Elizabeth Jackson, 82, speaks with Lt. Garlin Gilchrist during his visit last year to Elizabeth Dole Manor, a large apartment building in Clinton Township. Gilchrist says repealing the retirement tax will help Michigan’s seniors. Gina Joseph – The McComb Diaries
On the day Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation repealing Michigan’s 1931 law banning abortion, Lt. Garlan Gilchrist spoke to the Macomb Daily about the accomplishments of the first 100 days of this administration’s second term as well as goals for the future.
Gilchrist said, “A law outlawing abortion without exception in the case of rape or incest and criminalizing nurses and doctors for doing their job was unconstitutional.” “We needed to remove it to send a clear message that people are safe here and that medical professionals can do their jobs and not succumb to the whims of politicians.”
Gilchrist also discussed the MI cost-cutting plan that rolls back the retirement tax and increases the tax credit for working families. The bill, which was signed into law last month, amends the income tax law to phase out the retirement tax over the next four years, and is expected to give 500,000 Michigan families an average of $1,000. It is also equal to exemption from public and private pensions.
“This provides some much-needed relief to Michigan retirees,” Gilchrist said. “We’ve repealed the law that used to tax pensions so people can get their full retirement income.”
The tax credit matching for working families will increase the federal earned income tax credit from 6% to 30%, which is expected to provide an average combined tax refund of 3,150 to 700,000 families and affect half of all children in Michigan.
“There are a lot of people in Michigan who are working, but they need extra help,” Glichrist said. “This was destroyed 12 years ago, and we restored this for Michigan families at a time when people really needed it.
“They’re both constant changes that put money in the pockets of Michiganders.”
Gilchrist said the administration will continue to work to promote business and job growth in the state. The revocation of the right to work, the launch of the Pure Opportunity business marketing campaign, and the Venture Fellows program, announced April 5, will work together to attract new business, protect workers, and encourage business growth.
“We are creating jobs at a record pace,” Gilchrist said. “We launched the Venture Fellows Program because we want to invest in the amazing people who are launching new businesses.
“The program will accelerate the process of raising funds and deploying capital in early-stage companies.”
The Venture Fellows Program is a collaboration between the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Michigan Venture Capital Association. Gilchrist led the push to obtain dollars from the Michigan Strategic Fund for the program.
Critics of abolishing the right to work, Gilchrist said, do not recognize the importance of protecting workers’ rights. The right to work was signed into law a decade ago by the then government. Rick Snyder made it illegal to require someone to pay union dues as a condition of employment.
“This repeal is about fully embracing workers’ rights and taking them back,” Gilchrist said. “Those who are protected at work are more invested in their jobs and more productive.”
Among the future initiatives Gilchrist says is in the works is a revenue-sharing program that would provide resources to local police and fire departments to help with recruitment and training as well as upgrade facilities and equipment.
Staffing for the police and fire departments has been a problem not only in Macomb County and in Michigan but also across the country, and many police departments seek specific training for officers in areas such as crisis response, effectively dealing with the mentally ill, and drug law enforcement.
“Part of how we handled this situation is that we simply haven’t done enough revenue sharing to make sure municipalities are able to hire and fully staff,” Gilchrist said. “We have proposed a large share of the revenue and have proposed that a portion of it be allocated to the police and fire department.”
Gilchrist said he understands that part of the reason police officers are seeing an increase in calls involving mental illness is because there is not enough access to mental health care.
“We want to increase support for those dealing with mental health issues. More counselors and professionals in this area, more family, more access,” Gilchrist said.
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