At the Detroit Auto Show, Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered the “Road Ahead Address,” presenting some of her top priorities for the final two years of her term. According to the governor, this specific topic was too important to wait for the State of the State address as the future of the auto industry in Michigan, the core of the state’s economy, is at stake. In Michigan, the auto industry employs one in five workers directly or indirectly. As global competition continues to grow for the auto industry’s future, she stressed the urgency to address the issues now in a bipartisan manner to place Michigan in the best possible spot and ensure a strong economy moving forward.
Highlighting the strength of the auto industry in Michigan, she highlighted that Michigan has:
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- The highest concentration of engineering talent.
- More than 1,000 independent auto suppliers.
- 62% of all American auto research and development spending.
Governor Whitmer is calling for both parties to work together to support the auto ecosystem, including those working on the assembly lines, in research and development, engineering, design, sales, and more. Specific actions the governor is calling for include:
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- Create the “Make It In Michigan Auto Job Fund” to allow the state to move faster to compete against other states and countries.
- Create “Hire Michigan”, a new payroll tax cut that incentivizes job growth and better pay for workers.
- A more streamlined site readiness program to provide companies with shovel-ready sites.
- Increased investment in housing, placemaking, and brownfield redevelopments.
- Investments in public transit to boost connectivity.
Additionally, she touched on the importance of Canada to the auto ecosystem in Michigan. In the last few years alone, there have been 26 projects from Canadian companies in Michigan, and $700 billion of annual trade crosses the Detroit-Windsor border crossing. Addressing President-elect Trump’s call for Tariffs, she stressed that we should avoid punishing our closest trading partner, as 70% of all the auto parts made in Michigan go directly to Canada.
Ending the address, Governor Whitmer highlighted the bipartisan work that’s been completed in her first six years in office and again called for continued work across the aisle for the better of Michigan’s economy and residents.
