Osmer

Up North Got the Ice – But It’s Lansing Who Froze In early 2025, northern Michigan endured what many believed, at the time, was a once-in-a-lifetime ice storm.

The damage was staggering. Trees snapped like toothpicks. Power lines crisscrossed roadways. Entire communities sat in the dark for days. Families relied on generators, warming shelters, and the kindness of neighbors just to make it through.

In fact, if there was one bright spot, it was the people.

Volunteers showed up. Local businesses donated supplies. First responders worked around the clock. Utility crews, county road commissions, nonprofits, churches, and ordinary citizens reminded us what community truly looks like. When Mother Nature knocked us down, northern Michigan picked itself back up.

Once the immediate crisis had passed, local leaders came together with a simple question: How do we make sure we’re better prepared next time?

Here at home, those discussions began and continue to occur regularly. And in Lansing, Representative Parker Fairbairn stepped up, introducing legislation that would help counties recover their costs while investing in projects to lessen the impact of future disasters. It wasn’t a partisan proposal – it was practical. It recognized that disasters don’t care whether a county votes red or blue. The results in the House was reflective of that fact, passing the important bill with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Then it reached the Senate, where it all but disappeared entirely. No meaningful movement, no sense of urgency, no explanation. Despite the destruction northern Michigan experienced, despite the promises that often accompany disaster visits, the legislation was left to collect dust.

That silence was disappointing–but it wasn’t entirely surprising.

Many of us already felt overlooked. During the countywide emergency, Governor Gretchen Whitmer visited our region, yet county officials were excluded from those visits. Whether intentional or not, it reinforced the perception that northern Michigan wasn’t being treated as a full partner in its own recovery.

A year later, before we had fully recovered, another major ice storm struck our area.

Hopefully, these ice storms are only a twice-in-a-lifetime event, and we won’t see another for decades to come. I’m not sure our communities–or our budgets–could withstand making this an annual tradition.

To be clear, this opinion piece isn’t a criticism of every elected official in Lansing.

Representatives Cam Cavitt, Ken Borton, John Roth, Senator Michele Hoitenga, and many members of our northern Michigan legislative delegation have continued pressing for these relief dollars. They have advocated for our communities, just as they have supported relief efforts when disasters and hardship struck other parts of Michigan. They understood something that should never be controversial: when fellow Michiganders are hurting, you help them – no matter where in the mitten or U.P. they might be located. In fact, just recently, our state government passed a resolution declaring a state of energy emergency in eight southern Michigan counties passing a resolution so they could save 10-20 cents per gallon at the pump. I read this news shaking my head in disbelief, frustrated that the same sense of urgency hasn’t been extended to us.

Disaster relief shouldn’t depend on geography. It shouldn’t depend on politics. It shouldn’t depend on whether your community happens to sit closer to Lansing.

When floods hit, when tornadoes land, when infrastructure fails – our leaders, like the people they represent, should help. Because that’s what being one state means. All we ask is that the same commitment be shown when disaster strikes here.

The reality is that we’ve learned an important lesson. We cannot assume Lansing will prioritize our recovery and future preparedness, simply because the need is obvious. And so, we’ll continue preparing; We’ll continue investing in ourselves; We’ll continue relying on the people who have always been there–our neighbors. Because if these storms taught us anything, it’s that our greatest strength isn’t found in the Capitol, it’s found in our communities.

We’ll continue to rebuild. We’ll continue to adapt. We’ll continue to move forward. We always do – but we’ll also remember. We’ll remember who stood with us. We’ll remember who fought for us. And we’ll remember who allowed our recovery to become an afterthought. As the saying goes – “the North remembers”.

Jesse Osmer is a never-you-mind old political junkie who loves old movies, states’ rights, and well-made cocktails. He has worked as Political Director to former US Representative Dan Benishek MD, Legislative Director to former State Representative Sue Allor, and has served on both Alpena City Council and the Alpena County Board of Commissioners.