After Gov. Whitmer announced a new ad campaign to encourage people to move to Michigan, state Rep. Mark Tisdel on Tuesday called instead for the state to focus on making life more affordable for Michigan residents and prospective residents.

Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills, noted that the Democrat majority in the Legislature recently passed bills to increase various state fees and are planning on an income tax increase come January. Tisdel also criticized a current push for energy mandates that would close power plants and cause monthly electric bills to go up.

“If Michigan is serious about growth, we have to address the root causes of our current population decline, starting by making our state more affordable for families and job providers,” Tisdel said. “Some in Lansing are pushing policies that will go the wrong direction — raising taxes and electricity prices on the people and small businesses of our state. With a higher cost of living and new factories being canceled due to high costs, a flashy ad campaign won’t convince people to move to Michigan.”

The governor and the MEDC, an entity created by the state to coordinate various state incentive and promotion efforts, announced the $20 million ad campaign Tuesday, with further ad spending expected in the future.