Bill Text: MS HR24 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: City of New Orleans, Louisiana; urge to consider Beauvoir as site for storage certain historical memorabilia and monuments.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2016-04-21 - Died In Committee [HR24 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2016-HR24-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2016 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Representative Guice
House Resolution 24
A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, AND ALL RESPECTIVE ENTITIES LOCATED THEREIN HAVING JURISDICTION AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR PRESERVING AND MAINTAINING MEMORABILIA FOR HISTORIC PURPOSES AND PUBLIC VIEWING ACCESS, WHICH HAVE EXERCISED THE DISCRETIONARY OPTION NOT TO DISPLAY THOSE ITEMS WHICH MIGHT BE PERCEIVED AS OFFENSIVE IN NATURE TO ITS CITIZENRY AND ITS COUNTLESS VISITORS, TO TRANSFER AUTHORITY OF TEMPORARY CONTROL OVER SUCH ITEMS TO THE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES OF THE CITIES OF GULFPORT AND BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI, AND BEAUVOIR - THE JEFFERSON DAVIS HOME AND LIBRARY FOR PROPER ARCHIVING AND DISPLAY.
WHEREAS, the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, and certain entities located therein, having jurisdiction and responsibility for preserving and maintaining memorabilia of historical significance and allowing reasonable public viewing access to such items, have exercised the discretionary option not to display certain items which, in a climate of progressive, social unification, might be perceived as offensive in nature to its citizenry and its countless visitors; and
WHEREAS, in an authentic attempt to aid the City of New Orleans in its effort to promote the vision and aims of advancing harmony and morale of all the city's inhabitants as well as the countless individuals who annually visit the "Crescent City," and to ensure that the integrity of items of historic significance are not compromised or improperly associated with an era of history bearing no relation to the purpose for which the items were worthy of a commemorative act, the Cities of Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi, along with the directors of Beauvoir - The Jefferson Davis Home and Library, have expressed a genuine interest and cooperative spirit to acquire temporary custody of all items indicative of the time, era and history of the Confederate State of America; and
WHEREAS, in joining the efforts of the governing authorities of the Cities of Gulfport and Biloxi, which have been compelled to consider and adopt resolutions urging the City of New Orleans to consider designating Beauvoir as the city's official location of transfer of Confederate artifacts, monuments and memorabilia that the city has no expressed intent to make available for public access, the Mississippi Legislature invokes its stake-hold interest in such material that promotes the historical integrity of Mississippi and its most revered Confederate icons, whether in the form of persons or tangible items of significance; and
WHEREAS, in assuming the responsibility for the proper preservation, maintenance, archiving and display of these items, the Legislature finds it incumbent to assist these cities in their efforts to maintain a complete and accurate accounting of the region's history as a testament to President Jefferson Finis Davis and his legacy of premiere successes and his meritorious sacrifices for the Confederate States of America; and
WHEREAS, while such transfer by the City of New Orleans to the Cities of Gulfport and Biloxi, is not to be construed a transfer of permanent ownership, but rather, shall be a transfer of authority as official archivists and guardians of any and all Confederate materials temporarily transferred; and
WHEREAS, this temporary authority or guardianship and storage shall remain effective until such time that the City of New Orleans, on its own volition, provides to the Cities of Gulfport and Biloxi written notice of its intent and timeline for placing such materials back into public access as indicated by the adoption of a resolution by the governing authority of the city to do so, or upon the issuance of an executive order by the Governor of Louisiana or the Legislature of Louisiana requiring such artifacts to be properly preserved and maintained within the state and available for public viewing without undue restraint on such access by the public; and
WHEREAS, in furtherance of the efforts of the Cities of Gulfport and Biloxi, to assume responsibilities for these pieces of American history without the financial burden of cost, the Legislature urges the City of New Orleans to bear the cost of removal, placement and upkeep of any of artifacts, monuments or memorabilia under its direct jurisdiction or under the jurisdiction of any political subdivision thereof transferred to the Cities of Gulfport and Biloxi, provided that no funding for such acquisition and transfer of such items is provided through special legislative appropriation, public or private source or from any grant issued by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History for such purposes; and
WHEREAS, Beauvoir, the home of Ex-Confederate President, Jefferson Finis Davis, who resided in Biloxi, Mississippi, in his retirement life, and which now functions as a museum and library, is an iconic bastion of historic symbol of Mississippi's confederate allegiances; and
WHEREAS, in homage to this great son of the Confederacy, the Cities of Gulfport and Biloxi now request the officials of the City of New Orleans, in which several Confederate artifacts, monuments and other memorabilia are located, to bestow upon them, the unique privilege and honor of serving as curators of any items of the Confederate era which are not currently accessible for public viewing in New Orleans or any of its political subdivisions; and
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to support the efforts of each political subdivision of this state to raise awareness of our state's historic role as a member of the Confederate States of America and every endeavor undertaken to preserve the authentic items of the era which recount the major contributions made by Mississippians by birth and those who made Mississippi their home by choice, who:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby urge the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, and all respective entities located therein, having jurisdiction and responsibility for preserving and maintaining memorabilia for historic purposes and public viewing access, which have exercised the discretionary option not to display those items which might be perceived as offensive in nature to its citizenry and its countless visitors, to transfer authority of temporary control over such to the governing authorities of the Cities of Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi, and Beauvoir - The Jefferson Davis Home and Library, for proper archiving and display.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the appropriated governing authorities of the Cities of Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi, the governing authorities of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.
