Former state Sen. Tom Casperson dies at 61

Former state Sen. Tom Casperson died Sunday after a two-year battle with lung cancer. The former Upper Peninsula lawmaker was 61.

Casperson, of Escanaba, was a conservative voice on taxes and regulation who frequently criticized state agencies for overreach in regulation of wetlands and forests. He was also a decisive "yes" vote when Michigan expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act in 2013, and who angered many Republicans when he voted against right-to-work legislation in 2012.

Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, a longtime friend, said Casperson "fought the good fight for all of us in the U.P." He "desperately wanted us to live free but still connected as a community that helps one another," McBroom said on Facebook.

McBroom recalled many hours spent in the car with Casperson "singing Elvis, whistling a tune, talking over the program I was trying to hear, yelling at the Packers and the refs," and taking "tense phone calls" with government bureaucrats.

Casperson, whose family has operated a log trucking business in Escanaba for three generations, served in the state Senate from 2011 until 2018, when he was term limited out of office. He made an unsuccessful run for Congress in 2016, but lost in the Republican primary. He served in the state House from 2003 to 2008.

More:A mom's nightmare: Her autistic son had to fight COVID-19 alone in the hospital

More:Matthew Stafford's future in flux as Detroit Lions await new direction ... again

The Michigan Senate GOP issued a statement calling Casperson "a titan of the Upper Peninsula."

His death also drew tributes from leaders in the labor movement. They respected Casperson not only because he was one of the few Republican votes against the 2012 right-to-work law, which made it illegal to require financial support of a union as a condition of employment.

Casperson "became an advocate for nurses after listening to a passionate group from the U.P.," Michigan Nurses Association government affairs director Dawn Kettinger said on Facebook. "He believed there should be a law to limit working hours for nurses — just as exists for his profession of truck drivers, for public safety — and he ended up sponsoring this legislation," which has yet to pass.

In 2013, in a sharply divided state Senate, Casperson first voted "no" on a measure pushed by then Republican Gov. Rick Snyder to expand Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of Michiganders under the Affordable Care Act. That vote left the measure one vote shy, at 20-19. But Casperson later switched his vote to "yes" after an amendment was added that limited how much hospitals could charge patients without insurance.

Casperson later said he opposed the Affordable Care Act but felt that if the federal government was going to be extracting money for it from Michiganders, the state should have control of the program and see the benefits.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who was Senate minority leader when the Healthy Michigan plan was approved, said Casperson was an unwavering public servant.

"While our politics varied, Tom proved that it was still possible to find common ground and work together to do right by the people of Michigan," she said.

Michigan Republican Party Chairperson Laura Cox said Casperson "will be remembered for his dedicated service to the Upper Peninsula, and he will stand as an example for future generations of public servants looking to better their communities.”

Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich. D-Flint, said Casperson "loved the U.P. and everyone who lives there," and "brought that passion for his community to the Legislature every single day that he served."

Dan Scripps, the chairman of the Michigan Public Service Commission, said in a tweet he would miss Casperson’s “unique perspective and Yooper authenticity.”

“He was a constant champion of the U.P., and gave voice to those too often left out of the process.” Scripps said.

Casperson is survived by his wife, Diane, and their four children.