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Michigan House approves multiple memorial highway and designation bills, citing road-worker and community safety
Summary
The Michigan House on May 20 passed several bills designating stretches of highway and municipal titles to honor fallen workers and local figures, and to recognize a township's recreational identity. Lawmakers delivering brief remarks tied the measures to roadway safety and community remembrance.
The Michigan House of Representatives on May 20 passed several bills designating memorial highway segments and a municipal title, voting to honor victims and public servants and to recognize a township's local identity.
Lawmakers advanced and approved House Bill 4100 to name a segment of M-50 for Darien Young; House Bill 4105 to designate part of Rochester Road as the William S. Broomfield Memorial Highway; House Bill 4145 to name a mile of US‑127 for Second Lieutenant Roosevelt Steiger; House Bill 4267 to create the Keegan Spencer Memorial Highway in Kent County; and House Bill 4010 to designate Harrison Township as “Boat Town USA.” Each bill passed on recorded roll-call votes and immediate effect was ordered for the bills taken up on third reading.
The measures are largely honorary and do not appropriate funding; supporters said the designations serve as public remembrances and reminders about public safety. Representative Brock, speaking for House Bill 4100, described the June 4, 2020 crash that killed Darien Young, said the driver was traveling “flying west on M50 at 80 miles an hour with a blood toxicology level of 1.137,” and noted Young “lost her life to a drunk driver.” Brock framed the highway designation as a memorial and as a warning about “choices [that] have consequences.”
Representative Tisdale urged approval of House Bill 4105 to honor William S. Broomfield for his legislative career; Representative Smolz (speaking for House Bill 4145) described Second Lieutenant Roosevelt Steiger’s service as a Tuskegee Airman and the work of local volunteers to preserve his memory. Representative Regas, introducing House Bill 4267 for Keegan Spencer, described Spencer as a roadside tower killed on Nov. 11, 2023 while assisting motorists and said the designation “is a call to action to remind us of the sacrifices made by towers, first responders, and roadside workers.” During that presentation Regas added, “Move over. It's the law.”
Votes at a glance
- House Bill 4100 (Memorial highway for Darien Young): passed, 106 aye, 1 nay. (Passage announced at transcript time block where final tally recorded.) - House Bill 4105 (William S. Broomfield Memorial Highway): passed, 105 aye, 2 nay. - House Bill 4145 (Memorial Highway for Second Lieutenant Roosevelt Steiger): passed, 107 aye, 0 nay. - House Bill 4267 (Keegan Spencer Memorial Highway): passed, 104 aye, 3 nay. - House Bill 4010 (Designate Harrison Township as "Boat Town USA"): passed, 83 aye, 24 nay.
Several legislators spoke in support of the bills during third-reading debate, offering biographical and safety-related context. The House recorded a small number of individual roll-call votes by name during proceedings (for example, Speaker Hall recorded an aye vote during the roll call for HB 4100; Representative Linteen was recorded as voting nay on HB 4010; Representative Wooden was recorded as voting aye on HB 4145). Immediate effect was moved and ordered for multiple bills after their passage.
These actions are ceremonial designations and do not create new regulatory programs or direct appropriations in the text read on the floor. The bills will be enrolled according to usual legislative procedure following passage.
The House recessed and later adjourned until Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
