Michigan House Bill HB5078

Michigan 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 9/26/25
• Refer: 9/26/25
• Report Pass: 10/28/25
• Engrossed: 11/12/25
• Refer: 12/2/25
• Report Pass: 12/16/25
• Enrolled: 12/18/25
• Chaptered: 12/31/25
• Passed: 12/31/25

Caption

Highways: memorial; portion of M-22; designate as the "Company K Indian Veterans 1st Michigan Sharpshooters Civil War Memorial Highway". Amends 2001 PA 142 (MCL 250.1001 - 250.2092) by adding sec. 108.

Summary

HB5078 amends Michigan’s highway memorial naming law to designate a specific segment of M-22 in Leelanau County as the “Company K Indian Veterans 1st Michigan Sharpshooters Civil War Memorial Highway.” The named portion runs from the intersection of M-22 and North Stallman Road north to the intersection of M-22 and North Putnam Road. The bill does not change roadway operations, traffic rules, funding, or jurisdiction; it is a commemorative designation honoring Company K Indian veterans associated with the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters and their Civil War service. The measure updates 2001 PA 142, the state law that consolidates highway naming provisions, by adding a new section for this memorial highway. Once effective, state transportation officials would recognize and mark the designated segment accordingly, consistent with other memorial highway designations in Michigan. The bill is narrow in scope and applies only to the specified stretch of M-22 in Leelanau County.

Impact

HB5078 has a limited legal impact: it amends Michigan’s highway naming statute, MCL 250.1001 to 250.2092, by adding a new memorial designation for a defined segment of M-22. The bill affects state highway signage and official roadway naming records, but it does not alter ownership, maintenance responsibilities, traffic regulation, or local government authority over the road. The primary parties affected are the Michigan Department of Transportation and the public traveling on M-22 in Leelanau County, as well as the historical and veteran communities recognized by the memorial.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It advanced out of committee 15-0, passed the House 102-0, and passed the Senate 34-1, indicating strong bipartisan approval. The voting pattern suggests the legislature viewed the measure as a respectful commemorative naming rather than a policy dispute.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record. The only notable point is the Senate’s single dissenting vote, but no committee transcripts or recorded debate are provided to explain the objection. Because the bill is a memorial highway designation, any disagreement likely would have been limited to the appropriateness of the naming or the use of a state highway for commemorative purposes rather than to broader legal or fiscal issues.