LANSING, Mich. — After hearing the governor’s annual State of the State address Wednesday evening, Sen. Michele Hoitenga, R-Manton, released the following statements regarding priorities proposed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for 2025:
“As I listened to the governor’s address, here’s what I heard: an agenda that is radically out of touch with Northern Michigan. This isn’t my opinion alone — it’s the opinion of the people who write, call and email my office daily.”
On the governor’s $83.5 billion budget proposal: “The appalling amounts of wasteful spending in this budget could easily be reallocated to cutting taxes, fixing roads and making meaningful investments in our communities. I am committed to fighting for a transparent, responsible budget that cuts taxes and addresses infrastructure in the upcoming fiscal year.”
On the governor’s proposal to raise taxes to fund infrastructure repairs: “The governor campaigned on ‘fixing the damn roads.’ Six years and billions of dollars later, there’s still no long-term solution. Now, she says that the only way to fix the roads is by taking more of your tax dollars. Republicans have a plan to fix the roads without raising taxes — that’s the plan I will be supporting.”
On Northern Michigan families facing rising energy costs: “The people of my district are continuing to be hurt by the rising costs of energy. Instead of taking meaningful steps to address costs, she would impose a radical green agenda that includes destroying our beautiful forests for ineffective solar farms. We need affordable energy that supports an all-of-the-above approach through local control, not big-government mandates that come out of Lansing. I am committed to making lowering energy costs a priority during this year’s legislative session. That’s why I have submitted multiple bills focused on this issue, such as restoring local control for large-scale energy projects.”