Hall: ‘We're Going To Take Risks, We’re Going To Do Bold Things'

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/14/2026) The Republican-led House is prepared to do “big things” in 2026 despite it being an election year, said House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) during Wednesday’s first press conference of the year.

The Speaker refuted early analyses from political observers that 2026 will not be an eventful year, based in part on prior even-numbered years of the Legislature in which passing a state budget before July 1 is the priority. Typically, controversial policies are shoved into lame duck after the election.

Hall noted that prior Democratic Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) governed “very carefully” in 2024 and didn't do “significant things.”

“And they lost the House. I don't care that it's an election year. We're going to take risks," Hall said. "We're going to do bold things. We're going to be very similar to last year. And my hope is that we'll come forward with some very aggressive and needed changes to Michigan law that are going to make life better for people.”

As for policies, Hall focused on “affordability,” particularly in the medical sector. As President Donald Trump is going after health insurance companies, he said he sees his chamber doing something similar. Hall said he envisions a new commission that will look into the finances of hospitals and whether they are operating like non-profits or if they are being overly extravagant in building enormous pieces of infrastructure.

“We're going to take on the insurance companies, and we're going to take on the hospitals and these health systems, which have gotten way too big, way too big,” he said. “They said when they merged into five big systems, that was going to lower costs. But the studies say it actually cut out all the competition and increased costs.”

The Speaker also predicted that the House would win a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Friday that would prevent state departments and agencies from spending money on the $644.9 million in work projects that the House Appropriations Committee denied last month.

Last week, Attorney General Dana Nessel opined that the law the House panel used to reject the spending was unconstitutional because the action didn't require support from the corresponding Senate appropriations panel. Hall immediately challenged the opinion and the Court of Claims scheduled a hearing Friday to consider a TRO.

Hall said if the courts agree with Nessel's reasoning, it will “really weaken legislative intent” and basically says, "Once you give the money to the Governor … she can do whatever she wants with it. This is not a good law."

House Republicans will continue to look into Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's office as part of its oversight function, but the Speaker didn't overtly commit to a specific investigation on allegations of discrimination within the office. This week, four Black employees accused the department of discrimination.

“We don't know exactly what's going on. But I will say this, I look at these allegations of discrimination in Secretary of State Benson's office as another symptom of her poor management," Hall said. “Benson is focused on running for governor. We've seen this time after time, her dropping the ball in her office … There clearly is a problem here. We don't know the facts. We'll see what happens in the lawsuit.”

Hall made the statement that the Rx Kids program, a cash assistance program for poor pregnant women, mothers and newborns that is a big funding priority for Senate Democrats, is also providing benefits to "illegal immigrants."

“This is basically a cash assistance workaround to give basic universal income to these new mothers … It isn't for citizens. It's for people. And they don't look at your citizenship status,” he said.

Dr. Mona Hanna, the Flint physician who helped launch this public-private partnership, said any state or federal money used for this program tends to be Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) dollars and can only go to U.S. citizens. The dollars used for any non-citizen would come from private money, not public money, Hanna stressed.

The House has yet to receive a formal request from the Governor's office to use the House chambers for the 2026 State of the State address, Hall said. Logistically, the lack of immediate movement likely pushes the annual address into February, at least.