Rep. Mike Hoadley (R-Au Gres), today responded to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address she gave last night. Hoadley noted the governor’s increasingly bipartisan rhetoric ever since Republicans won landslide victories across the state and country in November.

“She said positive things – a call for bipartisanship,” Hoadley said. “But six years to the contrary. One wonders where she’s been.”

Hoadley said that one of the governor’s initial promises at the beginning of her first term was fixing the state’s ever-decaying roads. Hoadley added that this is a promise that the governor has not fulfilled on but can if she works with House Republicans.

“The ‘damn roads’ were supposed to be fixed, but six years later, they haven’t been,” Hoadley said. “Republicans have proposed a plan to invest more than $3.1 billion every year to fix our roads without raising taxes.”

Hoadley also responded to the governor’s comments on education. According to U.S. News & World Report, Michigan sits at 41st place out of 50 states for education.

“She spoke again this year about education, but it’s more of the same,” Hoadley said. “It’s been six years and Michigan has continuously fallen in education rankings under her leadership. 60% of 4th graders can’t read at their own grade level. Republicans want results, not rhetoric.”

Hoadley noted that while he and other House Republicans are willing to work with the governor on key issues, he is still skeptical.

“As public officials, our actions always speak louder than our words,” Hoadley said. “When it comes to the governor’s bipartisanship, we’re going to need a ‘little less talk and a lot more action’ before anyone takes her seriously.”

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