SB 265

The general laws of the state authorize the Alabama Historical Commission to provide for the placement and acquisition of historical monuments and statues, and allow the Division of Construction Management of the Department of Finance to acquire lands and plan for the improvement of buildings and structures in the name of the State of Alabama

This bill would require the Alabama Historical Commission and the Division of Construction Management of the Department of Finance to commission monuments for Rosa Parks and Helen Keller, which shall be located on the Capitol grounds

This bill would provide that public and private funds, including in-kind services, may be used to commission monuments for Rosa Parks and Helen Keller

Relating to the Alabama Historical commission and the division of Construction Management of the Department of Finance; to require the commission and division to commission monuments for Rosa Parks and Helen Keller, which shall be located on the Capitol grounds; and to provide that public and private funds, including in-kind services, may be used to commission the monuments for Rosa Parks and Helen Keller.

Section 1

The Legislature does hereby find as follows as to Rosa Parks: (1) On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus; and (2) This bold act led to the Montgomery bus boycott, a major event in the United States' Civil Rights struggle; and (3) Rosa Parks spent all of her life advocating for Civil Rights for African-Americans; and (4) Following the death of Rosa Parks, her body lay in honor in the rotunda of the United States Capitol, making her the first woman given such honor, the second African-American, and the first American who was not a government official; and (5) A statue of Rosa Parks was placed in the National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol by special action of the U.S. Congress; and (6) The Legislature does hereby find that a commemorative statue to honor Rosa Parks would be a worthy addition to the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol, and it supports the inclusion of such a statue in a place of prominence on the West front of the Capitol facing Bainbridge Street that will convey to future generations the importance of Rosa Parks to the State of Alabama, the United States, and the world.

Section 2

The Legislature does hereby find as follows as to Helen Keller: (1) Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia and, at age nineteen months, contracted an illness which left her deaf and blind; and (2) How Helen Keller learned to communicate is a quintessential story of overcoming adversity and is inspirational to many people in Alabama, the United States, and the world; and (3) A statue of Helen Keller is in the National Statuary Hall Collection as one of two statues representing Alabama since 2009, making hers one of only nine statues in the Collection representing women; and (4) The Legislature does hereby find that a commemorative statue to honor Helen Keller would be a worthy addition to the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol, and it supports the inclusion of such a statue in a place where it will be readily accessible to, and touchable by, disabled persons.

Section 3

(a) The Alabama Historical Commission and the Division of Construction Management of the Department of Finance shall commission monuments in dedication to, and in recognition of, Rosa Parks and Helen Keller. The statue of Rosa Parks shall be placed on the West front of the Capitol facing Bainbridge Street. The statue of Helen Keller shall be placed on the grounds of the Capitol in a place where it will be readily accessible to, and touchable by, disabled persons. (b) The commission and division shall solicit input from the public and other interested parties to develop the plan for the placement of, and proposed designs for, the monuments. (c) Public and private funds, including in-kind services, may be used to commission the monuments for Rosa Parks and Helen Keller.

Section 4

This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.