Membership Directory
Detroit Regional Chamber > Advocacy > Gov. Whitmer Outlines 2023 Budget Proposal To Chamber Members

Gov. Whitmer Outlines 2023 Budget Proposal To Chamber Members

February 15, 2022
Joined by the Detroit Regional Chamber’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Sandy K. Baruah, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel J. Loepp, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer presented her proposed 2023 budget to the Chamber’s membership on Monday, Feb. 14. Continuing her trend of focusing on “kitchen table issues,” Gov. Whitmer touted every part of her budget that will help propel Michigan businesses forward through the end of the pandemic.

Key highlights from the presentation

  • Grow the economy
  • Create good-paying jobs
  • Help families that are struggling the most

View the full presentation below.

Chamber perspective on the budget proposal

Economic Development Tools

Gov. Whitmer signed the bipartisan Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve package in December of 2021 with the help of Chamber leadership and member organizations to help attract transformational projects to the state. This tool has already been used to secure a $7 billion investment from General Motors Co., but Gov. Whitmer wants to continue building out these tools. Her budget includes $500 million for the continued support of this fund that Gov. Whitmer says will allow Michigan to lead the nation in business attraction.

Michigan already has many of the key items that make it great for businesses, such as low cost of living, high quality of life, and a business-friendly government that wants to ensure businesses can excel. This investment will be the missing piece that helps to sell Michigan’s economic environment and help tell the rest of the story of why this is the best state to do business.

Education Investment

A key provision in this budget is the historic investment in the state’s education system, which is the largest in state history. This investment will allow for $1 billion in school improvements, bonuses for teachers that continue to teach in Michigan schools, and the added recruitment and training of upwards of 10,000 more teachers over the next five years.

Providing the historic investment to Michigan schools will help reach the Chamber’s 60 by 30 plan adopted by the state in 2019, helping to greatly expand the talent in the workforce and provide workers to businesses that need it the most.

Infrastructure

During her tenure, Gov. Whitmer’s team at MDOT has repaired 13,000 lane miles of road and over 900 bridges, but the Governor said that she is not done. With the new budget, she says you should be expecting to see more orange barrels signifying the hard work that is being done to satisfy Michigan’s aging roads.

Of the budgeted dollars, $66 million is being proposed to improve MDOT’s pump stations to prevent highway flooding, $5 million to the newly formed infrastructure office that will oversee the effective and efficient implementation of federal infrastructure dollars, and heavy investments in Michigan’s EV charging infrastructure to ensure that Michiganders lead the nation in EV adoption.

These strong investments in infrastructure will continue to be essential building blocks for business in Michigan. Whether fixing heavily traveled trunklines, improving internet accessibility in urban and rural areas, or increasing grid resiliency, Gov. Whitmer’s investment will begin the restoration of funding that the government has historically neglected.

In her concluding remarks, Gov. Whitmer urged businesses to become more vocal with their representatives and senators, hoping that companies will advocate for many proposals that will help accelerate growth over the next decade. As such, the Chamber’s government relations team will continue to monitor the budget over the next several months as the legislature begins its deliberations in Lansing. If you need assistance connecting with your elected officials, the government relations team can assist you and your business.