By Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
It’s that time of year again: the holiday season! As we gather with friends and family to put up our Christmas trees, dress in our ugly sweaters, cheer on the Lions, and eat good food, let’s also take some time to look back at 2024. We had a productive year in Michigan and got a heck of a lot done on the kitchen-table issues that make a real difference in people’s lives.
In communities across our state, Michigan workers are rolling up their sleeves and building infrastructure, cars, and clean energy. Union crews completed the Gordie Howe Bridge, completing a vital link between Michigan and Canada. We continued fixing the damn roads and bridges, saving you money and time on car repairs. We reopened Michigan Central Station and created thousands of jobs in the optimistic, innovative heart of Detroit, which also hosted the largest NFL Draft in history.
We continued lowering costs for Michiganders this year, too. We mailed 700,000 households who get the federal EITC checks averaging $550 thanks to the work we did to quintuple Michigan’s Working Families Tax Credit. We made the largest investment to build affordable in housing in Michigan history—nearly $1.4 billion to build or rehabilitate 10,000 homes. This investment will grow our housing supply, drive down costs and help more families choose to live right here in Michigan.
We kept investing in our students, educators, and schools to help make Michigan the best place to be a kid. In yet another balanced, bipartisan state budget that didn’t raise taxes by a dime, we kept feeding all 1.4 million public school students free breakfast and lunch at school, saving families an average of $850 per child every year and valuable time each morning. We delivered on the “Michigan Guarantee,” so all four-year-olds can go to pre-K and all high school graduates can go to community college for free. That’s on top of the bipartisan Michigan Reconnect program, which has already helped tens of thousands of Michiganders 25 and older get an associate’s degree or skills certificate tuition-free.
There’s so much I am proud of that we got done in 2024. And I could write a book of new year’s resolutions for 2025. But here’s the most important one: I’ll keep fighting for you. You work hard, save money, and deserve to not just get by, but get ahead. Next year, let’s continue working together to grow our economy, create jobs, lower costs, and build a Michigan where every person can succeed.
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