The following column was published by the Lapeer County Press on Saturday, March 8

As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words.

I recently attended Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address at the state Capitol in Lansing. I was glad to hear the governor speak on issues Republicans have been pushing for in the House the past several months.

On the heels of a Michigan Supreme Court ruling last summer that put unrealistic mandates on small businesses and threatened livelihoods, the governor worked with us this term on a bipartisan solution that saved the tip credit and established practical earned sick leave policies. House Republicans took the voices of countless workers and local business owners to Lansing to outline the need for cooperation and change — and we were able to get reforms signed into law that mitigate the impact of the Court’s short-sighted decision.

There’s more work that can be done on a number of issues in the months ahead, but it’s going to take more than just speeches, cameras and podiums to accomplish it.

The governor has long said she would like to make headway on our state’s crumbling infrastructure. A few years ago, she chose to borrow

$3.5 billion for larger, state-owned highways. But doing that saddled our future generations in Michigan with debt and did little to provide needed resources to local and county road commissions so they could repair roads people use every day from driveway to highway. These commissions, and the areas they serve, are still waiting on these resources year after year with no results.

An existing House Republican plan would provide $3.145 billion to roads each year, including local roads, without relying on any new taxes or taking on additional debt. It also holds school funding harmless by dedicating $700 million in sales tax revenue to account for the decrease in what is normally allocated through gasoline sales tax.

While the overall dollar amount the governor wants to put towards a new road funding plan is now closer to the existing House Republican plan, her proposal comes with additional taxes in order to raise the revenue necessary to get to the total number. We don’t need more tax-and-spend policies to get things done. We need responsible and effective budgeting to address the priorities of the people we represent.

Affordability for families and ensuring kids are safe at school are two other areas that should not be partisan.

While wholesale tax cuts may not be feasible with this governor, I am looking at ways to lessen the burdens of government little by little. An existing House Republican plan will help people keep more of their hard-earned money and provide family budgets with relief by creating a state child tax credit, exempting infant and toddler items such as diapers from both sales tax and use taxes, and establishing Child Care Savings Accounts that allow parents to deduct money deposited for childcare costs from their taxable income.

House Republicans are also planning to soon re-introduce a comprehensive school safety plan that establishes dedicated staff for school safety and mental health support, implements regular safety plan reviews, and standardizes emergency response protocols. These bills represent a proactive step toward safeguarding our schools and keeping both students and staff safe.

These are the issues we should be prioritizing. It will be important in the coming months to hold the governor accountable for her actions in addition to her words, while embracing common ground instead of continuing to push extremely partisan ideas an overwhelming majority of people in our state don’t want.