MACKINAC ISLAND — Secretary of State and Democratic candidate for governor Jocelyn Benson called for a new mass transit system to connect multiple regions of Michigan. “Transit in our state, and mobility, is this massively unsolved problem an issue that is holding us back from attracting some of the best talent and some of the best businesses,” Benson declared in a speech at the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island.
While Benson didn’t reveal specific plans or routes, she suggested the use of public-private partnerships would allow the state to build routes quickly and efficiently. “To me, getting things done as governor is getting things like that done – big things that we haven’t been able to get done, but if we did, it would be transformational,” Benson said.
Campaign Update
Benson, in an interview with the Associated Press, revealed she suffered a miscarriage in 2016. From a post on her campaign website:
In an interview with The Associated Press ahead of Tuesday’s release of her political memoir entitled, “The Purposeful Warrior,” Benson said miscarrying made her value easy access to reproductive health care in an emotional and difficult situation, something she wants to deliver for the state if elected.
“It opened my eyes to the need to not just protect reproductive freedom and rights, but actually make sure they’re real,” said Benson.
In a chapter entitled “Grit and Grace,” Benson describes finding out she was pregnant shortly after her son’s first birthday and shortly before she launched her bid for secretary of state in 2017. Waves of worry over the timing and elation over becoming a mother of two ensued. But just a day later, she began to miscarry.
She writes about the doctor’s appointment during her eighth week of pregnancy where she learned about her options: surgery, medication or stillbirth and what to expect as her miscarriage continued. By the following morning, she had miscarried on her own.
“The emotional impact of that stays with you for your whole life,” she told AP.
