Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ran for election in 2018 on promises to reduce wait times and stop fee hikes for Michigan residents.
It didn’t exactly work out that way.
Six years later and two years into her second term, Benson seems more focused on advancing her progressive politics, assisting fellow Democrats in their election efforts, and promoting voting initiatives favoring her party than honoring her 2018 campaign pledges.
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In a 2018 campaign advertisement, Benson told prospective voters that she aimed to guarantee a no longer than 30-minute wait time for SOS branch service customers to renew driver’s licenses, register their vehicle, or cast a ballot. She also pledged to “stop fee increases.”
In 2018, Jocelyn Benson promised in a campaign ad to "stop fee increases" and "guarantee" maximum wait times. An analysis finds she broke both of those promises. pic.twitter.com/7KQS0K4F8V
— The Midwesterner (@Th_Midwesterner) September 30, 2024
“The people of Michigan deserve a Secretary of State who works as hard as they do. No one should have to spend more than 30 minutes to renew their drivers license, register their vehicle or cast a ballot,” she stated in one of her 2018 campaign ads. “We need to show the hardworking people of Michigan that their time matters. They have the right to demand results and we are prepared to deliver them.”
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Benson’s 2018 campaign website said, “Benson will work to establish a 30-Minute Guarantee: an expectation that no one, no matter where they live, should have to wait more than 30 minutes to renew their driver’s license, register their vehicle or cast a ballot.”
It also said she’d ban fee increases.
“Benson will be an advocate against fee increases that have hit Michigan families hard in recent years,” her website claimed. “When it comes to pocketbook issues, she has a proven track record. As dean of the Wayne State University Law School, she froze tuition and significantly increased scholarship funding to make law school more affordable and accessible to all students.”
During her first six months in office, wait times at SOS offices varied greatly. While some offices saw slight drops in wait times, others, such as Flint’s Fenton Road offices soared 51.9 minutes from the previous year, according to Michigan SOS data analysis by Bridge in August 2019.
Clio registered a 61.7 minute increase in the amount of time customers were left waiting for fulfillment of SOS services. In June 2019, the Clio office took an average of nearly 128 minutes for customer fulfillment, a whopping 74.6 minute increase over June 2018.
“Getting a driver’s license or renewing your plates is taking longer at the 43 busiest branches in the state during the first seven months of 2019 in Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s first term,” Bridge reported, comparing 2019 data with the year previous.
The Midwesterner visited the Flint Fenton Road location on Friday, Sept. 27, at 2:30 p.m. and witnessed five people who did not have appointments turned away. Another woman who was 10 minutes late for her appointment was told she would have to reschedule. All six individuals were told they could not conduct their business on Friday unless they waited onsite for a potential cancellation, but otherwise told they would need to make an appointment for the following Monday, Sept. 30.
A request from The Midwesterner for an interview with the branch’s manager was declined, and other employees were tightlipped regarding wait times and fee increases.
As for fee increases, Michigan residents saw their registration costs increased by nearly 20% in 2016, two years prior to Benson’s 2018 election. For residents choosing to add the state’s Recreation Passport to their annual “birthday tax” car registration in 2024, however, the cost was $14, a $1 increase over 2013.
The Midwesterner received no response to an email sent to the Michigan Secretary of State’s office.
A 2022 bill to roll back automotive registrations by 20% was introduced by former Rep. Beau LaFave, R-Iron Mountain, but never made it out of the Transportation Committee.
“With inflation at sky-high rates, gas prices through the roof, and energy costs on the rise, people need a break,” LaFave said. “This plan provides a prime opportunity to help all drivers throughout Michigan at a time when they need it most.”
In fiscal year 2020-2021, Michigan collected $1,403,514,017 in vehicle registration taxes, according to the State House Fiscal Agency, and $1,652,443,581.08 in registration fees between Oct. 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2023, according to the SOS. That’s a 17.7% increase.
The SOS also reported that Michigan collected $3.6 billion in total automotive-related fees and transactions between Oct. 1, 2022 and Sept. 30, 2023.