On Wednesday, the day before Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder will deliver his fourth State of the State address in the dawn of an election year, the leaders of the Democratic legislature convened in the Capitol to make the case against the hallmark policies of Snyder’s term.
With constituents standing somberly in the background, the lawmakers critiqued the most contentious policies implemented throughout Snyder’s time in office, paying particular attention to taxes on retiree pensions, cuts to school aid and declines in municipal revenue sharing.
Facilitated by House Minority Leader Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills, and Sen. Jim Ananich, D-Flint, the legislators introduced Michigan residents they alleged had been harmed by Republican policies.
“Because of Republicans’ disappointing agenda and their failure to invest in Michigan’s most valuable asset, its people, our state’s unemployment rate is now the third-highest in the country,” Greimel said. “It’s clear the Republicans are not on the side of everyday people.”
The legislators also appealed to the governor to support an increase in the Michigan minimum wage from the current $7.40 to $9.00.
To emphasize a point, legislatures brought in a 22-year-old Burger King employee from Detroit who supports his sister and nephew.
A statement from the governor’s office in response said “the governor’s policies are undeniably working.”
The statement said tax reforms “helped create an environment for businesses to thrive and grow,” citing the improved unemployment rate since the recession.
He said “the state has increased its investment in K-12 education by $800 million since Gov. Snyder took over.”
But according to documents from the Senate Fiscal Agency, school aid has seen modest increases when adjusted for inflation, but is down 8.3 percent from fiscal year 1994-95.
2014 stands as a crucial year as politicians on both sides of the aisle face reelection. Although Snyder has yet to formally announce his intent to seek a second term, he has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for ad time around the Super Bowl, prompting speculation about a reelection bid.
When Snyder entered office in 2011, the state’s budget was shouldering a $1.4 billion deficit, but will enter this upcoming fiscal year with about $971 million in extra revenue, according to estimates from the Michigan Information & Research Service.
What will be done with the extra cash likely will become a point of contention on Thursday.
Republican legislative leaders have indicated their interest in an individual tax cut, while left-wing lawmakers at the press conference on Wednesday argued to have the money reinvested in the state.
The current state of Michigan’s roadways also remains an issue for legislators, who so far have been unable to reach an agreement as how they could adequately fund maintenance of the state’s infrastructure.
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