In response to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address, Michigan United issued the following statement:
“On Wednesday night, Gov. Whitmer spoke about how her proposals would impact three groups of Michigan residents. But when you try to fit everyone into just a few categories, you make a lot of people invisible. So while we applaud proposals like universal Pre-K and expanding the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, a number of issues were notably absent from the speech.
“First, any discussion about public safety must center around people’s needs. To be truly safe, communities need more resources, not more police. Our leaders in Lansing must do more to address structural racism both inside and outside the criminal legal system. That includes passing legislation to restore a ‘good time’ credit system.
“Immigrants are a vital part of this state and deserve recognition. For 15 years, undocumented Michiganders have had to live in fear because they’ve been barred from obtaining driver’s licenses. This issue demands urgent attention. These communities need to hear Gov. Whitmer loudly support legislation to bring back driver’s licenses for all.
“The climate crisis is the biggest threat humanity has ever faced, and it should be treated as such. We look forward to hearing more detailed proposals for ending our planet-killing reliance on fossil fuels, taking on corporate polluters, and advancing climate justice in the Great Lakes State.
“In the coming weeks, lawmakers should expect to see members of Michigan United at the state capitol because we’re dedicating our time, energy, and resources to making sure the issues and policies most important to our communities are front and center in Lansing.”
