Gov. Whitmer discusses EITC expansion in State of the State address

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, at the state Capitol in Lansing.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, at the state Capitol in Lansing.

From left to right: Stacy Washington, Sen. Sarah Anthony, Tamara Tucker, Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet

From left to right: Stacy Washington, Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet, Tamara Tucker. Sen. McDoanld Rivet brought Washington and Tucker from the Parents of Murdered Children organization as her guests to Gov. Whitmer's fifth State of the State address.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, at the state Capitol in Lansing.

State Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet's Earned Income Tax Credit bill was among priorities highlighted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during her fifth State of the State address Wednesday night in the Michigan House Chambers.

"The Working Families Tax Credit is a policy I’ve championed for years," said McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City. "I’m proud my colleagues and I, along with the Governor, are moving toward making Michigan a national leader in helping struggling families reach economic stability."

The EITC would expand the tax credit from a 6 percent match of the federal credit to 30 percent. If passed, the bill would apply retroactively, providing the tax cut to filers for the 2022 tax year, immediately helping Michigan families dealing with the effects of high inflation.

"I was certainly encouraged to hear the support for the Earned Income Tax Credit," said Rep. Bill G. Schuette, R-Midland. "It was the initial proposal the House Republicans put out. It was the first bill that I sponsored and submitted to the House…I’m also encouraged to see that the Senate has moved to adopt the Republican part of the proposal that would make that relief immediate, to allow you to claim that tax credit this year."

Earlier this week, the EITC bill passed the Senate Housing and Human Services Committee and will now be reviewed by the Michigan Senate.

"It will pump a half a billion dollars into local economies in rural, suburban, and urban communities across our state," McDonald Rivet said. "It's no surprise that such an extensive and diverse group of stakeholders support this legislation."

Whitmer categorized her address into three age groups, discussing administrative plans that will aid hard working families, young people about to graduate high school or college and "Michiganders born today."

Whitmer also highlighted the "Lowering MI Costs" plan that would repeal the retirement tax, expand the EITC and provide free pre-K for all Michigan families.

For the young people of Michigan she will focus on economic opportunities, talent development and personal freedoms.

Whitmer discussed continuing the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and lowering the age requirement for Michigan Reconnect from 25 to 21, providing a tuition-free Associate's degree or skill certificate from community colleges.

Also included in her plans to aid the young people of Michigan was repealing the 1931 abortion ban and laws against marriage rights for LGBTQ couples and expanding the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act which prohibits discrimination on the basis of "religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status."

"Let's expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act so you can't be fired or evicted for who you are, how you identify or who you love," Whitmer said. "That's your business."

Lastly, Whitmer discussed the future of Michigan for the youngest generation whom, she noted, could live to see the year 2100. In the future Whitmer hopes to see a decrease in gun violence, increased investments in public safety, improvements to public safety and maybe even a Detroit Lions Superbowl.

Whitmer plans to focus on the "MI Kids Back on Track" program, which would invest in early start, tutoring and after-school programs to help students land a job or pursue higher education after graduation.

In terms of what was not mentioned, Schuette would have liked to hear a commitment from the governor to preserve the automatic state income tax rollback that has the potential to take effect this year.

"Because of the record surplus that we have in our state budget right now - record amounts of revenue - there has been an automatic cut in our state income taxes that has been triggered," Schuette said. "That is a pay raise for every single Michigander, for every person across our state."

McDonald Rivet's guests at the address included Tamara Tucker and Stacy Washington from the Saginaw organization Parents of Murdered Children. Schuette's guest was Lee Ann Keller, the president and chief executive officer of Omni Tech International, Ltd.