Committee OKs naming mile of US 127 for Tuskegee Airman Roosevelt Steiger

Representative Smolz asked the committee to designate a segment of US 127 in Jackson County as the Second Lieutenant Roosevelt Steiger Memorial Highway to honor Steiger, a Tuskegee Airman who died in a 1944 crash.

The measure would name US 127 from mile marker 39 to mile marker 40 for Roosevelt Steiger, who the bill summary says registered for the selective service in October 1940, graduated from the Tuskegee Aviation Cadet program in March 1944 and later deployed to Italy with the 332nd Fighter Group. "It's in his honor that I bring forward House Bill 41 45, which would name a portion of US 127 in Jackson County, the Second Lieutenant Roosevelt Steiger Memorial Highway," Representative Smolz said during the hearing.

Smolz told the committee the Heritage Center at Jackson College — and volunteer students there — researched and helped surface Steiger's history. Professor Diana Agee of the Heritage Center and a student, Sharina Jack Johnson, were noted as attending the hearing in support of the bill.

Representative Alexander moved to report House Bill 4,145 with recommendation. The clerk's roll call recorded 15 yes, 0 no, 0 pass; the motion prevailed and the bill was reported with recommendation.

The bill is a commemorative highway naming; it does not appropriate funds for signage in the committee record. Representative Brock asked whether funding for signs had been secured; Smolz said four Jackson business owners had agreed to pay for signage. That funding assurance was stated on the record during the hearing but no contract or amount was provided in committee testimony.

House Bill 4,145 now advances from committee with a favorable recommendation.