State Rep. Jamie Thompson, of Brownstown, today issued the following statement after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address:

“While we’re all rooting for the Lions, I was incredibly disappointed to hear more about football in this speech than plans to address mental health – disorders that impact one out of every seven children in our country and numerous people across Michigan every day. She made one reference in a 30-minute speech to how the state is investing in mental health. People and families I talk with still face these hurdles, and I did not hear any concrete plans for how we are going to continue to tackle this ongoing problem.

“Our state has also experienced numerous embarrassing and concerning headlines regarding our juvenile detention and care centers. I have spoken with families who have had loved ones in these facilities and want answers and accountability after they were wronged. Instead of a plan for that, they got 80s references.

“While this speech was intended to be light and inspire hope, many people across communities I represent are not feeling hopeful. They’ve seen toxic waste trucked into their communities without local officials being notified. They want to keep more of what they earn so life can be more affordable, but they see state government working to keep more of their hard-earned money to fund pet projects and green energy initiatives.

“People want good local roads when they run errands or take their kids to school, but they have seen no new dedicated funding from the state for local road repairs. A commission the governor recently formed to address our stagnating population reported that seven out of 10 Michigan students can’t read or do math proficiently.

“These are some of many issues Michigan is facing, and we need cohesive plans and sound, bipartisan solutions. I am committed to working in the Legislature to deliver them in the coming months.”