Grand Rapids — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was in the neighborhood this week, visiting Gerald R. Ford Academic Center to tour a few classrooms and chat with teachers and GRPS officials about rising costs of classroom supplies in the time of tariffs.
Joined by U.S. Rep. Hilary Scholten, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, State Rep. Kristian Grant, Superintendent Leadriane Roby and members of the GRPS board of education, Whitmer popped into several classrooms Monday to help teachers get ready for the start of school on Aug. 18.
The media was not invited to join the tour, but GRPS Communications Director Lucas Stier said Whitmer and company “spent time getting to know the teachers a little bit, and talking with them about some of the challenges they’re facing — and that families are facing — with rising costs.”
The governor entertained a few questions when the tour wrapped up, touching on the toll of tariffs.
“As I was here, talking to some of the teachers, just going and buying hand sanitizer is $40 for one of the big bottles,” Whitmer said. “We’re all feeling it, already, and without some specific policy and some reasonable policies when it comes to Canada and Mexico in particular, it’s only going to get tougher.”
She said she recently spent time meeting one-on-one with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., and that the subject of tariffs came up.
“Bringing the case on tariffs directly to the president, I thought, was really important,” Whitmer said. “For people who are getting ready for school, or employers, that’s front and center, and I didn’t want to miss any opportunity to make the case for Michigan.”
Asked about the likelihood of a government shutdown due to a deadlock in Lansing, Whitmer said that while she does have to prepare for the possibility, negotiations are ongoing and she’s “optimistic” the budgets will get done on time.
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