House OK's renaming part of Lodge the 'Aretha Franklin Highway'
Beth LeBlanc
A section of M-10 in Detroit is one step closer to being named after the Queen of Soul.
The Michigan House voted 101-6 on Tuesday to rename a section of M-10 between Livernois Avenue and Interstate 94 as the “Aretha L. Franklin Memorial Highway.”
The bill introduced by Rep. Leslie Love of Detroit comes after Franklin, a Memphis native who moved to Detroit in 1944 at the age of 2, died in August at the age of 76.
"She gave us all a soundtrack to our life, whether you were falling in love or falling out love," Love said in floor remarks.
Rep. Shane Hernandez, R-Port Huron, was one of the six who voted against the measure because he argues the honor should be reserved for first responders and military veterans.
"People who did a service to our state and our nation, we can give them that honor and recognition," Hernandez said.
The renaming “would be an appropriate way to honor a music and cultural icon who selflessly gave of her time, her vocal and pianistic talents, and her energy and resources to the citizens of Detroit, the state of Michigan, and the United States of America,” the bill said.
The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
The bill was supported by representatives of the Franklin family and Franklin’s sorority Delta Sigma Theta.
eleblanc@detroitnews.com
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