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This Thanksgiving, We’re Putting Money Back in Your Pocket

November 25, 2025

Governor Gretchen Whitmer acknowledges that Michigan families are struggling with rising costs and economic uncertainty, particularly as they approach Thanksgiving. She attributes much of the price increases to widespread federal tariffs implemented over the past nine months, which have driven up costs for food, healthcare, and retail goods across the state. While she cannot control federal tariff policy, the Governor highlights her administration's efforts to provide relief through state-level measures in the recently signed bipartisan budget.

Who is affected

  • Michigan families struggling to make ends meet
  • Small retailers (two-thirds have increased prices)
  • Consumers facing higher prices on meat, fresh fruits, and vegetables
  • People purchasing health insurance on the Affordable Care Act exchange
  • 1.4 million public school students receiving free meals
  • Residents in underserved areas needing healthcare access
  • Workers receiving tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits
  • Michigan retirees

What action is being taken

  • Governor Whitmer is working with Republicans and Democrats in Lansing to lower costs
  • The Governor is advocating for a more strategic trade policy
  • Implementation of the seventh balanced, bipartisan state budget (already signed)
  • Continuation of the expanded Working Families Tax Credit
  • Rolling back the retirement tax
  • Eliminating state taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security
  • Funding road infrastructure repairs at state and local levels
  • Protecting healthcare access and keeping hospitals open in underserved areas
  • Providing free breakfast and lunch to all public school students

Why it matters

  • This matters because Michigan families are experiencing significant financial strain from rising costs driven by federal tariff policies that have increased prices across essential categories including food and healthcare. The state-level interventions represent meaningful financial relief, with measures like free school meals saving parents nearly $1,000 per child annually, tax eliminations putting more money in workers' pockets, and infrastructure investments reducing transportation costs and time. These actions address immediate affordability concerns while the state lacks control over the federal tariff policies that are the root cause of many price increases.

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle

This Thanksgiving, We’re Putting Money Back in Your Pocket