Casperson to introduce legislation in response to Department of Education LGBTQ document

Sen. Tom Casperson

Sen. Tom Casperson

LANSING, Mich. — State Sen. Tom Casperson announced Tuesday that he will introduce legislation in response to a state Department of Education Draft Guidance document, “Safe and Supportive Learning Environments for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Students.”

The document outlined guidance for the state’s school districts on how to address the issues of these students, including restroom and locker room use, among others.

The bill, which has been requested but yet to be introduced, would require Michigan students to only use bathrooms and locker rooms matching their birth gender.

“It is hard to believe that a state board, which is clearly out of touch with Michigan residents, got assistance from equally out of touch unelected bureaucrats to develop such a document to fundamentally change Michigan’s public education system without the public’s prior knowledge or consent,” said Casperson, R-Escanaba. “In the pursuit of social justice, this so-called draft guidance document creates numerous problems, from the elimination of parental authority and notification to threatening student safety and beyond. My bill would stop this policy dead in its tracks.”

Under the bill proposal, students who do not identify with their birth gender would be accommodated if the student has written consent from a parent or guardian. The proposed legislation would not permit these students to use restrooms or locker rooms of the opposite sex if those facilities are in use or could be in use. Instead, the student would be able to use a single-occupancy restroom, staff facility or some other reasonable accommodation.

Additionally, Casperson sponsored a resolution urging the department to officially rescind the proposed policies.

“The Department of Education document was poorly conceived, poorly written and should not be used,” Casperson said. “I encourage all residents who wish to have their voices heard on this matter to contact the department and make your opinions known.”

According to the department, a period of public comment on the document is open until April 11. Those wishing to speak should visit everyvoicecountsmi.org for more information.

A bill and resolution number will be assigned when the measures are formally introduced.

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Media Advisory: Casperson invites U.P. residents to participate in committee hearing via videoconference

Sen. Tom Casperson

Sen. Tom Casperson

LANSING, Mich. — The Senate Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, March 2 on Senate Bill 635, which would help encourage out-of-state residents to hunt and fish in Michigan. The committee hearing will feature live remote video testimony from two Upper Peninsula locations.

The bill proposes reducing by half the non-resident hunting and fishing license fees for people who own land in Michigan but who live elsewhere. Additionally, former Michigan residents who meet certain criteria would receive the same non-resident discount.

Who:
State Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba; members of the Senate Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Committee; and the general public.

What:
A hearing of the Senate Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Committee on Senate Bill 635.

When:
Wednesday, March 2 at 12:30 p.m.

Hearing Location:
Room 210
Farnum Building
125 W. Allegan St.
Lansing, MI

U.P. Videoconference Locations:
Bay College
Joseph Heirman University Center – Room 963
2001 N. Lincoln Road
Escanaba, MI

Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District
Conference Room B
202 Elm St.
Bergland, MI

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Senators applaud Ohio Soo Locks resolution; urge neighboring states to act

LANSING, Mich. – State Senators Wayne Schmidt, Ken Horn and Tom Casperson today applauded the Ohio House of Representatives’ adoption of a resolution urging the U.S. government to upgrade the Soo Locks.

“I appreciate the action taken by Ohio’s legislature calling on the federal government to upgrade the Soo Locks,” said Schmidt, R-Traverse City, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee. “Ohioans, like Michiganders, understand the locks’ economic importance to our respective states, the Great Lakes region and the United States. Tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of resources depend on safe and continued travel through the Soo Locks. Now, more than ever, it’s time to modernize this vital trade passage.”

Ohio’s House Resolution 263, much like one adopted by the Michigan Senate last November, calls on the president, the Congress and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to upgrade the locks, and urges the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with preparing an economic reevaluation report.

Only one of the four Soo Locks is currently large enough to accommodate the modern vessels that commonly traverse the Great Lakes. Seventy percent of cargo is carried on the large ships that can only pass through the Poe Lock.

“With so much riding, literally, on the single Poe Lock, we’re presented with a potential economic and security disaster should that lock go down for any amount of time,” said Horn, R-Frankenmuth, who chairs the Senate Economic Development and International Investment Committee. “For those reasons and to help our economy grow, we must upgrade the locks. Michigan understands that. Ohio understands that. It’s time for the federal government to stand up and act as well.”

Approximately 10,000 vessels travel through the locks annually, carrying 80 million tons of iron ore, coal, grain, and other cargo. Nearly 80 percent of domestic iron ore, the primary material used to manufacture steel, travels from mines in the Upper Peninsula and neighboring states through the Soo Locks.

The senators called on their colleagues in the legislatures of neighboring Great Lakes states Wisconsin and Minnesota to also adopt a Soo Locks resolution.

“A new lock will provide the secure, redundant, and reliable Soo Lock system vital to Michigan, to other Great Lakes states like Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and to the nation as a whole,” said Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Casperson, R-Escanaba. “Adopting these resolutions in a joint effort is critical to moving the process forward.”

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Casperson celebrates Pasty Day with Senate colleagues

LANSING, Mich. – State Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, celebrated an Upper Peninsula icon — the pasty — with Senate colleagues on Wednesday. Casperson treated senators and staff to pasties from Escanaba-based Dobbers Pasties in honor of Pasty Day, which was Sunday, Dec. 6. Casperson (far right) is pictured with, from left, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley and Sens. Jim Stamas, R-Midland, and Ken Horn, R-Frankenmuth.

Pasties have been an Upper Peninsula staple for nearly as long as Michigan has been a state. During the 19th century, Cornish immigrants brought the pasty to the iron mines of the U.P. In addition to being nutritious, pasties are convenient — workers, whose hands were soiled from the mines, could easily grip the pasty crust as a handle, eat, and get on with their work.

After the Mackinac Bridge opened, the pasty made its way down state, going from a local, mostly made-at-home meal in the U.P., to a commercial dish.

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New Michigan Historical Museum exhibit pays long-overdue tribute to Upper Peninsula’s greatest inventor

Sen. Casperson introducing resolution to declare Nov. 15 as “Webster L. Marble Day” in recognition of 20th century outdoors gear manufacturer’s genius 

GLADSTONE, Mich. — A resolution to be introduced by state Sen. Tom Casperson would declare Nov. 15 – the start of the Michigan’s firearm deer hunting season – as “Webster L. Marble Day” in the state in tribute to the man recognized as the Upper Peninsula’s greatest inventor and founder of Gladstone-based Marble Safety Axe Company.

MarbleIf adopted, Webster L. Marble Day would come on the heels of the Nov. 7 public opening of the Michigan Historical Museum’s new yearlong special exhibit, “Inventing the Outdoors.” The exhibit will look at the origins of the state’s love for outdoor recreation through the life and times of Webster L. Marble, an early 20th century Upper Peninsula entrepreneur who started a company in Gladstone that would become heralded internationally as an outdoor gear powerhouse, outfitting legions of hunters, anglers, campers and hikers.

“Historians recognize Webster Marble was a genius as an inventor, manufacturer, marketer and one of the Upper Peninsula’s most successful business leaders — yet most people in our state are unaware of his pioneering achievements,” said Casperson, R-Escanaba. “Marble literally invented the American hunting knife, as well as the knife that all U.S. military blades would be patterned after for most of the 20th century.

“The tribute to his accomplishments by the Legislature is long overdue, and I hope Michigan citizens will embrace the opportunity to learn more about his efforts at innovation and to advance outdoor recreation during the Michigan Historical Museum special exhibit.”

A Milwaukee, Wisconsin native born in 1854, Marble was raised in Vassar and Frankfort before ultimately settling with his family in the Upper Peninsula community of Gladstone in 1889, where he soon became an expert trapper, hunter and fisherman. His natural love of the woods and field sports led him to take up the occupations of surveyor and timber cruiser, which sparked his desire to invent and manufacture outdoor equipment that helped revolutionize the industry, such as safety axes, knives and coat compasses.

“By the time Henry Ford rolled his first Model T off the assembly line, Marble was a household name and his company was outfitting millions of outdoor enthusiasts with Michigan-made products,” said Michigan Historical Center Director Sandra Clark.

He founded the Marble Safety Axe Company in 1899, which continues today as the Marble Arms Company. Marble would eventually own more than 60 patents for outdoor products, including knives and compasses used by Theodore Roosevelt as well as by Charles Lindbergh during his first solo trans-Atlantic flight. Troops in World War I were issued Webster-designed waterproof matchboxes, and both the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of America adopted Marble’s Woodcraft and Sport as their official knives, respectively.

During its heyday in the early 1900s, Marble marketed his products by distributing more than 1 million catalogs annually and placing advertisements in more than 50 national magazines that reached more than 20 million readers. Webster was buried in Gladstone’s Fernwood Cemetery after his death in 1930.

“His designs set the standard for the 20th century in the outdoor goods market and are still influential today,” said Marble Arms Company President and CEO Craig Lauerman. “Among the special artifacts included in the exhibit are his safety folding axes, many models of unique hunting knives, automatic fish gaffs and the famous Game Getter gun. It’s hard to remember that it wasn’t too long ago that the simplest outdoor items were survival necessities. Webster Marble perfected and manufactured the best of them.”

The Michigan Historical Museum exhibit explores Marble’s creativity for innovation, experimenting and improving upon tools that didn’t meet his needs as an outdoorsman, and for marketing his creations across the globe. “Inventing the Outdoors” gives visitors a chance to examine their own outdoor experiences and allows children to experience life in the Michigan woods 100 years ago. The exhibit also includes interactive opportunities for visitors to get creative with activities such as building a lean-to, telling stories around a fire pit, giving shape to their ideas at a “makers” innovation table and sharing their outdoor experiences through drawing or writing.

“When Webster Marble worked as a timber cruiser, the wilds of Michigan provided mainly resources for raw materials. By the start of the last century, we began to see things differently, to manage them differently, and to promote them differently,” Clark said. “That evolution has led to the ethic of leave-no-trace camping, the wisdom of scientific game management and the marketing power of Pure Michigan. It has influenced not only how we relate to the outdoors, but how we position and promote ourselves to the world.”

“Inventing the Outdoors” opens Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Michigan Historical Museum, 702 Kalamazoo St., in downtown Lansing. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/museum.

The museum and visitor parking are on the north side of Kalamazoo Street, two blocks east of M. L. King Jr. Boulevard. Weekend parking is free. General admission fees for the Michigan Historical Museum are $6 for adults 18-64, free for children through age 5, $2 for youth ages 6-17, and $4 for seniors 65 and up. A Michigan Historical Center membership includes an annual pass, and there is no admission charge on Sundays.

The Michigan Historical Center is part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Its museum and archival programs help people discover, enjoy and find inspiration in their heritage. It includes the Michigan Historical Museum, 10 regional museums, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve, and the Archives of Michigan. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/michiganhistory. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr. 

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Senate committees adopt resolution, urge U.S. to upgrade Soo Locks

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – At a rare joint hearing of the state Senate Commerce, Transportation, and Economic Development and International Investment committees on Monday, legislators adopted Senate Resolution 105 to encourage the federal government to support plans to upgrade the Soo Locks and approve a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reprogramming request to fund an Economic Reevaluation Report for replacing the Davis and Sabin locks.

Citing the locks’ vital importance to Michigan’s, the U.S.’s and Canada’s economies, resolution sponsor Sen. Wayne Schmidt said modernizing the locks is needed now more than ever.

“A 21st century Michigan economy demands a modern Soo Locks,” said Commerce Committee Chairman Schmidt, R-Traverse City. “Despite the rapid transformation and growth of our economy, the Soo Locks have not kept up with the times. The economy, businesses and jobs all rely heavily on the Soo Locks, and we urge leaders in Washington, D.C. to act to modernize the locks to continue the positive economic momentum.”

SR 105 highlights the necessity to upgrade the locks, particularly the smallest, 100-year-old Davis and Sabin locks. Only one of the four Soo Locks is currently large enough to accommodate the modern vessels that commonly traverse the Great Lakes. Seventy percent of cargo is carried on the large ships that can only pass through the Poe Lock. The remaining cargo goes through the smaller MacArthur Lock, while the Davis and Sabin locks are rarely used.

Approximately 10,000 vessels travel through the locks annually, carrying 80 million tons of iron ore, coal, grain, and other cargo. Nearly 80 percent of domestic iron ore, the primary material used to manufacture steel, travels from mines in the Upper Peninsula and neighboring states through the Soo Locks.

“It is unacceptable that, in 2015, so much relies on so little when it comes to moving vital materials and supplies through the Great Lakes that are needed to support thousands of jobs,” said Transportation Committee Chairman Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba. “With effectively only one useable lock, we are putting serious strain on the system, and are in a vulnerable position that threatens both the economy and the security of our state and nation. The federal government must act to upgrade this integral part of our transportation system and ensure the long term health and safety of the economy.”

Legislators adopted the resolution during the joint hearing, held at the Lake Superior State University Cisler Center. Committee members also heard testimony from industry representatives, including from Lake Carriers’ Association Environmental and Regulatory Affairs Director Tom Rayburn.

“The Great Lakes Navigation System has evolved into the most economically efficient and environmentally friendly way to transport ore, stone, coal, salt and grain,” Rayburn said. “However, the Soo Locks is also the greatest weakness to the system as a potential single point of failure. The current Poe Lock is the only lock that can handle the 13-thousand-foot ships and 19 other U.S.-flag vessels that, combined, represent approximately 70 percent of the country’s capacity on the lakes. In a worst case scenario, 32 U.S.-flag ships would be trapped above and below the locks. Three-quarters of all integrated steel production would cease within two to six weeks. This would impact nearly 11 million U.S. jobs and potentially increase Michigan’s unemployment to 22.5 percent.

“A new lock will provide the secure, redundant, and reliable Soo Lock system vital to Michigan, other Great Lakes states, and the nation. Senate Resolution 105 is critical to moving the process forward.”

The Army Corps study would investigate the possibility of replacing the Davis and Sabin locks with a new, larger lock that can run alongside the Poe Lock. Estimates indicate such a project could cost at least $600 million, but with a new, modern lock in place, shipping between Lakes Huron and Michigan could carry on uninterrupted in the event one lock were to go down. Without a second large lock, presently an unscheduled outage of the Poe Lock could result in the loss of more than $5 million per day of an outage.

“The Soo Locks are a major factor to not only Michigan’s economy but also to our state’s number one trade partner, Canada, and to the rest of the world,” said Economic Development and International Investment Committee Chairman Sen. Ken Horn, R-Frankenmuth. “If Michigan wants its remarkable economic turnaround to continue, we need to increase access to both import and export opportunities, and a modernized Soo Locks is essential to achieving those goals and securing our economic future.”

SR 105 now goes before the full Senate for consideration.

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Photo Caption: Members of the Senate Commerce, Transportation, and Economic Development and International Investment committees on hear testimony on Senate Resolution 105 at a joint committee hearing at Lake Superior State University on Monday, Nov. 2. The resolution encourages the federal government to support plans to upgrade the Soo Locks.

Editor’s Note: Click the above photo for a print-quality version of the image.

Senate committees to hold joint hearing on Soo Locks at LSSU

LANSING, Mich. — The Senate Commerce, Transportation, and Economic Development and International Investment committees are set to hold a rare joint hearing on the campus of Lake Superior State University on Monday, Nov. 2.

The committees will meet to consider and take public testimony on Senate Resolution 105, which urges the federal government to upgrade the aging locks. 

Who:

State Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, Commerce Committee chairman;
State Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, Transportation Committee chairman;
State Sen. Ken Horn, R-Frankenmuth, Economic Development and International Investment Committee chairman;
Members of the committees;
John Loftus, executive director of the Wayne Port Authority;
Tom Rayburn, director of Environmental & Regulatory Affairs for Lakes Carriers Association;
Members of the public.

What:

A joint hearing of the Senate Commerce, Transportation, and Economic Development and International Investment committees. 

When:

Monday, Nov. 2 at 10:15 a.m.

Hearing Location:

The Cisler Center — Superior Room
Lake Superior State University
650 W. Easterday Ave.
Sault Ste. Marie, MI

 Streaming info:

The hearing will be live-streamed at UStream.tv/Channel/MISenate.

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Casperson invites U.P. residents to participate in committee hearing via videoconference

Sen. Tom Casperson

Sen. Tom Casperson

LANSING, Mich. — The Senate Elections and Government Reform Committee on Thursday will consider legislation designed to make state government more accountable and act more responsibly by requiring departments to repay the court costs of residents and businesses who prevail against a department in court, said Sen. Tom Casperson, sponsor of one of the bills.

Casperson said departments have been unnecessarily pushing cases between them and others into court proceedings in an effort to dissuade complainants from pursuing further action on permitting and tax issues, for example, because of the potentially high monetary costs residents would likely face in pursuing the issue in court.

Those wishing to speak on Senate Bills 189 and 190 are invited to attend in person in Lansing, and residents in the Upper Peninsula may participate via live videoconference from Escanaba.

Who:

State Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba; Sen. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc; members of the Senate Elections and Government Reform Committee; and the general public.

What:

A hearing of the Senate Elections and Government Reform Committee on SBs 189 and 190.

When:

Thursday, Oct. 15 at 9 a.m.

Hearing Location:

Room 210
Farnum Building
125 W. Allegan St.
Lansing, MI

 U.P. Videoconference Location:
Michigan Works! Board Room
2950 College Ave.
Escanaba, MI 49829

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Casperson welcomes Vietnam veterans to Capitol event

LANSING, Mich. — State Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, (far right) is pictured with, from left, state Rep. Scott Dianda; Breitung Township Supervisor Denny Olsen and his wife, Carmel; Dianda’s father, Jim Spehar; and Jim Matonich at the “Michigan Says Thanks” event honoring veterans of the Vietnam War era at the Capitol on Thursday.

The event highlighted the service of the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War and the contributions of Vietnam War era families.

For more information about the event, visit MichiganSaysThanks.com.

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***Media Advisory*** Casperson invites U.P. residents to participate in Natural Resources Committee hearing via videoconference

Sen. Tom Casperson

Sen. Tom Casperson

LANSING, Mich. — State Sen. Tom Casperson announced Monday that the Senate Natural Resources Committee hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 7 will include testimony from U.P. residents via remote videoconference.

Members of the committee will hear testimony on Senate Bill 104, which would aim to help address the problem of aquatic invasive species (AIS) such as Eurasian watermilfoil impacting inland lakes. The bill would allow local governments to pass ordinances with the option of raising local resources to help prevent and control the spread of AIS in inland waters.

Who:
State Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba; members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, and members of the public.

What:
A hearing of the Senate Natural Resources Committee on Senate Bill 104.

When:
Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 12:30 p.m. EST and 11:30 a.m. CST.

Hearing Location:
Farnum Building
Room 210
125 W. Allegan St.
Lansing, MI

U.P. Videoconference Location:
West Iron District Library
116 W. Genesee St.
Iron River, MI

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