“The Governor did not try to sugarcoat the tough road ahead that we face as a state tonight, and she outlined some important reforms to help address it. Unfortunately, calling for Michigan workplaces to go smokefree wasn't one of them. At a time when our state’s financial health is in decline, we must do everything we can to both protect the health of our residents and avoid putting further strain on state-supported services. I have been fighting for more than a decade to make Michigan workplaces smokefree to protect the health of our working men and women and alleviate the tremendous financial burden on state medical care for those who suffer from asthma, emphysema, cancer and other diseases due to secondhand smoke exposure. In an economy where people are just grateful to still have a job, they can’t be choosy about where they work, and I will continue to stand up to protect them and urge my colleagues in state government to do the same.”

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