SERGEANT KRISTOPHER J. GOULD MEMORIAL BRIDGE
House Bill 4475 as referred to second committee
Sponsor: Rep. Brian Elder
1st Committee: Transportation
2nd Committee: Ways and Means
Complete to 2-19-20
SUMMARY:
House Bill 4475 would amend the Michigan Memorial Highway Act to designate the bridge on M-13 over Cheboyganing Creek in Bay County as the “Sergeant Kristopher J. Gould Memorial Bridge.”
Proposed MCL 250.2090
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
According to committee testimony, the Fallen Military Times, and news reports, Sergeant Kristopher J. Gould was born in Saginaw on February 12, 1986, to James and Ann Gould. He was an athlete who enjoyed participating in football, baseball, and wrestling while at Valley Lutheran High School. Kristopher was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church and served with its usher group, youth group, and Boar’s Head Festival. He joined the Army National Guard in 2003, graduating from Valley Lutheran High School in 2004. After a year of military training in California, Kristopher was released to join the army full-time in 2007.
Sergeant Gould was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Knox, Kentucky. He was first deployed to Iraq with the Michigan National Guard while still at Valley Lutheran High School. According to a 2009 release from the U.S. Department of Defense, Sergeant Gould’s unit would perform traffic control point (TCP) operations to reduce the number of bombs placed in southern Afghanistan. Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment performed about a dozen snap TCP missions a month.
In January 2011, Sergeant Gould was deployed a second time to Afghanistan. On February 27, in Ghanzi province, insurgents attacked his unit using an improvised explosive device. Sergeant Gould died as a result of injuries sustained from the attack. He was 25 years old.
Designating the bridge on M-13 over Cheboyganing Creek in Bay County would be an appropriate way to honor his life and his sacrifice in service to his community, the state of Michigan, and his country.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Section 2 of the Michigan Memorial Highway Act indicates that the state transportation department shall provide for the erection of suitable markers indicating the name of the highway only “when sufficient private contributions are received to completely cover the cost of erecting and maintaining those markers.” As a result, the bill has no state or local fiscal impact
POSITION:
The Department of Transportation indicated a neutral position on the bill. (2-18-20)
Fiscal Analyst: William E. Hamilton
■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.