Democratic nominee for governor Jocelyn Benson is backing state incentives to attract biofuel production facilities to Michigan that she says would expand the state’s agricultural economy.
Benson spoke in front of a corn silo at the Shady Lodge Farm in Lansing as she returned to the campaign trail after the first debate with Republican nominee John James.
Michigan Corn Growers Association President John Delmati said airlines and shipping companies are increasingly looking to corn ethanol as a fuel source to lower carbon emissions.
Some Midwest states, like Minnesota and Illinois, already offer tax incentives to attract biofuel producers.
“Other states are racing to claim it,” Benson said. “I don’t intend to let Michigan sit on the sidelines.”
Delmati said biofuel production would bring rural and urban Michigan together, saying the state’s farmers, ports and shipping lanes are waiting to be connected.
“One gallon of fuel starts as corn in a rural Michigan field,” Delmati said. “It becomes ethanol in a small-town plant that supports operators, truckers and local suppliers. Then it moves by pipeline and rail to Detroit Metropolitan Airport and the Port of Detroit, supporting construction crews, dock workers and airline and shipping jobs.”
Benson is the first Democratic candidate for governor to earn the endorsement of the Michigan Corn Growers Association.
“Someone mentioned, you know, sometimes the only time we hear from folks in Lansing is when they’re speeding by on the way to the Capitol because 96 is closed,” Benson said, adding that in "the second most agriculturally diverse state in the nation, supporting our second largest industry has to be paramount and central to everything that we do.”
James made his first post-debate appearance Wednesday in Saginaw, touting the endorsement of Democratic Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel.
“While politicians in Lansing have spent years putting politics first, James is building a coalition of leaders who understand that safe streets, strong communities, and a better future for Michigan are not Republican or Democrat issues,” the James campaign wrote in an email.
