pandemic relief plan that would prioritize coronavirus vaccinations and additional aid to schools and businesses amid the crisis. Read more here.

The Michigan Senate rejected more than a dozen Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointees to various boards and commissions Wednesday as a show of disapproval against her COVID-19 response, hours ahead of her scheduled State of the State address. The Republican-led chamber voted 19-14 along partisan lines to reject 13 of Whitmer’s appointments, including Children’s Ombudsman appointee Suzanna Shkreli. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address tonightOne thing Whitmer has to address in Wednesday’s State of the State? Michigan economy, COVID-19 response ‘completely intertwined,’ says Whitmer ahead of State of the State address

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will deliver her 2021 State of the State address Wednesday night. The address is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday -- watch here on ClickOnDetroit and on Local 4. The AP reports Whitmer will seek “common ground” with the Republican-led Legislature in her State of the State address, pitching a multibillion-dollar pandemic relief plan that would prioritize coronavirus vaccinations and additional aid to schools and businesses amid the crisis. Read more here.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will deliver her 2021 State of the State address Wednesday night. The address is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday -- watch here on ClickOnDetroit and on Local 4. The AP reports Whitmer will seek “common ground” with the Republican-led Legislature in her State of the State address, pitching a multibillion-dollar pandemic relief plan that would prioritize coronavirus vaccinations and additional aid to schools and businesses amid the crisis. Read more here.

Gretchen Whitmer will deliver her 2021 State of the State address Wednesday night. The address is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday -- watch here on ClickOnDetroit and on Local 4. The AP reports Whitmer will seek “common ground” with the Republican-led Legislature in her State of the State address, pitching a multibillion-dollar pandemic relief plan that would prioritize coronavirus vaccinations and additional aid to schools and businesses amid the crisis. Read more here.

Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday -- watch here on ClickOnDetroit and on Local 4. Read: Whitmer to pitch pandemic relief in Michigan State of State speech tonightThe start of 1999 around the Great Lakes region and Southern Ontario was one to remember. The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 552,556 as of Tuesday, including 14,405 deaths, state officials report. New COVID-19 cases have plateaued and deaths are starting to slow. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 73,700 on Monday -- near the lowest it’s been since November.

In this photo provided by the Michigan Office of the Governor, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the state, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Lansing, Mich. Whitmer announced Michigan restaurants and bars can reopen for indoor dining at 25% capacity but with a 10 p.m. curfew starting Feb. 1, and concessions can resume at casinos, movie theaters and stadiums. (Michigan Office of the Governor via AP)LANSING, Mich. – Gov. “The state of our state is resilience,” the governor said. “While common ground seems less and less common these days, it’s never been more important that we work toward it,” Whitmer said.

“What it takes to get this economy going, primarily, is to get shots in arms,” Bean said, referring to the COVID-19 vaccine. Charles Ballard, a professor of economics at Michigan State University, finds himself looking at employment numbers. He said this would look different from every previous State of the State address because it would almost certainly focus so entirely on one issue: stopping the spread of COVID-19 and recovering from it, economically. Experts said that at this point, the economy and the virus are inextricable, and they expect that to be reflected in the governor’s State of the State address. We can pinpoint exactly what caused it.”The governor’s State of the State address takes place on Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.

LANSING — For the first time in history, Michigan’s State of the State address will take place virtually on Jan. 27, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Friday. Whitmer’s third State of the State will be the first one not delivered in front of a huge crowd of lawmakers, other elected officials and invited guests, inside the state House chamber. “Due to the ongoing COVID- 19 pandemic, the State of the State address will be held virtually, in compliance with CDC ( Centers for Disease Control) and the state of Michigan’s best practices,” Whitmer said in a news release. “These are extraordinary times that require innovative ways of doing things to ensure safety,” Whitmer said.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer held a media roundtable Thursday morning to offer an update on her “Rebuilding Michigan” plan that she discussed in her 2020 State of the State address. On Wednesday night, Whitmer announced that Michigan will borrow $3.5 billion to rebuild the state’s deteriorating roads and bridges over a five-year period. This is after the Republican-led Legislature rejected her proposed gasoline tax hike. On Thursday, the State Transportation Commission authorized the sale of $3.5 billion in road and bridge-building bonds. Read more: Whitmer: ‘No more waiting’; Michigan to borrow $3.5B for roads