(WXYZ) — After Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered an address at the Detroit Auto Show on Wednesday, outlining her plans for the path forward for Michigan’s economy, she spoke one-on-one with 7 News Detroit's Sarah Michals.
"We understand that the core of Michigan's economy is the auto industry. One out of five people in the state work in the auto industry at some place in the supply chain. And it's really important that we continue to compete and win auto investment and jobs here," she told Michals.
Related Video: Governor Whitmer speaks to 7 News Detroit's Sarah Michals
Whitmer opened her speech talking about President-elect Donald Trump soon retaking office.
“I don't want to pretend we're always going to agree, but I will always seek collaboration first. I won't go looking for fights. I won't back down from them either, because I'm not here to play games. I've got a job to do,” she said in the speech.
She told Michals, "President Trump has said that he wants us to be building all vehicles here in this country. That's great. That's common ground. I'm all about it. As I said in my address, I don't care if you drive an ICE vehicle, an EV or a hybrid. I just want people to know that we are going to still work to make sure that we are the place that builds the cars and trucks in this country. We have dominated, but we can't assume that we're always going to see what's going on with China and Europe. They are undermining the European auto industry. We can't let that happen in this country. So I support, you know, policies that level the playing field with China. But I also think we've got to be very careful when we talk about tariffs on Canada that will only increase the cost of a vehicle."
When asked what her New Year's resolution was for the state, she replied: "to win."
"It applies to the Lions, it applies to the automotive industry, it applies to everything," she said.
Whitmer spent most of the address at the Auto Show laying out her vision for Michigan’s economy, and the future of the auto industry.
“Everyone knows someone whose family and future relies on Michigan making cars and trucks. And that includes every one of us in this room. We all know just how much our economy relies on the auto industry. And that's why I'll fight alongside any company that invests in Michigan and creates jobs in Michigan.”
She doubled down on her commitment to bringing transformational projects and jobs to the state. Earlier this week, the governor also signed legislation to establish an innovation fund and a research and development tax credit.
Related Video: Governor Whitmer talks about Research and Development Tax Credit and innovation fund
“It’s also no longer enough to just have part makers and assembly plants to compete in the 21st century today. We need battery factories, software companies, chip fabs, and start-ups too. What defines the auto industry is changing in front of us. It's evolving into the auto ecosystem,” said Whitmer.
She called for a new Michigan Auto Job Fund to help give the state an edge as others compete for big factories and tech centers. She also talked about her desire to roll out a new payroll tax cut that would benefit companies based on the number of Michigan employees they hire and how they pay those employees. There was also a call for a “site readiness program” in order to identify space for projects, in addition to more housing, and road investments.
Governor Whitmer also elaborated on her campaign push to “fix the damn roads.”
“We need a sustainable, long-term solution so we can fix the damn roads using the right mix and materials,” she said, calling for a bipartisan solution in 2025.
She also hit on the discussion around tariffs.
“I’m not opposed to tariffs outright, but we can’t treat them like a ‘one size fits all’ solution. And we certainly shouldn’t use them to punish our closest trading partners,” said Governor Whitmer, talking about how those costs can be passed on to the consumers.
She ended by calling for unity to pave the road ahead for Michigan together.
“As Coach Campbell would say: we are built for this, man!” Governor Whitmer said.
