Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave 
the first State of the State Address 
of her second term from the 
House Chamber of the Michigan 
Capitol Wednesday evening. The 
speech marked the first in-person 
State of the State Address since 
2020, following virtual speeches 
in 2021 and 2022 due to the 
COVID-19 pandemic.
In 
her 
opening 
remarks, 
Whitmer 
highlighted 
the 
achievements of her last term, 
including investing in public 
education, 
creating 
jobs 
and 
funding public safety initiatives 
in Michigan. She also outlined 
her priorities for her second 
term. She announced Lower MI 
Cost, a three-part plan repealing 
the retirement tax. She also said 
she would work to expand the 
Working Families Tax Credit and 
implement Pre-K For All, which 
would provide free, public pre-K 
education for all four-year-old 
children. 
Whitmer said the Working 
Families Tax Credit will not 
only reduce costs by lowering 
retirement taxes for Michigan 
families but will also increase 
the 
standard 
of 
living 
for 
children, providing them more 
opportunities long-term. 
“The Working Families Tax 
Credit benefits all kinds of 
families, and it directly impacts 
nearly one million children — 
almost half the kids in Michigan,” 
Whitmer 
said. 
“Data 
shows 
boosting the Working Families 
Tax Credit also closes health and 
wealth gaps. Children who grow 
up with this support have better 
test scores, graduation rates and 
earnings as adults.” 
As part of Lower MI Cost, 
Whitmer 
said 
she 
plans 
to 
expand the Great Start Readiness 
Program — the state’s existing 
state-funded preschool program 
— to achieve her goal of providing 
universal public pre-K. She said 
this 
expansion 
is 
estimated 
to save Michigan families an 
average of $10,000 in childcare 
costs annually. 
“Unfortunately, 
affordable 
preschool is hard to find right 
now,” Whitmer said. “Twenty 
years ago, it was invaluable for me. 
Without it, I could not have raised 
my girls and continued my career. 
Most in this room could say the 
same. We were fortunate because 
we had access to and could afford 
preschool. Every parent and every 

child in Michigan deserves the 
same because we all want what’s 
best for our kids.” 
Whitmer also announced her 
“Make it in Michigan” plan, which 
is intended to encourage local 
high school and college students 
to stay and work in Michigan 
after graduation by increasing 
economic opportunities in the 
state.
“Ambitious 
young 
people 
have a lot of options when they 
graduate,” Whitmer said. “As 
they decide where to live, we 
must make sure Michigan is the 
answer — not just for a few years, 
but for the rest of their lives — by 
creating opportunity that lasts for 
decades.” 
Whitmer also highlighted her 
Sixty by 30 goal, which aims to 
have 60% of Michiganders possess 
a degree or skills certificate 
by 
2030. 
She 
specifically 
encouraged increasing funding 
for apprenticeships and technical 
education 
programs 
through 
initiatives 
such 
as 
Michigan 
Reconnect, which offers tuition-
free associate degrees and skills 
training. While the current age 
of eligibility for Reconnect is 25, 
Whitmer proposed lowering it to 
21 in her address on Wednesday.
“Over 113,000 Reconnectors 
have been accepted, and we want 
that number to grow,” Whitmer 
said. “Let’s unleash opportunity 
for 
young 
people 
while 
offering companies the skilled, 
hardworking talent they need to 
succeed in Michigan.”
To achieve the Sixty by 30 goal, 
Whitmer also said she plans to 
increase financial support for 
Michigan residents looking to 
pursue public, private or trade 
education through financial aid 
and scholarships. 
“Let’s 
keep 
funding 
the 
bipartisan Michigan Achievement 
Scholarship, 
which 
lowers 
the cost of higher education — 
community college, private or 
public university — by thousands 
of dollars for most students and 
makes college tuition free for 65% 
of graduating seniors,” Whitmer 
said.
After Whitmer’s speech, state 
Rep. 
Jason 
Morgan, 
D-Ann 
Arbor, told The Michigan Daily 
in an interview at the Capitol 
that he looks forward to working 
with his colleagues in the House 
and Senate to retain recent 
graduates in the state. Morgan’s 
district encompasses the entire 
University of Michigan campus. 
“The biggest thing I heard 
tonight was that the governor, 
and hopefully us in the House and 
Senate, want to make Michigan a 

place that U of M graduates want 
to live and work, and stay here 
and raise families,” Morgan said. 
“That’s what’s really exciting to 
me.”
Whitmer 
mentioned 
that 
retaining talent in the state of 
Michigan 
includes 
ensuring 
protections 
for 
civil 
rights. 
She called for the repeal of the 
state’s 1931 abortion ban that, 
although nullified by the passage 
of Proposal 3 in November, is 
still on the books. Whitmer 
also encouraged lawmakers to 
increase 
protections 
against 
discrimination under the state’s 
Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act, 
an act that attempts to prevent 
discrimination in the workplace.
“Protecting these freedoms 
is the right thing to do and it’s 
just good economics,” Whitmer 
said. “States with extreme laws 
are losing talent and investment 
because 
bigotry 
is 
bad 
for 
business. We should build on our 
reputation as a welcoming beacon 
of opportunity where anyone can 
succeed.” 
Whitmer 
emphasized 
the 
importance of reducing crime 
in 
the 
state 
and 
improving 
community safety, highlighting 
her 
historic 
investments 
in 
law enforcement since she was 
elected governor. 
“As 
a 
former 
prosecutor, 
public safety is a top priority for 
me,” Whitmer said. “Since I’ve 
been governor, we’ve invested 
$1 
billion 
in 
public 
safety. 
Let’s 
continue 
funding 
law 
enforcement with better training, 
oversight and access to mental 
health resources.” 
With a Democratic trifecta 
giving 
the 
party 
control 
of 
the House, the Senate and the 
governorship in Michigan for the 
first time since 1984, Whitmer 
and Democratic lawmakers in 
the state have pledged to reduce 
gun violence across the state by 
tightening gun control. At her 
address, Whitmer reaffirmed her 
commitment to secure storage, 
universal 
background 
checks 
and a red flag law. Whitmer said 
these measures are necessary 
to prevent mass shootings like 
the November 2021 shooting at 
Oxford High School. 
“Despite pleas from Oxford 
families, these issues never even 
got a hearing in the legislature,” 
Whitmer said. “This year, let’s 
change that and work together to 
stop the violence and save lives 
… And I want to be very clear — 
I’m not talking about law-abiding 
citizens. Hunters and responsible 
gun owners from both sides of the 
aisle know that we need to get 

these common-sense gun safety 
proposals across the finish line.”
Whitmer concluded her policy 
proposals with a call to address 
climate change in the state. She 
encouraged bipartisan action on 
the issue, noting that mitigating 
climate change can also lead to job 
creation and further investments 
in clean energy.
“It is our shared duty to face 
climate 
change 
head-on 
and 
protect our land and water,” 
Whitmer said. “We must pursue 
climate action while creating 
jobs, lowering costs and becoming 
a hub of clean energy production. 
Last year, we unveiled the MI 
Healthy 
Climate 
Plan, 
and 
this year, we should make bold 
investments in climate action to 
deliver on its targets.”

In a press release following 
Whitmer’s 
speech, 
House 
Minority 
Leader 
Matt 
Hall, 
R-Richland Township, criticized 
her lack of focus on one of her 
central 
campaign 
promises: 
fixing infrastructure across the 
state, including roads and bridges. 
“After four years in office, Gov. 
Whitmer barely mentioned what 
used to be her signature issue,” 
Hall said. “She still has no real 
plan to fix the roads. Michigan 
has a multibillion-dollar surplus, 
and we should be using those 
resources to provide people relief 
and make one-time investments 
— including to repair and expand 
crumbling 
infrastructure 
to 
meet the needs of the people of 
Michigan and make economic 
development possible.”
In the release, Hall said he 
hopes to see Whitmer reach 
across the aisle in her second term 
to achieve policy solutions that 
will benefit all Michiganders. 
“I hope she’ll turn the page and 
get to work with Republicans — 
so we can secure immediate relief 
for the people, repair our roads 
and keep our communities safe,” 
Hall said. 
At the end of her remarks, 
Whitmer 
addressed 
political 
polarization 
in 
the 
state 
government. She affirmed her 
commitment to accomplishing 
her policy goals in her final 
term with the support of her 
fellow Michigan lawmakers and 
citizens.
“Over the last four years, we’ve 
faced historic challenges and 
seen the visceral consequences of 
political division,” Whitmer said. 
“As the world grapples with big 
challenges and asks itself tough 
questions, our responsibility as 
Michiganders is to roll up our 
sleeves and do the work.” 

The Michigan Court of Appeals 
unanimously ruled Thursday the 
state’s minimum wage will remain 
at $10.10 instead of increasing to 
$13.03 as intended by the One Fair 
Wage petition, which was adopted 
by the state legislature in 2018.
Under Michigan’s Adopt and 
Amend policy, the legislature is 
allowed to adopt and pass citizen-
led petitions before the proposed 
policies are placed on the ballot. 
Michigan’s 
Republican-majority 
legislature adopted the One Fair 
Wage proposal in 2018, amending 
it to raise the minimum wage to 
just $12.05 by 2030. The original 
proposal called for a statewide 
increase to $13.03 per hour and 
tipped worker wages to $11.73 per 
hour this year.
Court of Claims Judge Douglas 
Shapiro ruled the Adopt and 

Amend policy unconstitutional in 
July 2022, replacing the plan for a 
$12.05 minimum wage with a Jan. 
1 increase from $9.87 to $10.10. 
The 2022 ruling also created an 
opportunity for a second increase 
to $13.03, which was prohibited by 
Thursday’s decision.
Court of Appeals Judge Michael 
Kelly delivered the opinion in 
Thursday’s ruling. Kelly said the 
court found that the 2022 decision 
violated the state’s constitutional 
right to petition the government.
“(The 
ruling) 
is 
a 
direct 
assault on one of the rights of our 
founding fathers and the drafters 
of our state constitution held dear: 
the right of citizens to petition 
their government,” Kelly wrote in 
his opinion.
Following Thursday’s ruling, 
Michigan’s minimum wage will 
remain at $10.10 per hour and the 
tipped wage will stay at $3.84, 
though an appeal to the state 
Supreme Court is expected.

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INDEX
Vol. CXXXII, No. 103
©2023 The Michigan Daily

N E WS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

M I C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

S TAT E M E N T. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

O P I N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
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michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, February 1, 2023

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Whitmer gives State of the State 
Address in Lansing
Whitmer discusses education policy, gun reform and climate change 
at the first State of the State Address of her second term

GOVERNMENT

 SHAO HSUAN WU
Daily News Reporter

Michigan Court of 
Appeals blocks minimum 
wage increase

 The Michigan Court of Appeals rules the 
Adopt and Amend policy constitutional, 
unanimously blocks minimum wage increase

NEWS BRIEFS

Hundreds 
of 
University 
of 
Michigan students and Ann Arbor 
community members gathered on 
the snow-covered Diag Wednesday 
evening as snow continued to 
fall, turning the city into a winter 
wonderland. The city of Ann Arbor 
received about six inches of snow 
throughout the day, with students 
across campus fighting to stay 
warm and dry. The winter storm 
incited a massive snowball fight, 
similar to last year’s icy free-for-all. 
Students also constructed snowmen 
all across the Diag, with some of 
them reaching 10 feet in height. 
Meanwhile, dogs ran amuck with 
snowballs in their mouths and a 
couple of brave souls risked building 
a snow fortress around the block 
‘M.’ 
The snowball fight was organized 
early Wednesday morning after 
a post on the U-M Reddit page 
urged students to make the most 
of the winter storm by gathering 
for a snowball fight at 5 p.m. The 
event was then further publicized 
on UMich Affirmations, a popular 
Instagram account among U-M 
students. The snowball fight also 
encouraged Ann Arbor residents of 
all ages to attend after it was posted 
on The Official Ann Arbor Townie 
Page on Facebook.
Even University President Santa 
Ono joined in on the fun and traded 
in his iconic suit and bowtie for a 
winter coat and a pair of gloves. 
He tweeted about his experience, 
which included being hit by a rogue 
snowball.

“Thanks to our students for 
inviting me to the snowball fight on 
the Diag,” Ono tweeted. “Stay safe 
everyone.”
LSA 
sophomore 
Sophia 
Papadopoulos was waiting on the 
Diag before the fight began. In an 
interview with The Michigan Daily, 
Papadopoulos said she was excited 
to get her hands dirty — or snowy, 
in this case — after she learned 
about the event through the UMich 
Affirmations post.
“I’m hoping it’s all chaos and 
craziness because that’s what we’ve 
seen in the past,” Papadopoulos said.
It 
wasn’t 
just 
students 
participating though. As the fight 
started, Ann Arbor residents like 
Doug Henderson came to both 
watch and take advantage of the 
winter weather. Henderson brought 
his two golden retrievers, Lucy and 
Penny, with him to observe the 
snowball fight. 
“We take the dogs down on 
campus a lot, and (I) heard about the 
snowball fights,” Henderson said. “I 
actually saw it on Facebook.” 
Corie Pauling, U-M Alumni 
Association president and a 1993 
U-M graduate, was in attendance 
and said she was excited to see so 
many students finding joy in the 
first big snow of the year.
“It still is great to see that (the 
Diag) is still the center of this type 
of moment for students,” Pauling 
said. “I like to call these Michigan 
moments, because when these 
students graduate, they’re always 
going to remember this — the 
winter, the first big snow of 2023 
and being out on the Diag, and with 
(hundreds) of other students, just 
doing all kinds of crazy things.”

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

CAMPUS LIFE

 RACHEL MINTZ & 
MADISON HAMMOND
 Daily News Editor & Daily Staff 
Reporter

LEVI HERRON & 
SAMANTHA RICH
Daily News Reporter & Daily 
News Editor 

EMILY ALBERTS/Daily

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II speaks at the State of the State address in Lansing Wednesday night.Hill Auditorium Sunday morning.

Students gather on the Diag for a snowball fight Wednesday evening.

UMich students and Ann 
Arbor residents have 
snowball fight on Diag

A winter storm bringing six inches of snow to 
Ann Arbor incites a massive snowball fight

JENNA HICKEY/Daily