Lansing - Gov. Jennifer Granholm depicted Michigan's economy as tough in her State of the State address Tuesday night, but stressed it would be possible to overcome difficulty with discipline and hard work.
"The state of our state tonight is one of determination," Granholm told legislators and some Michigan citizens in House chambers.
Job creation, education and environmental protection each were stressed in the governor's one-hour speech, which was entitled "Our Determination, Our Destination: A 21st Century Economy."
Granholm introduced two initiatives regarding higher education in the address.
One program would provide students at public universities with zero-percent interest on loans, provided they are working for a degree in either engineering or technology.
Granholm also announced that MSU is the first university in the state to commit to not raising tuition above the rate of inflation, adding that Wayne State University may make the same commitment.
"I challenge others to follow their lead: Keep tuition affordable, and keep the American dream of college alive for our young people," she said.
As elements of her plan for economic growth, Granholm announced the creation of three funds for entrepreneurs, which could make more than half a billion dollars available to "expanding 21st century businesses," and highlighted a plan to make high-speed Internet available throughout the state.
"Just as 50 years ago we used the strength of steel to link our two peninsulas, we will now use the power of this new technology to link every community in our state to a world of economic opportunity," Granholm said. "Broadband will be this generation's Mackinac Bridge."
Granholm also introduced two new health care programs for the state.
One of the plans, called the "Michigan one-third share plan," would ease health care costs for small businesses by requiring premiums to be split equally between employees, employers and the state. The other would provide Michigan senior citizens and people without health insurance with a prescription drug discount card that would save its holder up to 20 percent on medications.
Following the speech, party members were divided in their view of Granholm's words.
"What we heard was a lot of restatement of the problem as if it were a solution," said Betsy DeVos, chairperson of the Michigan Republican State Committee. "The issue is jobs, and you can't just talk about it; you have to have concrete proposals."
Not all Republicans were so critical of the address.
"I liked her emphasis on jobs," said Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema, R-Wyoming. "This is not a time to criticize the speech; it's a time for bi-partisanship."
Senate Minority Leader Dianne Byrum, D-Onondaga, said the speech addressed many of the state's most pertinent issues.
"I think the governor very clearly laid out an initiative for Michigan," Byrum said. "We need to retain Michigan's jobs and we need to grow the economy."
Dirk VanderHart can be reached at vande227@msu.edu.
Alessa Thomas can be reached at thoma470@msu.edu.
