LANSING--State Senator Glenn S. Anderson offered the following statement today on proposals made by Governor Jennifer Granholm in her 2009 State of the State speech last night.

Senator Anderson’s response to Governor Granholm’s address is as follows:

“Nothing is more important right now than creating jobs and fixing Michigan’s economy. Governor Granholm made it clear in her speech last night that she remains dedicated to economic revival. During these trying times, difficult decisions will have to be made and it’s vital that these decisions reflect what is best for our workers and the future of our state.

I am encouraged by the Governor's focus on developing good paying, new frontier jobs in renewable energy. As this industry explodes across the country, Michigan has a unique opportunity to become one of the primary centers for the development and construction of a renewable energy infrastructure. This sort of innovation will go a long way toward turning Michigan's economy around.

Difficult economic times call for bold actions, and Governor Granholm’s request to have our colleges and universities freeze their tuition rates is a strong step to ensure that our students can afford a college education. We must do what we can to keep tuition affordable for our students and their families.

Part of helping Michigan through these tough economic times involves protecting people’s pocketbooks. I support the Governor’s call for a freeze on insurance rates and greater regulation of the rate setting process. The Governor’s call for tighter regulations on how insurance companies calculate their rates will help us ensure affordable insurance for more of Michigan's citizens.

Michigan is in a better position than any other state to seize on the opportunities that the federal recovery package will provide. With this money combined with fiscally sound planning and through innovative proposals, we can go a long way to address the problems our citizens are facing, and most importantly, put Michigan back to work.”

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