LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered her penultimate state of the state address on Wednesday night. It offered little in terms of substance, but Whitmer appeared more than happy to pass the buck over her failed “fix the damn roads” initiative.

Someone else fix the damn roads.

Whitmer, who cannot run in 2026 due to term limits, called on Republicans, Democrats, and businesses to solve Michigan’s crumbling roads – a campaign slogan she never delivered on despite her #fixthedamnroads Twitter campaign she rolled out at her first state of the state address in 2019.

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“We need a sustainable, long-term solution for local roads,” Whitmer said. “The City of Lansing gets about $17 million from the state for local roads. It needs 17 times that much, around $300 million.”

She continued by saying everyone needs to recognize “some hard truths” and “compromise.” Whitmer continued, “To my friends in the GOP… a long-term fix means new, fair sources of revenue. We can’t cut our way to better roads by slashing public safety, health, or schools. To my fellow Democrats… cuts will need to be a part of the solution. To the business community… we can’t put this on the backs of the middle class.”

The Republicans, who now control the House, have proposed alternate road funding that does not involve more taxes for Michiganders.

A grab for students’ cell phones.

Lansing is famous for sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong, and tonight’s proposed cell phone limits for K-12 students is no exception.

Whitmer called on lawmakers to pass bipartisan legislation to clamp down on the use of phones in K-12 classrooms despite some school districts that have already implemented the policies themselves.

“It’s hard to teach geography or geometry when you’re competing against memes or DMs,” Whitmer said. “I understand the need to be connected to your child. But we can do better.”

Rolling out the red carpet for China.

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Whitmer, who has been chosen by President Donald Trump to serve on the bipartisan National Council of Governors, said she is grateful for his pause on certain Canadian tariffs. “We know saying no to Canada means saying yes to China,” Whitmer said, referring to the possibility of more products from China being imported if Canada can’t afford tariffs.

Her comment is juxtaposed to her mission over the last several years to make deals with Chinese companies using taxpayer dollars and incentivizing them to set up shop in Michigan. The Gotion project in Big Rapids and the CATL project in Marshall are two of the biggest examples, with a yet-to-be-determined megasite slated for Genesee County. Whitmer told President Trump she is interested in discussing that project in more detail with him.

Michigan News Source will have more coverage of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address on Thursday, including the Republican response.