Last week, I had the privilege of attending the governor’s State of the State address at the Capitol. I appreciated the opportunity to hear from the governor about her vision and priorities for our state for the year.

Gov. Whitmer highlighted several issues, like fixing our roads, protecting our natural resources, supporting education and holding our government accountable. These are things that I think we can all get behind as long-term goals, and even as priorities. In fact, these issues have been priorities of mine and, as a Legislature and as a state, over the past eight years, we have made significant investments in these areas. I look forward to continuing that progress.

I also appreciate that Gov. Whitmer mentioned our need to reform the state’s auto insurance laws and her openness to getting something done on this issue. My Senate colleagues and I have made this our top priority for the year, with good reason. Unaffordable auto insurance has plagued our state for generations, as I have discussed here in a previous column.

After the last decade, Michigan has emerged a stronger and better state. Over the past eight years, more than 560,000 new private sector jobs were created in key areas, like manufacturing, health care, and construction. And the rate of unemployment reached its lowest level in years. We’ve come from a place where it was hard to find work to a point where it’s hard for job providers to find workers.

We need to keep moving our state forward and continue to pursue policies that strengthen our position as a place where families want to grow, businesses want to operate, and talented workers want to find a job.

While we are not without challenges, I am optimistic about the future. We have an excellent opportunity to keep going, and I look forward to what we can accomplish together.

Kim Lasata, R, represents the 21st District, which includes Berrien, Cass and St. Joseph counties. She can be reached at (517) 373-6960 or SenKLaSata@senate.michigan.gov