EARL DEMARSE MEMORIAL HIGHWAY H.B. 5447:
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 5447 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative John Kivela
House Committee: Transportation and Infrastructure
Senate Committee: Transportation
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Memorial Highway Act to designate the portion of highway US-41, beginning at its intersection with Highway M-28 in the City of Harvey and extending north to the intersection of US-41 and Genesee Street in the City of Marquette, as the "Earl DeMarse Memorial Highway".
BACKGROUND
Earl F. DeMarse was a corrections officer at the Michigan Department of Corrections' Marquette Branch Prison. On September 25, 1973, Mr. DeMarse was stabbed to death by an inmate at the prison. DeMarse has been recognized as the first Michigan corrections officer killed in the line of duty. He was 55 years old and had served as a corrections officer for 26 years. The Earl F. DeMarse Corrections Academy in Lansing is named after him.
Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
Section 2 of the Act requires the Michigan Department of Transportation to provide for the erection and maintenance of suitable markers only when sufficient private contributions are received to pay the cost of erecting and maintaining those markers. Therefore, the bill would have no fiscal impact on the State. According to the Department, the cost for fabrication and installation of a sign ranges from $500 to $5,800, depending on the type of the road, size of the sign, and region of the State where the sign will be located.
The bill would have no fiscal impact on local government.
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.