By Rick Pluta, Michigan Public Radio Network
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-883592.mp3
LANSING, MI –
People are already starting to gather in the state Capitol to hear Governor Granholm's eighth and final State of the State speech Wednesday The governor is expected to focus on jobs and education.
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The governor's expected to outline about 10 new initiatives on top of proposed government reforms she unveiled last week. In her final State of the State address, the governor's also expected to touch on her legacy, and her economic recovery strategy for the state with the nation's highest unemployment rate.
Liz Boyd is the governor's press secretary.
"This economic plan has laid a foundation for a transition to a new Michigan economy," she says. "We're not there yet, and the governor will certainly acknowledge that, but there certainly are signs that we are headed in the right direction."
About a thousand to 1,200 protestors are expected to gather outside the Capitol while the governor speaks. Some are from the tea party movement; some are students who want the Michigan Promise scholarship reinstated. The Legislature scrapped it last year over the governor's objections.