ICYMI: Benson Will Transform State Agencies and Save Michiganders Time and Money
Benson: “Right now, it feels kind of like government's showing up everywhere we don't want it and nowhere where we actually need it.”
Yesterday, Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson spoke in front of a packed audience at the Detroit Economic Club and showcased how she will transform Michigan’s state agencies to better serve residents and save taxpayers money. At a time when families and small businesses are struggling to get by, we need a governor who is laser focused on lowering costs and will use every tool in her toolbox to build a more affordable Michigan.
Benson is the only candidate in the race who has transformed a major state agency, saving Michiganders time and money. As Secretary of State, Benson slashed wait times, opened over 150 self-service stations across the state, and turned our election system into a national model for election integrity — while expanding voter access and improving security.
Crain’s Detroit Business: “Benson vows to transform state agencies to address economic struggles”
[David Eggert, 2/5/26]
Small businesses and people are struggling to get by and it is holding back Michigan's potential, Jocelyn Benson said Thursday while pitching herself as the leader to ensure government's wheels "are making life more affordable for everyone."
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"Those struggles are real and they're holding us back. And I have seen firsthand as secretary of state how [we] can actually alleviate those struggles. We're a well-run operation," she said in a Q&A session with businessman Dennis Archer Jr. "Right now, it feels kind of like government's showing up everywhere we don't want it and nowhere where we actually need it. But as the head of one of our largest agencies, I've been able to demonstrate this once butt of jokes about bureaucracy and red tape, we've transformed it. ... We save people time, we save people money and we make their life easier. Now I want every other agency to work that well, from the Department of Health and Human Services to how we build our homes."
The state, she said, can do "a lot better at making your lives easier" — pointing to superfluous permitting processes she said are making it more expensive to start and grow businesses.
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She called for improving the Michigan Economic Development Corp. "to really match with the needs of the economy of tomorrow" and said she wants Michigan to be "the small business capital of the nation."
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