Gov. Gretchen Whitmer highlighted her recent policy victories while working with a Democratic-majority Legislature, along with her new plans for economic development during her keynote speech at the annual Mackinac Policy Conference.
Whitmer, who won reelection by more than 10 points last year, discussed her newly announced “Growing Michigan Together Council” and highlighted previous policy victories, including expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, repealing the state’s 1931 abortion ban, signing anti gun violence legislation and expanding the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include LGBTQ+ people.
“It’s the right thing to do and it’s just good economics,” Whitmer said. “The majority of us know that bigotry is bad for business.”
Throughout the conference Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist have outlined their vision to grow Michigan’s economy, including efforts to leverage federal funds to support Michigan’s tech and energy industries while continuing placemaking efforts to attract businesses, families and talent to the state.
“While some states wage war with Mickey Mouse or demean battery projects, we in Michigan will go anywhere and compete with anyone to bring jobs and businesses home,” Whitmer said in an apparent dig against GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who’s running for president, and Republicans who have opposed the Gotion project near Big Rapids.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers a keynote address at the Mackinac Policy Conference on June 1, 2023. (Andrew Roth/)
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers a keynote address at the Mackinac Policy Conference on June 1, 2023. (Andrew Roth/)
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers a keynote address at the Mackinac Policy Conference on June 1, 2023. (Andrew Roth/)
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers a keynote address at the Mackinac Policy Conference on June 1, 2023. (Andrew Roth/)
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers a keynote address at the Mackinac Policy Conference on June 1, 2023. (Andrew Roth/)
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers a keynote address at the Mackinac Policy Conference on June 1, 2023. (Andrew Roth/)
Whitmer recounted her newly announced actions from earlier in the conferences including her “Make it in Michigan” economic development plan. The plan proposes new tools for economic development, including working to convert brownfields and abandoned property into spaces for investment and will create a fund aimed at leveraging federal dollars to support manufacturing and clean energy efforts.
The governor also signed an executive directive creating the “Growing Michigan Together” Council, a bipartisan panel aimed at developing strategies to attract and retain talent, improve education, and update transportation and water infrastructure.
The council will have 28 members, 21 voting and 7 non-voting. Alongside its bipartisan co-chairs, voting board membership will include two members from the state House, two members from the state Senate, the director of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity or its designee, and members appointed by the governor to represent the private sector, labor, workforce development and talent, infrastructure, nonprofit or philanthropy, and education, with one member under 25 years old.
The state budget director, state treasurer, director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, the chief executive and economic competitiveness officer of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC), the executive director of the Office of Global Michigan or their designees will make up the board’s non-voting members, alongside one individual with a background in economics, and one individual with a background in demography appointed by the governor.
House Minority Leader Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.) called the commission a “heavily-skewed, partisan commission” and a “Trojan horse for new taxes” in a statement released after the governor’s announcement.
“After four years of failure, the governor has no plan to keep young people in Michigan, no excuse for our crumbling roads, and no vision to improve childhood reading levels. She’s doing what every politician does when they have no real plan — create a commission and kick the can down the road,” Hall said.
Hall called the governor’s commission a downgrade from a previously proposed commission from one of the new committee’s co-chairs, John Rakolta. Hall said the commission previously recommended by Rakolta would have been truly bipartisan, with members appointed jointly by the governor and Republican legislative leaders. The current Legislature is controlled by Democrats.
“Gov. Whitmer just wants to raise taxes and throw more money at the problem. This panel of insiders and big spenders will give her political cover to do just that instead of compromising or simply owning her own ideas,” Hall said.
Alongside Hall’s criticisms, state Rep. Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia), a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus, released a statement announcing her own commission to investigate Whitmer’s commission.
“This seems to be the thing to do in Lansing when faced with a serious issue,” Rigas said. “I realized through recent announcements that creating commissions is much simpler than actually solving problems.”
House Minority Leader Matt Hall (R-Richland Twp.) participates in a panel discussion with Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids), Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Twp.) and House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) at the Mackinac Policy Conference on June 1, 2023. (Andrew Roth/)
Whitmer said the council will present a report in December with recommendations to grow the state’s economy.
“We will act on as many of their recommendations as we count with bipartisan support to grow Michigan together,” Whitmer said.
Alongside the report, Whitmer said Michigan needs personnel within the state government to focus full time on growing its economy before announcing a new position: chief growth officer.
Whitmer announced that Hilary Doe would be the first chief growth officer in the state as well as the nation. Doe is a Detroit resident, and a University of Michigan graduate who recently served as the president and chief strategy officer at Nationbuilder, a Los Angeles-based software start-up.
“As chief growth officer, Hillary will be housed within the [Michigan Economic Development Corporation] to work closely with the council to implement recommendations, chase funding and bring stakeholders together,” Whitmer said.
Doe said in a statement that she’s “honored to join Team Michigan as the first-ever Chief Growth Officer. Let’s grow Michigan together by investing in and nurturing vibrant communities and economic opportunities for all Michiganders — current and future.”
As the state works to achieve its economic development goals, Whitmer encouraged stakeholders to embrace “and” solutions.
“Republicans and Democrats, business and labor, small towns and big cities, Yoopers and trolls … we all have a personal stake in this effort,” Whitmer said.
“Everyone in this room knows someone, maybe even your own child who went to college at one of our great universities and then started their career somewhere else. We need a plan to keep our kids here and bring those who have left back home and to lure others to make Michigan their home.”
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authored by Kyle Davidson
First published at https%3A%2F%2Fmichiganadvance.com%2F2023%2F06%2F01%2Fwhitmer-takes-a-victory-lap-highlights-economic-development-plans-at-mackinac-conference%2F
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