Watch: Gov. Rick Syder's 2015 State of the State Address

Gov. Rick Snyder delivered his fifth State of the State Address on Tuesday, Jan. 20, discussing the River of Opportunity proposal to help Michigan’s poorest and most disadvantaged citizens get into the “mainstream” of the economy and society, local government reform, education; and energy policy.

Here are the major points:

Fix the Roads

“Our roads are crumbling, one in nine bridges is structurally deficient, and our safety is at stake. We can’t have a Band-Aid approach to patching up roads, and we can’t push this problem off for future generations. I support the bipartisan plan to fix our roads and bridges, protect our schools, and provide tax relief for lower-income Michiganders.”

The River of Opportunity

“I’m calling for a reinvention of government that helps all Michiganders succeed, no matter their stage in life. I call this new view of government ‘the River of Opportunity.’ It’s not about creating new programs; it’s about looking at the whole person, understanding what’s holding them back from success, and getting them into the River of Opportunity as fast as possible so they’re successful. We’ll do it with efficient, effective, and accountable government that collaborates on a scale never seen to provide good service to our customers.”

Improving Education, Focus on Skilled Trades

“Third-Grade Reading: For Michigan students to succeed, they need a solid foundation in reading, and that includes student support and intervention, when needed, from prenatal to third grade. I’m calling on the legislature to enact legislation to improve third-grade reading this year, including the creation of a commission outside of state government to develop recommendations for improving third-grade reading scores.

Tell Us:

• What do you think of the governor’s priorities?

“Skilled Trades Training and Education Collaboration: I’m calling for robust collaboration between high schools and higher education to create new opportunities and cost savings for students. That includes skilled trades, career and technical training for students so they’re prepared for high-demand, well-paying jobs in information technology, robotics and health care.”

More and Better Jobs

“Regional Prosperity Teams: No place in Michigan should be left behind in our economic comeback. We will create focused teams of experts from all levels of government, the private sector, and the non-profit world to work with local leaders on business creation, job creation, and better services.”

Elliott-Larsen

“Last year I called for civility and respect for people of different backgrounds and perspectives, and I encouraged the Michigan Legislature to debate whether to expand protections in the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. I am renewing that call this year and am urging the legislature to have this debate.”

2015 and Forward: A Call to Action for a Healthier Michigan

“Preventing Substance Abuse: The number of drug poisoning deaths in Michigan has increased dramatically over the last decade. Through multi-agency/stakeholder collaboration, I’m calling for an aggressive strategy to combat prescription opioid abuse.”

Energy and Environment

“Statewide Energy Policy: Michigan’s energy policy needs to be set by Michiganders if our system is going to be adaptable and energy will be affordable, reliable, and environmentally protective. If we don’t have new policies in place and implemented, decisions will be made for us in Washington, D.C., and we won’t like them. We need a state-driven plan to make sure we have enough energy in the right places. As such, I am reorganizing my administration to put under a single roof the key players in our energy policy in a new Agency for Energy, and I will deliver a special message on energy in March.”

“Environment: Invasive species continue to threaten the Great Lakes, and I’m calling for investing $5 million in prevention, an initial focus on 6,000 acres in high-priority areas, 90 early detection sites, and an effort to reach more than 750,000 landowners and citizens with education and support. In addition, we must significantly enhance our partnerships with organizations such as the Michigan Invasive Species Information Network at MSU to advance open and transparent sharing of data, like a mobile application that allows citizens to join the fight.

Efficient, Effective, Accountable Government

“Transparency/Accountability for Local Government and Schools: We should demand that the services the public sector provides are effective and efficient, and there should be accountability mechanisms in place to ensure there is a remedy if those services are not acceptable. This is what I’ve tried to do with state government, and it should apply to all public sector entities, including municipalities and schools. As such, over the coming months my administration will be working to develop both performance and financial grading systems, which not only warn us when financial challenges are ahead, but will show residents the level of services they are being provided.”

Fiscal Notes

“Fiscal notes are written estimates of the costs of a piece of legislation and are helpful to legislators in the budgeting process. Michigan is a leader in fiscal responsibility, but we can do even more to ensure that our budgets stay in balance. I’m calling for the establishment of a fiscal note requirement for pending legislation to ensure the future payment of policies we enact.”

A Solution for Schools

“Some school districts in our state have very challenging financial and academic problems which we as a state must come to grips with so that our students receive the education they deserve. The solution must be holistic, proven and sustainable on both the financial and educational fronts. And it should ensure a coherent system of schools that provides Michigan families with the highest quality choices to educate their children.

“As such, I will work with partners to create a better option for school districts that are in challenged communities, and its guiding principle should be to do what’s right for the kids, not the adults.”

Full Implementation of the Regional Prosperity Initiative

“The Regional Prosperity Initiative offers unique but coordinated economic visions for our regional economies. It empowers local and regional partners to develop a vision for a region’s economic success, built through collaboration at the local level instead of through an approach handed down from Lansing. To provide greater support for this effort, I will issue an executive directive to all state government departments to begin delivering their services, where applicable, to correspond with the 10 Prosperity Regions the state identified by the initiative’s map. This will enhance state service delivery and further empower local economies to collaborate on a regional basis, without adding new layers of government or bureaucracy.”