Michigan Republicans are demanding a “better way forward” following an underwhelming State of the State address from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday.

Lawmakers in both chambers panned Whitmer’s seventh annual address as light on specifics and heavy on platitudes at a time when Michiganders need real solutions that don’t make their lives more expensive.

“Gov. Whitmer has a lot of ideas. But the past six years have proven that they aren’t always good ideas,” state Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, said in a statement.

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“Sadly, the reality is that the state of our state under Gov. Whitmer’s leadership is crumbling – crumbling roads and bridges, a sluggish economy and failing schools,” he said. “Michigan ranks 40^th in the nation for road quality, 39^th in job growth and 40^th in per capita income. Meanwhile, 75% of our fourth and eighth graders cannot read proficiently.

“At the same time, state spending has grown over 40% under Gov. Whitmer’s watch, and the previous Lansing Democrat trifecta succeeding in blowing through a $9 billion surplus with record-setting budgets focused on bloated government and pet projects,” Runestad said.

While Whitmer suggested the answer to many of the state’s pressing issues is increased spending and new taxes, Runestad, recently elected chair of the Michigan Republican Party, contends “there is a better way forward for Michigan.”

“We don’t need new taxes to fix our roads – we need to prioritize spending,” he said. “Legislative Republicans have put forward a sustainable road funding plan that will do this. We can support our students and teachers by focusing on proven resources, getting back to the basics, and restoring high expectations and accountability – not rolling back standards.

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“We can find room to cut taxes and return money back to the pockets of hardworking Michiganders instead of funneling millions into some of the world’s largest corporations,” Runestad said.

It was a similar take from state Sen. Jon Bumstead, R-North Muskegon, who contends Michiganders “simply cannot afford to continue the current trajectory that has resulted in 40% more spending over the past six years and record-setting state budgets.”

Bumstead continued: “Moving forward, legislative leaders and the governor must work together to rein in out-of-control spending in order to fund our common goals without increasing the tax burden on struggling Michigan families,” he said. “We can, and should, finally move forward on a plan to responsibly invest in our aging local roads and bridges without raising taxes to do so. We can work together to support our teachers and students, who are falling further behind in national metrics. We can keep our communities safe, and we can provide hardworking Michiganders with the tax relief they need to thrive. We must prioritize Michigan’s future prosperity over more spending today.”

Many noted the biggest problems plaguing Michigan today have only grown worse during Whitmer tenure, and questioned whether her embrace of some traditionally conservative policies will change that dynamic.

“I’ll tell you what, the governor sure is trying on her best Republican impersonation. Between cutting permitting fees, protecting businesses, and supporting our military, our governor might give Tim Allen a run for his money if she decides she wants a career in conservative television,” Speaker Pro Tem Rachelle Smit, R-Martin said in a statement. “That’s the thing about our governor; she has great talking points, but at the end of the day, all she’s doing is playing a part. She’s been governor for six years; the only thing she’s successfully led is her social media team.”

Smit noted roads are “still in as bad of shape as when she took office,” despite the governor’s best efforts.

“She’s been thinking about that (roads) plan for six years, and she talked about more thinking tonight,” Smit said. “This speech should’ve been where she touted all her accomplishments, but all she has to show for her time in office is crumbling infrastructure, failing schools, and skyrocketing energy costs.

“The people are tired of waiting for her to think; they want action, and House Republicans are ready to deliver,” she said.

Others were simply encouraged to see Whitmer in Lansing after she delayed her address by roughly a month as she worked a publicity tour for her book, True Gretch, and jet set to the UAE for a “historic investment mission.”

“It was nice to actually see Gov. Whitmer in Lansing and at the Capitol today. We heard a lot of talk and broad proposals,” state Rep. Bill Schuette, R-Midland, said in a statement. “Getting anything done with divided government in Lansing will require real solutions and real policy specifics, something we did not hear in detail from the Governor tonight.

“That is in contrast to the House Republicans who have led the way this term in addressing priorities people in our state want to see state government work on. From saving the tips of hardworking restaurant servers to proposing a way to actually fix our roads without raising taxes, House Republicans continue to lead by example and with real tangible policies,” Schuette said.

“There are important issues facing our state and the Legislature will have a lot to work on,” he said. “So, Governor Whitmer should follow-up her State of the State by calling a special election for the 35^th State Senate District and give the people of Midland, Bay and Saginaw County equal voice in our Legislature.”