Every day serving you in Lansing has been a privilege, and I am honored by the trust you have instilled in me. After much thought and consideration, I have decided to retire from my longtime career in public service. I am excited to have more time to spend with my family and start a new chapter supporting the people I care for most.

I would not be here today without the people in our community. It has been my honor to serve at your pleasure for so many years. The people of Livingston County have my deepest respect and admiration, especially our local veterans, police, fire, EMS, and all the public officials I have had the pleasure of knowing over my career. You inspired me to serve as state representative, so I could advocate for your needs and work on policies to improve the lives of Michiganders long after I am gone.

I remain committed to my responsibilities in Lansing, and I plan to finish out the remainder of my term, which wraps up at the end of this year. In my retirement, I am looking forward to spending more time with my family, especially my grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

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On Wednesday, Gov. Whitmer delivered her sixth State of the State address. I was hoping to hear her present real solutions to help Michigan families and confront the critical problems our state is facing.  

Unfortunately, the governor spent much of the time highlighting the partisan policies she has adopted over the last year with the help of Democrats in the House and Senate. It was clear that she continues to seek the national spotlight while turning her back on the problems we have here at home.

Over the last year, the governor has frivolously allocated public funds to pet projects while neglecting the genuine challenges faced by Michigan families on tight budgets, all while pushing for higher taxes. Her approach to economic growth heavily relies on hand-picked corporate welfare, depleting the state’s $9 billion surplus with minimal return on investment.

The crumbling local roads we all drive every day remain unaddressed by the governor and she has overlooked the problems in our K-12 schools – where the reading level of Michigan kids ranks in the bottom of the nation – choosing instead to focus on headline-grabbing ideas like “free college for all.”

Instead of looking for sweeping ideas that might gain her national attention, the people of Michigan need Gov. Whitmer to prioritize the issues at home. We all will be better off if the governor joins forces with legislators and works with us in a bipartisan fashion to adopt common-sense, well-thought-out solutions that will guide Michigan back on a path to prosperity.

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If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office by calling (517) 373-3906 or emailing RobertBezotte@house.mi.gov. I am always happy to hear from people in our community.

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