Gov. Whitmer names roads, chips as her top priorities before she leaves office
MACKINAC ISLAND — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she wants to see Michigan secure a semiconductor plant by the end of 2026, calling it an issue she has advocated for at the federal level, during a May 29 speech at the Mackinac Policy Conference.
"Being able to make chips top to bottom in America will allow us to stay on the cutting edge of AI. Whoever dominates this technology from design to production will dominate the 21st Century," Whitmer said. "This is an inter-generational investment that makes an entire region an economic magnet."
Whitmer told business and political leaders attending the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual policy that she has been advocating for federal support to land such an advanced manufacturing project with President Donald Trump's administration.
During her speech, she also laid out other policy goals she said would necessitate bipartisan cooperation. She reiterated her call for a sustainable, long-term plan for funding roads. "We're inching closer toward a deal," she said. The Michigan House has passed a road funding proposal but Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, has described it as a nonstarter, saying that a road funding plan needs to be developed in tandem with state budget negotiations.
Whitmer also said she wants to tackle literacy among Michigan's children. Only a quarter of Michigan fourth graders can read proficiently, Whitmer said. "That's not acceptable," she said. "Knowing how to read is an ordinary superpower that we all deserve to have."
Michigan Politics: Duggan's $4.5B education plan includes firing unsuccessful principals, superintendents
Whitmer in her speech pointed to past bipartisan policies she has crafted with lawmakers as evidence that they can continue to bridge partisan divides. "We can do hard things," she said, adding that to succeed, state leaders must work across disagreements. "To find what you can do together, it's the harder path to take in the moment, but it's always the right now," she said.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Gov. Whitmer says roads and chips top priorities for Michigan
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