Year-end interview: Gov. Gretchen Whitmer looks to 2020, hints at new road-funding deal

LANSING, Mich. — After nearly a year in office, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said there is a lot that worked in Lansing in the era of divided government, but there are a few lessons learned, too.

For Whitmer, her year started with a partial federal government shutdown that slowly started to impact Michigan. Fast forward a few months, and worries about a partial state government shutdown started creeping in as an apparent crack in communication began to deepen between Whitmer and the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Budget and roads

Budget talks stalled over the summer, months after Whitmer rolled out her ambitious and unpopular plan to introduce a 45-cent gas tax increase proposal to generate $2.5 billion in funding to help fix Michigan’s roads. A recent study showed 41% of the paved roads in Michigan available for federal funding were in poor condition, an increase from the 40% the previous year.

I ran on building bridges, literally and figuratively, politically. It’s important that we have leaders that remember that it’s Michiganders first and that’s driving the agenda that I’m trying to get done in Lansing." — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

The stalled conversations came to a halt and the Legislature sent Whitmer a budget without being part of the conversations. That budget was met with vetoes of historic proportions and a rarely-used executive power. Whitmer used the State Administrative Board to transfer millions of dollars within departments in state government. When asked if she regretted using her veto pen more than 120 times, cutting the budget by nearly $1 billion, and snowballed an already budget battle, her answer was simple — no.

“I did what I had to do and anyone who says they weren’t aware of all the powers of the Governor’s Office are, means that they weren’t paying attention,” Whitmer said. “I feel good. You know, it was a long, more arduous process than it needed to be. I think that was unfortunate. I think that everyone learned something in this process and I think that everyone of us, I think has said ‘we’re going to do a lot better next year’ and I think that’s reflective in the final terms,” Whitmer said.

The final terms are set to become reality when Whitmer signs legislation next week that includes a July 1 deadline for the Legislature to get her a budget. She signed the 2020 budget deal Sept. 30, 2019, just hours before a partial government shutdown. Talks of the shutdown were heard for weeks prior to the signature and steps were taken to prepare for possible furloughs. With a deadline of July 1, Whitmer said, it should help prevent situations like that in the future.

The crux of the budget impasse stems back to the governor’s 2018 infamous campaign slogan: “Fix the damn roads.” The plan to fix the roads included Whitmer’s proposed 45-cent gas tax increase, which was met with opposition even from people inside Whitmer’s own party, and called a non-starter by Republican leadership in the Legislature.

Whitmer held steady to her position all year, spending the summer stumping for the proposal and touring crumbling infrastructure systems and bridges in desperate need of repair. The GOP-controlled Legislature came up with a plan that would have fast-tracked the implementation of a 2015 road funding plan, that itself included a gas-tax hike. The Republican plan also included changing the sales-tax plan on gas, an idea backed by House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, who said he wanted to ensure all of the taxes paid at the pump went to roads. That was nixed in the budget-signing process.

“The Legislature was never serious. None of those is a solution. So, I’m going to press forward. We’re going to get it done and I think, you know, this is an indictment on the Legislature not being serious about our roads,” Whitmer said. “[The] 45-cent gas tax I know was not warmly embraced, to put it lightly; but to put it lightly, we can’t stick our head in the sand and pretend it’s going to get better.”

Whitmer said most lawmakers understand that using general fund dollars, like the current system, to fund roads is not sustainable. Her plan took roads out of the general fund equation, created a separate fund using the increase in gas taxes, and used the general fund to increase dollars given to such things as education, skilled-trade training and water infrastructure. She’s been critical of other plans that do not remove road funding from the general fund pot, arguing it’s not a long-term solution.

“All of these things are really important to our economy. Every business person you talk to says, ‘we are worried about talent.’ We have thousands of unfilled jobs today, it’s going to get more dire. This is what was a priority of the budget I introduced,” she said. “The Legislature didn’t go with it, so the roads are still in the general fund and it’s harming our ability to do all these other things. So, that’s why I challenged anybody to come up with a better plan and they couldn’t, but they decided to do nothing and that doesn’t move Michigan forward.”

After the budget impasse seemingly came to an end the second week of December with two supplemental spending bills, the conversation about roads was kicked down the road again, until 2020. Whitmer rebuked the claim that a road-funding plan was punted, again putting the pressure back on the Legislature.

“It wasn’t punting on roads. I came out of the box, I did exactly what I said I was going to do. We’re going to fix the roads. I put together a plan. It didn’t mean it was universally popular. We have a $2.5 billion infrastructure crisis in Michigan. It is going to cost money to fix it,” she said.

The Department of Transportation budget has $2.4 million less than year, a point Whitmer said is the result of the Legislature not taking the road funding conversation seriously this year.

“Part of the reason we are in this problem is because there’s not been courage in the Capitol. Whether it’s governors or the Legislature previously, they created a problem by putting one-time dollars in there, of a fraction of what’s really needed. This is the worst way to run an infrastructure system,” Whitmer said.

While the deal was made in the winter to roll past the roads deal and have another conversation about funding in the new year, Whitmer said, when the ground begins to thaw, lawmakers will be forced to see the results of their decisions.

“The roads will erupt in the spring. It’s going to be a freeze-thaw unlike anything we’ve seen before because we have not done the fundamentals well and that’s why I’ve said no more games,” she said. “The Legislature’s plan that they tried to send me in the original budget would have paved I think 39 miles of road. Thirty-nine miles in a state that has 55,000 miles to pave. So, I’m not going to accept any phony solutions. I’m going to do it right when we do it.”

Next year, Whitmer said, there are plans for another road funding conversation, but he declined to go into detail about what it could look like.

“As I give the State of the State next month and introduce the budget the following month you’ll see that I’m not taking no for an answer. I’m going to get this done,” she said.

Will she reintroduce the 45-cent gas tax increase?

“Well, we will have to see; but I think doing the same thing would probably be not wise so, there’s your hint,” she said with a smile.

Auto insurance and other legislative policies

While it might seem like the year got budget bogged, there were several other policy changes that managed to make it through. Arguably one of most welcomed changes in Michigan is the auto no-fault reform that squeaked through during a late-night legislative session and ironically signed in the one place in Michigan where cars aren’t allowed: Mackinac Island.

“People were so pleased that we could find some common ground. The high cost of auto insurance is something that has vexed our state for a long time. Previous administrations couldn’t get it done and we got it done in the first five months and it was bipartisan,” Whitmer said. “Next summer, people are really going to feel the relief of it. We’ve already seen the [Michigan] Catastrophic Claims Association cut their rates. This is going to bring real savings to Michigan consumers that have choice, we will preclude discrimination that has been part of the problem. So, I think this is a big deal.”

Among other changes, Michigan motorists will now have choice when it comes to the level or amount of personal injury protection, or PIP, coverage. Now, unlimited PIP coverage is mandatory. Critics of the reform, which passed with largely bipartisan support, said people will not pick adequate coverage and get stuck with massive medical bills if they get in a crash.

Whitmer indicated she recognizes those concerns, and said as the new plans are implemented, she wants to ensure drivers in the state are well educated on their options, as well as the risks.

“I want to make sure that consumers are protected. That’s why even as we are promulgating the forms that people will be using to make their selections, it’s all about making sure the consumer understands their choices and is making an informed decision about what’s best for them and their families,” she said.

Other battles were fought and won in Lansing this year, too. That includes civil asset forfeiture changes, raise-the-age legislation and other criminal justice reforms, as well as gambling rule changes.

“There are some wonderful success stories this year that people are really going to see how that improves that quality of life. I think we have to remember that, that’s when we are really at our best when we find that common ground,” Whitmer said. “I ran on building bridges, literally and figuratively, politically. It’s important that we have leaders that remember that it’s Michiganders first and that’s driving the agenda that I’m trying to get done in Lansing.”

Flavored vaping ban

Whitmer said she’s also fighting for the health of Michigan’s youth and that is the reason why she instituted a ban on flavored nicotine vaping products in September. Michigan’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, declared a public health emergency as the prevalence of vaping-related injuries increased nationwide.

Like other sweeping policy changes, the ban was met with backlash and even lawsuits. A Detroit judge blocked the ban and the issue is still pending in court; the latest move was Whitmer asking the Michigan Supreme Court to take up the issue and reinstate the ban.

“Michigan was a leader, a lot of other states followed suit, President Trump for a little while talked about doing the same. I think it’s because this is such a serious issue. As a parent, as a governor, as someone who is going to make decisions based on science and put the health of the people of this state first, it’s absolutely the right thing to do,” she said, not touching on the fact that President Trump later pulled back from his plans to institute a similar ban.

“This is about an industry that has taken advantage of our children and is hurting them," she said. "And that’s why I thought it was the right thing to do.”

2020 outlook

As 2019 winds down and the country gears up for the 2020 election cycle, Michigan continues to be in the spotlight. One of the several Democratic Debates was held in Detroit in June and the University of Michigan is slated to host a general election debate in the fall of 2020. The NAACP convention was held in Detroit, bringing several of the candidates to the Motor City, as well as other stops by candidates sprinkled in throughout the year.

Vice President Mike Pence has been in Michigan three times since the start of 2019. President Donald Trump held a rally in Grand Rapids. Both are scheduled to visit Michigan on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019.

Those facts aren’t lost on Whitmer, who has previously said the road to the White House runs through Michigan.

“Everyone who has called and wants to chat about what’s going on in Michigan, I tell them show up. Listen, I went to all 83 counties during my campaign and that’s what kept me focused on things like the roads,” she said. “I think perhaps if the Legislature and if any of these presidential candidates engage with the public, they would know exactly what people want because they will tell them.”

As for impeachment, the topic that has taken the national conversation by storm, Whitmer warned about getting too caught up in the rhetoric. She said most people here in Michigan aren’t talking extensively about the idea of President Trump getting impeached.

“I’ve been all over the state from grocery stores to speeches that I’ve given and very few people raise the issue of impeachment. They want to know when we’re going to fix the roads, they want to know that their kids have good schools and they want to know that they can trust the water coming out of their tap,” she said.

So, with reflection and retrospection, Whitmer said 2019 was a busy, but productive year. Her first term in office, but not her first bout with politics. The seasoned lawmaker said relationships are on the mend between herself and GOP-leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, despite his expletive word choice when describing Whitmer and other Democrats in Lansing.

“I think in this hyper-political environment, and we see all this stuff coming out of Washington D.C., you see some of the rhetoric even here locally, I’m not going to lose track of the fact that I have a job to do,” Whitmer said. “I have my children and all the kids of the state looking to see how we conduct ourselves and every opportunity I have, with a platform with priorities, with a veto pen, I’m going to take it to deliver for the people of Michigan.”

Follow Political Reporter Mikenzie Frost on Twitter and Facebook. Send tips to mbfrost@sbgtv.com.