Governor Rick Snyder focused on two
main issues in his State of the State presentation on Tuesday: Flint and the
Detroit Public Schools (DPS). In addition to those topics, the Governor
discussed improvements to infrastructure and building a 21st Century
education and economy.
Flint
As expected, Mr. Snyder spent a
considerable amount of time addressing the crisis in Flint. The governor was
visibly emotional as he accepted the blame for the situation and expressed his
desire to solve the problems. Highlights in his call for action are twofold:
one, he sought approval from the Legislature for a $28 million supplemental
appropriation for Flint (see below) and two, he disregarded his Michigan
Freedom of Information Act right to exemption and released his emails regarding
the situation to the public. Mr. Snyder acknowledges his part in the crisis,
but feels the local and federal government failed as well. Specifically, he
feels both the Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency didn’t handle the situation properly. Governor Snyder sees a
breakdown in communication in the chain of government to be an issue, and feels
a united front is necessary to fix Flint. A long-term plan is expected in the Governor’s
2016-2017 fiscal year budget recommendation next month.
DPS
Governor Snyder proposed to split the
Detroit Public Schools into one entity to handle the debt and the other leading
the K12 educational programs. Moody’s released a report Friday stating that
this would be a credit improvement. During his speech, Governor Snyder did not
offer additional information on the situation regarding DPS, however actions have
taken place since (see below).
Additional
Regarding infrastructure, Snyder spoke
about creating a commission to make a report in September with recommendations
regarding the state’s water lines, natural gas lines, sewage pipes, water
pumps, electrical lines, etc. He also said he will be issuing an executive
order for the Department of Treasury to collaborate with local officials and
utilities on road projects. In the final portion of his speech, Governor Snyder
recommended supporting the creation of a new center at the Willow Run Airport
to test intelligent vehicles and supporting the building of a new lock built at
Sault Ste. Marie.
Spectator reactions among spectators
were mixed. Republicans praised the Governor and gave standing ovations while
Democrats remained mostly silent during the speech. Republican leadership
commended Snyder on his speech. Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof (R-West
Olive) regarded Governor Snyder as a “true leader” as he took blame for the
situation and detailed ways to fix it. House Minority Leader Tim Greimel
(D-Auburn Hills) did not share this opinion. Representative Greimel along with
other Democrats felt the governor did not take enough responsibility for the
situation. Meanwhile, during the speech roughly 1,000 protestors gathered
outside the Capitol to protest the administration. Rally signs were displayed calling
for the removal and arrest of the governor. The sentiment among the protestors
was that Snyder was not doing enough with his $28 million supplement, referring
to it as a “Band-Aid”. The protestors came with cowbells, horns, and others to
draw attention. According to John Truscott, spokesperson for the Michigan State
Capitol Commission, there was some damage to the Capitol building.