Now, the hard part: Jocelyn Benson has big plans. Michigan has big problems

Democrat Jocelyn Benson will lead a state facing several challenges
Residents are worried about healthcare and housing costs to energy and democracy
Benson will have allies with a Democratic controlled Legislature, but are her plans realistic?

Minutes after becoming governor-elect early Wednesday, Jocelyn Benson said “now the work begins.”

She isn’t kidding.

Michigan faces myriad challenges, from lower-than-average wages and rising healthcare costs to sagging reading scores, an influx of data centers and concerns about government transparency.

Those were among the top concerns identified in Bridge Listens, a yearlong effort that involved more than 6,400 residents who identified and ranked the state’s top challenges.

Throughout Benson’s campaign for governor, she answered questions about how she would solve the issues vexing the state.

Here’s what to know.

On the top, a factory building, a for sale sign on the left and eggs in the grocery store on the bottom — Michigan residents are frustrated by higher prices. Many told Bridge they voted for candidates they thought would rein costs in. (Bridge photos by Janelle James, Kelly House and Kathy Kieliszewski)

Affordability

The issue

Michiganders face rising costs on groceries and gas and a lack of affordable housing.

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Manufacturing remains Michigan’s most important economic sector — but continues to shed jobs.

The state’s median household income of almost $73,000 is about 10% less than the national rate, while the unemployment rate is higher and the workforce is older.

Dan Gilmartin, executive director and CEO of the Michigan Municipal League, said at the Bridge Michigan Issues Summit last month there’s been lots of talk, but “we don’t act” like there’s an ongoing housing crisis.

“Cost of materials, cost that goes into it, all the way through financing, all the way through availability, and really a comprehensive way of dealing with that is the only way we really make a dent in this,” Gilmartin said.

Benson’s plans

Benson wants to create a healthcare affordability board, change how the state sets energy rates, pass a $5,000 caregiver tax credit and expand a cash to moms program.

She aims for “holding accountable investors who buy up properties and drive up rents solely to make a profit.”

She has also called to “expand and modernize the Michigan Homestead Property Tax Credit to reflect today’s housing costs and inflation.”

That would include raising the income eligibility limit for the program, she said, “so more working families, seniors, and fixed-income homeowners” can qualify.

Reality check

Some of Benson’s proposals would be costly, and with Michigan facing tight budgets in recent years, Benson has not described how she would get the money to pay for the policies.

The $5,000 tax credit alone would have cost the state $37 million when term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed it in the 2024-2025 budget.

Benson should have an easier time with Democrats winning control of the state Legislature. Reforming the Homestead Property Tax Credit , for instance, has had bipartisan support.

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Michigan State University graduates leave the Breslin Center after the formal graduation ceremony last May. — Michigan advocates say students need more skills to be ready for life after high school whether that’s college, the trades or joining the workforce. (Owin Widdis for Bridge Michigan)

Schools

The issue

Michigan third-grade reading scores at a new low, more than a fourth of students are chronically absent and only a fourth of high school juniors are “college ready,” according to the SAT.

On spring 2024 tests, Michigan ranks 44th for fourth grade reading. Michigan is expanding options for dual enrollment and career technical education but many worry that not enough students are earning a college degree.

Benson’s plans

She wants to raise the minimum teacher salary to $60,000 a year, change the state’s high school graduation standards and provide schools more funding.

She wants to raise more money for special education and ensure the state School Aid Fund only goes toward PreK-12 schools, not colleges and universities.

It’s unclear whether she will opt Michigan into the Education Freedom Tax Credit program. The effort would pay for students to attend private schools but public school students can also use scholarships for some activities. Proponents say it’s a way to help students and families while critics say it’s a voucher in disguise and will divert money from public schools.

Reality check

Money is always an issue.

Public opinion polling shows people think teachers should start at $54,600 and average pay should be $71,445.

Jason Burns, a research specialist at the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative, who studies teacher compensation, previously told Bridge it would take about $350 million to $400 million to raise teacher pay in line with public opinion.

It’s unclear where Benson would get the money to protect School Aid funding from higher education. The current state budget includes a record $1.7 billion of these funds for colleges and universities.

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two hands holding a container with several doses of prescription drugs — Jocelyn Benson is advocating for an independent prescription drug board. (Rod Sanford for Bridge Michigan)

Healthcare

The issue

Michiganders face rising healthcare costs including higher premiums, while an estimated 690,000 in Michigan face medical debt, according to KFF, a California-based research nonprofit focused on health care.

According to newly released data, premium rates will jump an average of 14.2% for about 400,000 people who purchase their own health plans. Another 400,000 receiving coverage through small group plans — covering small businesses with fewer than 51 employees — are seeing rates rise 9.6% on average.

Michigan faces a shortage of physicians, first responders and mental health professionals. Rural communities especially struggle to find enough workers.

A growing number of Americans are uninsured, having lost coverage under commercial insurance and Medicaid.

Some fear things are about to get much worse, as sweeping changes in Medicaid that start in January force thousands of Michiganders to lose coverage and the health care industry millions of dollars.

Benson’s plans

Benson said she would create an independent prescription drug affordability board to “hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for price gouging and identify ways to reduce the overall cost of care.

Benson said she will protect Medicaid but did not specify how and wants to expand access to health services.

“Our programs will include partnering with local health care providers to invest in mobile health centers to bring low or no-cost preventative services directly to rural and underserved areas hit hardest by hospital closures and federal funding cuts,” Benson said.

She also touts a medical debt forgiveness expansion, incentives for doctors to service in rural areas and increased price transparency in healthcare.

Reality check

Many of Michigan’s biggest healthcare issues stem from federal policies outside Benson’s control.

Michigan faces an expected $2 billion shortfall, in large part, because of sweeping changes requiring people to work 80 hours a month or prove that they cannot. This plan starts Jan. 1.

Creating a prescription drug board is a priority of legislative Democrats but it’s unclear how much say the board could have on drug costs — and some studies have questioned their effectiveness in the 11 states with them.

Lawmakers tried this before with Democratic majorities in both chambers and failed to pass the proposal.

The state already offers mobile health sites.

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mackinac bridge — (Bridge Michigan file photo)

Environment and data centers

The issue

The tax breaks lawmakers passed in Decemeber 2024 exempt qualifying hyperscale data centers from the state’s 6% sales and use tax through 2050.

Since then, at least 18 hyperscale proposals have been put on the table.

Michigan residents continue to push back on data centers, with one poll after another indicating high disapproval. Dozens of communities have passed moratoriums, while others have mounted recall efforts targeting local elected officials for not opposing the projects.

At the state level, pressure is mounting for legislative leaders to reverse course on some of the state’s data center efforts.

Proposals have ranged from limiting companies’ energy and water use, rolling back tax breaks or creating a statewide moratorium on data center projects.

Michigan passed a law in 2023 requiring the state’s regulated utilities to achieve 100% clean energy by 2040. But rising energy demand from data centers only makes it more difficult and offers questions about how local communities want to meet that demand.

Benson’s plans

Benson has called for a moratorium on new data centers until guardrails are in place.

She has not been specific on what those guardrails are.

“No data centers will be built in Michigan unless there are rules in place that make them negotiate with communities in the open,” she said in a September social media post. “We will ban them from getting tax breaks and using up our water, and we will require them to pay for the power they use.”

Benson supports the clean energy law but has said she wants local communities to weigh in.

Reality check

Governors have limited ability to set environmental policies without cooperation from the Legislature. While Benson will benefit from Democratic leadership in the House and Senate, chamber leaders have yet to outline priorities.

Michigan is desperate for economic development and a single hyperscale data center can bring in tens of millions annually in local taxes as well as jobs and spinoff investment. Businesses are highly interested in them and would likely lobby against new restrictions.

Democrats also led the Legislature when tax breaks for data centers initially passed with, so removing those tax breaks would require asking some of the prior proponents who are still in office to make an about-face.

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Voters arrive to cast their ballots at Maybury Elementary School in Southwest Detroit on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. — Michigan residents say they are concerned about democracy and government transparency. (Brayan Gutierrez for Bridge Michigan)

Democracy

The issue

Michiganders said they are concerned about the rising political tensions, election security and government transparency.

Michigan voters overwhelmingly supported a ballot proposal to limit corporate spending in politics Tuesday night but a free market think tank has already filed a lawsuit challenging the measure.

Michigan had been one of two states that exempted the state legislature and governor’s office from having to provide records to the public. But voters in Massachusetts week voted in support of opening records up to the public.

Benson’s plans

Benson said she would voluntarily open her office to the Freedom of Information Act on her first day in office. Her predecessor, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, made the same vow 2018 but never followed through on the pledge.

“We must enact reforms to protect our election system from the spread of misinformation, hold accountable bad actors who use AI to mislead voters, and expand our cybersecurity protections so that foreign adversaries are unable to interfere with our voting systems,” she previously Bridge.

She also called for cooling off periods between when lawmakers leave office and can become a lobbyist, as well as a ban on so-called dark money by requiring accounts that spend millions to influence Michigan elections “to disclose the source of all contributions received that go towards any political spending.”

Reality check

Benson has advocated for more government transparency throughout her tenure as secretary of state and attempted to increase transparency at the Secretary of State Office. Some efforts fared better than others.

She would need legislative buy-in for other reforms, and lawmakers have sometimes been hesitant to pass transparency measures once they take control.

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Reporters Robin Erb, Jordyn Hermani, Kelly House and Simon D. Schuster contributed to this report.