Benson Discusses Maternal Healthcare in Flint, Meets with Michiganders in Bay City and Saginaw
Today, Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson met with Michiganders in Flint, Bay City, and Saginaw to share her vision for Michigan. Benson is the only candidate for governor who has released a thorough agenda to lower healthcare costs for all Michiganders and improve maternal healthcare.
In Flint, Benson joined Danielle Atkinson, maternal health advocate, and Janet Poole, a local nurse, for a press conference on Jocelyn’s plan to improve maternal healthcare in Michigan and bring down costs.
“As leaders in Michigan, we have a moral responsibility to fix [the Black maternal healthcare crisis],” said Secretary Benson during the press conference. “As your next governor, I will treat and prioritize and address the Black maternal healthcare crisis with the urgency that it demands. And that's why we're here today. That's why I'm proud to have built a healthcare plan with input from communities here in Flint and all over Michigan that will address Black maternal health. It is a central piece for my vision of Michigan's healthy future.”
“I'm so proud to be here in Flint and stand with Jocelyn Benson, the only candidate for governor with a comprehensive healthcare agenda, she is committed to bringing down the cost for all Michiganders and confronting the problems that surround Black maternal healthcare and are leading to the crisis,” said Danielle Atkinson. “Oftentimes, when politicians release their policy plans, women's health and maternal health are ignored, especially when it comes to women of color. But the reality is that in the United States, we have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in developing countries – Black women are three to four times more likely to die of childbirth and childbirth related causes than their white counterparts. I hear the heartbreaking stories from women around the country and in our own state, and it doesn't have to be this way, and it's past time that we've had leaders who are willing to do something about it, and that's why I'm standing with Jocelyn Benson.”
“I am proud to stand for Jocelyn Benson and encourage everyone I know to vote for her to be our next governor. She's not afraid to take on big challenges and put them front and center. She is the only candidate for governor with a comprehensive agenda to bring down costs and tackle the Black maternal healthcare crisis, because don't let anyone fool you. We can and must do both at the same time. Her plan isn't just another set of empty promises, but a strategy based on what we in the medical field know works and doesn't work,” said Janet Poole.
Earlier in the day, Benson met with the Bay City Chamber to discuss her plan to make Michigan the best place to start and grow a small business, and turn the state into the economic engine of the Midwest and Great Lakes region.
During a stop in Saginaw, Benson joined faith leaders to listen and learn about the issues facing their communities and how she can deliver for them as governor.
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