Following Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address, state Rep. Rylee Linting today said Lansing must focus on responsible spending, supporting students and cutting red tape so workers and small businesses across Michigan can thrive.

While Whitmer laid out plans for the year that included establishing new programs, increasing taxes on various products and services to cover expiring COVID-era federal dollars, and growing government with a budget recommendation for the new fiscal year that totals nearly $90 billion, Linting highlighted that she has led the way with House Republicans in sustainable governing that puts people’s priorities first and helps make life more affordable.

“People have been clear that large-scale government programs and taxpayer-funded pet projects are not priorities,” said Linting, of Grosse Ile Township. “People want good local roads they use every day to go to work or drive their kids to school, and they want state government working on their behalf to lower costs. The good news is that we developed these types of plans in a bipartisan way and got them signed into law last year. It should be a cornerstone of our work again this year as we continue to tackle issues hardworking people are facing.”

Linting underscored previous plans driven by House Republicans that protected service industry workers from potential job losses, put billions of dollars into local road repairs annually, worked with the federal government to eliminate state taxes on tips, overtime and social security to help people keep more of what they earn, and increased per-pupil funding to support students in the classroom.

The tax cut that Linting voted for and was signed into law will save tipped workers $1,500 per year. Workers who put in overtime will save roughly $2,000 per year, and people on social security will be able to save $500 per year.

Linting said she appreciated the governor discussing ideas for literacy, cutting red tape and housing affordability, as regulation continues to increase costs and hamper workers and young families who are looking to buy a home. Linting said she is hopeful the governor can work with the Legislature on these issue as well as property tax relief, as Republicans in the House have recently unveiled reforms.

“Ultimately, these are the areas where we can deliver real financial relief,” Linting said. “This leaves me hopeful that there is common ground that can be found to support families. With that being said, we must set priorities and live within our means in Lansing just like every Downriver family has to do right now. Talking about affordability is great, but tax hikes don’t show an actual effort to address the cost of living.”