State Of The Union Expected To Set Tone For 2016 Elections
DETROIT (WWJ) - President Barack Obama will deliver his State of the Union message to the nation Tuesday at 9 o'clock - in an address expected to serve as a tone-setter for the 2016 election campaign.
WWJ spoke with longstanding Democratic U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and asked what she is looking for from the President tonight.
"I think that what we are going to hear from him is that it's great that things are moving in the economy ... but it's not enough and that means focusing on things like job training and education and making sure things are made in America, closing loop-holes that are sending jobs overseas," said Stabenow.
Mr. Obama is also expected to call for increasing taxes on the wealthy, and expanding paid leave for workers -- two issues that aren't expected to make any headway in the new, Republican-led Congress.
The President's Address will be steamed LIVE on CBSDetroit.com.
While in Lansing - talk of repealing Michigan's 'Prevailing Wage' is the stated goal of Republican leaders in the state legislature.
The law requires the state to pay prevailing union wages to contractors who are hired to work on state projects -- opponents of the law say this costs the taxpayers millions of dollars.
Pat Devlin from the Michigan Building Trades Council says that's not accurate.
"Removing the prevailing wage does not result in lower bids by contractors," said Devlin. "Repealing it would only result in lower wages for workers and that means workers are less able to re-circulate their income into the community and are less able to pay taxes, their rent and eat at local restaurants."
Governor Snyder's spokesperson says the governor has never supported repealing the law and doesn't intend to but the GOP leadership says one of the first bills to be introduced calls for the repeal of the law.
Devlin says it just stands to reason that when people make a little more money they tend to spend more money in the community and "that's all about small business ... I know around the country small business come to defend prevailing wage ..."
Governor Snyder's 2015 State of the State speech Tuesday at 7 .m. [HERE].