LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, on Wednesday released the following statement in response to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2026 and final State of the State address:
“The governor has failed in her promises to the people of this state, and I do not have even a glimmer of hope that she will fulfill the promises she made tonight.
“We’ve seen historic spending and historic failures, but we are still waiting on the historic results.
“Michigan remains in the bottom 10 states in employment, per capita income, education and literacy, violent crime prevention, electric rates and we are dead last in electrical reliability.
“The governor and Lansing Democrats have fast-tracked the state toward the bottom of nearly every important metric and wasted billions of taxpayer dollars doing so. They have taxed and regulated businesses out of the state, failed students, prioritized illegal aliens over taxpayers and grown our state budget 40% in just seven years — and we have nothing to show for it.
“Residents aren’t fooled by her version of ‘progress’ or her continued empty promises. Sadly, the only promise I expect her to keep is spending more and handing Michigan families the bill.
“The past seven years have been a complete and utter disaster under Gov. Whitmer’s leadership, and the only good thing that came from tonight’s speech is that it will be her last.”
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