Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander. She is a lawyer, an educator, former prosecutor, State Representative and Senator. She was the first woman to lead a Senate caucus. But the most important title she boasts is MOM. Governor Whitmer was elected to the House of Representatives in 2000 and elected to the Michigan State Senate in 2006 where she served as the Senate Democratic Leader.
“I believe one of the principal duties of any governor is to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of our state’s residents.” – Governor Whitmer
The health of every Michigander is affected by factors ranging from genetics, to the environment, the economy and government policies. These factors influence both personal choices and access to health-related services. Establishing and maintaining the public health must include a new way of thinking that shapes the goals and duties of every agency of state government.
Improving health and quality of life for all Michiganders is a top economic priority for our state.
Everyone in Michigan has a right to quality healthcare they can afford. We must get to work to achieve greater health outcomes by focusing on:
“We are all paying to fix our cars when we should be paying to fix the road.” – Governor Whitmer
Michigan roads cost the average driver more than $540 a year - none of which fixes a single pothole.
Fixing the roads are a priority for getting Michigan back on track, but we must do it right. That means recognizing the full scope of the problem and creating a long-term plan that fixes the infrastructure as a whole and not in silos. Infrastructure includes the water underneath the ground, connecting everyone to broadband and making sure we are connected to be a leader in mobility.
These investments are not only good for our citizens, they will help grow the economy - and family incomes, along with it.
We are going to get to work fixing it right:
Our State put the world on wheels, was the arsenal of democracy and helped create the middle class. If we hope to succeed and thrive in the 21st century though, we must make sure our residents, communities, and businesses are prepared to compete in a global economy.
Many factors contribute to Michigan’s standing in the world. Our people, education system, communities, infrastructure, and companies big and small make up the backbone of our state’s economy. The more time, energy and investments we make in each, the healthier our economy will become.
Talent development can help raise the standard of living for all Michiganders. The association between income and education levels is strong. Highly educated states boast some of the highest per-capita incomes in the country. Currently, however, Michigan ranks 36th nationally for the number of residents with a high quality industry certificate, associate degree or higher and 34th for household income.
It's also important that our businesses, particularly small and medium sized businesses, have the tools needed to grow and complete in a rapidly changing marketplace. We will get to work getting people to work by:
Water defines every aspect of Michiganders’ way of life – from how we work to how we play, and from what we eat to what we drink. Ensuring long-term sustainability of our water is critical to our economy and our quality of life.
The Great Lakes are one of the most important natural resources on Earth. They contain 20 percent of the world’s freshwater – supplying water to Michigan’s 11,000 inland lakes and 76,000 miles of inland rivers – and they sustain a wide variety of fish and wildlife species.
We need to get to work to and clean up our drinking water, conserve our natural resources, improve our outdoor quality of life, and grow our blue economy. That plan must deliver:
The research is clear, in order to be successful kids need to learn to read. That means safe classrooms with teachers who are able to meet them where they are to help them succeed. It also means that every child, regardless of zip code, has exposure to a full curriculum of classes and opportunities to discover the right path to their future.
The cost of low literacy is staggering: $225 billion annually here in the United States. This is a cost we cannot afford and will not accept here in Michigan.
Everyone in Michigan has a right to an educational path to success - whether that is a certificate in the skilled trades, technical apprenticeship or to pursue a college track career.
It’s time to get to work on Michigan’s cradle to career education system by focusing on:
The safety and security of every Michigander is affected by factors that range from access to job training and good-paying jobs, the safety of our neighborhoods to equality in affordable housing, auto insurance, and opportunities regardless of race, gender, or how we identify.
Everyone in Michigan has a right to equal opportunities to build a strong, vibrant state together. We must focus on getting things done that will actually make a difference in people’s lives right now, including:
"Michiganders deserve to know that their governor is working for the people. By voluntarily releasing this information to the public, my hope is that we can start earning back people’s trust in state government as we work to fix the roads, clean up our drinking water, and improve education and skills training."
-Governor Whitmer
This page voluntarily discloses public calendars for the Governor and Lt. Governor, along with the governor’s federal income tax returns and personal financial information.
Michigan is home to twelve federally recognized Indian tribes, each a sovereign government with an inherent right to self-governance and self-determination. Each of these tribes has its own governing structure, culture, traditions, laws, regulations, and policies which it uses to exercise jurisdiction.
The State of Michigan shares a responsibility with Michigan’s federally recognized Indian tribes to provide for and protect the health, safety, and welfare of tribal community members. This responsibility is deeply important and calls for open communication and robust collaboration. To this end, on October 31, 2019, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Directive 2019-17. This Executive Directive builds on the Government to Government Accord of October 28, 2002 entered into with each of Michigan’s tribes, and it requires that each state department and agency adopt a formal tribal consultation policy.