State Rep. Tom Kunse, R-Clare, made the following statement Wednesday following Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address. The governor failed to address transparency legislation mandated by voters through a constitutional amendment. She also called for expensive new programs like two free years of community college tuition for all high school graduates.

“Five years after announcing her Michigan Sunshine Plan, the governor failed to even mention the historically inadequate transparency legislation she signed last year,” said Kunse, the Republic vice chair of the House Ethics and Oversight Committee. “Her silence is deafening. Gov. Whitmer talked endlessly about sunshine when she came into office. Six years later, both Lansing and our transparency laws are covered in fog.”

Michigan’s education system is also lagging behind. The state ranks near the bottom of the country in reading scores, with seven out of every 10 fourth graders in Michigan schools unable to read proficiently. Yet, the state education spending outpaces inflation by $2 billion.

“There is nothing more expensive than when a politician talks about offering free college,” Kunse said. “The governor can offer the moon, but someone has to pay to send all these kids to school. Elected officials should lower taxes so folks can decide what they want to do with their money. Instead, the governor would prefer ignoring trade schools and forcing as many kids into liberal colleges and universities as possible.”

###