Following Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address, state Rep. Brian BeGole today said state government must work to spend responsibly and continue to pursue policies that will lower costs for workers and families.

“The governor talked a lot in her address about making life more affordable, but the budget she just proposed for the new fiscal year is almost $90 billion and taxes things like tobacco, vapes, sports betting and more,” said BeGole, of Antrim Township. “Dinging hardworking people and small business owners with taxes and fees doesn’t help them with costs, it just sprinkles in more and shifts them over to other things. House Republicans have prioritized respecting taxpayer dollars, cutting waste, fraud and abuse that taxpayers have foot the bill for, and letting people keep more of what they earn so they can meet rising costs. We made real progress last year, and I’m hopeful the governor can continue working with us this year instead of trying to hold the line for reckless spending ideas and big government pet projects.”

BeGole noted the governor proposed $800 million in tax hikes earlier this month to help fill expiring COVID-era federal dollars. Last year, BeGole joined others in the House in voting for a budget that eliminated $800 million in wasteful spending, ineffective corporate handouts, “ghost employee” positions within state government, and more to protect taxpayers while still funding priorities.

“There seems to be an addiction with just going to taxpayers for more money to pay for these ideas,” BeGole said, noting that state spending is up over 40 percent since the governor took office and that she has previously tried to pass tax hikes on things like trash removal and fishing and hunting licenses to cover spending. “House Republicans laid out a roadmap last year for how we can fund people’s priorities without them having to pay more. This is the way forward for our state, and it will make Michigan more attractive in the long run.”

These priorities BeGole fought for included billions of dollars annually for local road repairs, a new Public Safety Trust Fund to help support safer communities and local law enforcement, increased resources for students in the classroom, and eliminating state taxes on tips, overtime pay and Social Security.

“There’s still more to be done,” BeGole said. “One thing we are currently working on is legislation that will make homes easier to build and more affordable for workers and families by cutting red tape. A few decades ago, a person could typically buy a house for somewhere in the range of two- to three times their annual income. Now, that same-sized house can cost six times a person’s annual income. Regulation is ramping up the cost, and it’s not practical for Michigan home buyers.

“Another thing House Republicans are leading the way on is a property tax relief plan that will help hardworking families and seniors. Just as we have done before, we can comb through state spending and find waste, fraud and abuse to cover this tax relief that an overwhelming number of people both in our area and across the state would benefit from. These are things Lansing should be focused on.”