State Rep. Jennifer Wortz, R-Quincy, on Wednesday issued the following statement after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer touted some seemingly conservative policy stances in her annual State of the State address:

“Masquerading as a partial conservative in one speech won’t undo the six years of damage the governor has inflicted on our state. After hanging out with President Trump, Gov. Whitmer has been trying to play up her new persona as a conservative policymaker. I hope her shifting political outlook is genuine, but she needs to follow through with real action to help Republicans bring our state back from the brink.

“The governor’s proposal to restrict kids’ phone use in schools may help them focus better, but that change is only a small step. Our education system is in the bottom 10 in the nation, and we need a real, comprehensive solution to fix the academic crisis she caused with her COVID lockdowns. And we need to fully restore the school safety funding she cut from the budget last year, so we can protect kids who are just trying to learn to read.

“The governor is trying to make it sound as if she cares about the needs of young men, but she’s making the nod after ignoring or talking down to men and boys the rest of her time in office.

“This right turn from the governor appears good, but it’s not enough. If the governor wants to earn the trust of Michiganders, she has a long way to go to prove she’s serious about fixing the stagnating economy, failing schools, and crumbling roads, without adding new taxes on hard-working Michigan residents. If she’s willing to work with Republicans to take positive, conservative action — not just sound nice — then people will ‘think Michigan’ when they think of successful states.”