OFFICER SCOTT FLAHIVE MEM. HWY                                                          S.B. 527 (S-1):

                                                                           ANALYSIS AS PASSED BY THE SENATE

Senate Bill 527 (Substitute S-1 as passed by the Senate)

Sponsor:  Senator Roger Victory

Committee:  Transportation and Infrastructure

Date Completed:  11-1-19

RATIONALE

Officer Scott Flahive served as a Grand Haven Public Safety Officer from 1990 to 1994. On December 13, 1994, at the age of 28, Officer Scott Flahive was fatally shot on Beacon Boulevard while trying to apprehend an escaped inmate of the Ottowa County Jail. To honor his sacrifice and service, it has been suggested that a portion of a highway in Grand Haven be named after Officer Scott Flahive.

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Michigan Memorial Highway Act to do the following:

-- Exclude the portion of Highway US-31 beginning at the intersection with Robbins Road in the city of Grand Haven and continuing north to the intersection with Jackson Street from its current designation as a portion of the "Blue Star Memorial Highway".

-- Designate the portion of highway US-31, also known as Beacon Boulevard, beginning at the intersection with Robbins Road in the city of Grand Haven and continuing north to the intersection with Jackson Street, as the "Officer Scott Flahive Memorial Highway".

Currently, the portion of Highway US-31 beginning at the border between Michigan and Indiana in Berrien County and extending to the Straits of Mackinac at the county line of Emmet and Cheboygan Counties is known as the "Blue Star Memorial Highway". The bill would exclude the portion of Highway US-31 beginning at the intersection with Robbins Road in the city of Grand Haven and continuing north to the intersection with Jackson Street from this designation.

MCL 250.1011 et al.

ARGUMENTS

(Please note:  The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency.  The Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation.)

Supporting Argument

Officer Scott Flahive exemplified bravery and heroism during his public service. The Grand Haven community continues to honor Officer Flahive's memory with the Annual Scott Flahive Memorial Cruise, which travels down Beacon Boulevard and raises money for a scholarship fund for students studying criminal justice. Naming this portion of a highway in Grand Haven would be a fitting way to commemorate Officer Flahive's service and sacrifice.

Legislative Analyst:  Tyler VanHuyse

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.

                                                                                   Fiscal Analyst:  Michael Siracuse

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.