The 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference arrives with our nation and state at an inflection point. Collectively, we are facing major issues that require bold ideas, innovation and what’s most elusive in this polarized era ― compromise.
“A Quest for Common Ground” is more than this year’s theme. It is an ethos that Michiganians of all industries, communities and political stripes need to adopt, as much of this year’s conference will revolve around a provocative, honest statement:
Michigan, our house is on fire.
This week’s conversation will be jarring at times. That’s intentional. No state has fallen faster or further in key economic and education metrics than Michigan over the past quarter-century. Our state ranks 49th (of the 50 states) in population growth. Since 2000, fourth-grade reading scores have plummeted from 16th to 44th. Per capita income has plunged from 18th to 40th. This is not a commentary on any particular political party, legislature or governor. Over the past 25 years, we have had Democratic control, Republican control and mixed control; we are all responsible for this precipitous decline.
This is not acceptable. Our citizens deserve better. If these trends continue, businesses will leave the state, taking job opportunities with them and businesses looking to relocate will look elsewhere. Our children and grandchildren will accelerate their departures to the coasts and growth areas like Austin, Denver and Nashville. Of course, a shrinking population and business base will lead to continued population decline — resulting in less political clout in Washington, and ever-dropping tax revenue putting more strain on public services.
The Conference will make clear that Michigan’s house is on fire because we will not be able to address our challenges until we all understand that they indeed exist. It’s hard to chart a path forward if you don’t know where you are starting.
While Michigan’s bottom-10 rankings in key areas such as fourth-grade reading scores, per capita income and population growth are alarming, equally concerning is that Michigan voters have no idea where our state stands. The Chamber’s statewide polling with the Glengariff Group shows that fellow Michiganians view the state as ‘average’ rather than its actual bottom-10 standing. Frankly, even being ‘average’ is not good enough.
Some will use these data points to make political points. That is both unfortunate and misguided. Michigan’s decline in prosperity is not due to a particular political party, governmental body or industry. In some way, all sectors and political ideologies have played a role.
We are using the Conference to ring the alarm bell that our house is on fire because we know there is a path forward. Across this nation, as Michigan’s standing has dropped, there are examples — in blue states and red states ― where dramatic turnarounds have been executed in education, population growth, economic development and income levels. We can do the same in Michigan, but it will take a new approach to our politics and collaboration — it will take finding common ground.
Being a purple state is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing that our politics is not dominated by one particular perspective — our elections are generally competitive. That’s a good thing. A curse in that because we do flip from Democrat to Republican control, our policies are inconsistent. We never stick with a policy strategy long enough to see if it actually works. The “Michigan U” is not just a traffic pattern — it’s our policy approach.
Despite the challenges, Michigan has tremendous advantages and assets to build upon. Remarkable quality of life ― including natural beauty. Affordable living. High-quality higher education institutions, including four R1 universities, and state policy led by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, which now makes the first two years of college or skilled trades training tuition-free. World-class businesses, and of course, the grit of our people that we are famous for. We have envious assets to build upon, we just need to come together — left and right and East and West — to chart our path forward as a purple state.
Our future, our children’s future, hangs in the balance as we work to get this right.
Sandy K. Baruah is the president and chief executive officer of the Detroit Regional Chamber. Bob Riney is the president and chief executive officer of Henry Ford Health and chair of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan needs a new path forward | Baruah, Riney
Reporting by Sandy K. Baruah and Bob Riney / The Detroit News
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