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SIOUIX FALLS S.D. (KELO) — The Cowboy State recently introduced a bill that would build its very own Monument to America that would be similar in size and scope to Mount Rushmore.
The bill passed through the Wyoming House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources Committee in an 8 to 1 vote and now heads to the House floor.
Voter bills get mixed reaction in House committee
Wyoming House Bill 106 would create a task force to create a monument to America.
If the bill passes through the Wyoming Legislature, it will create an oversight task force which would consist of the governor or the governor’s designee, tribal liaisons appointed by the governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the president of the Senate and any living former governor, former Speaker of the House of Representatives or former president of the Senate who agrees to participate in the task force.
The tasks force duties would consist of determining possible locations for the monument, developing plans for the monument, and making recommendations for the development. If the bill passes, the task force shall dissolve June 30, 2027.
Wyoming Republican Rep. Steve Harshman, the principal sponsor, said Mount Rushmore was made to honor the nation’s 150th anniversary and he is seeking to do something similar to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. He added that several people have come forward with their ideas for the monument.
“I think we want to think differently about this maybe its not a massive sculpture on a mountain, maybe its a statue garden, or maybe someone has a different idea,” Harshman said. “I’ve had many artists contact me, sculptors saying why don’t we have 250 12 foot sculptures, one for each year of our country.”
According to the bill, people proposed for the monument shall include important historical figures from the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Harshman said the current leaders in this century need a little more time and little more history behind them to be included in a monument like this.
“We are the first government in the world to grant woman’s suffrage, maybe its Nellie Tayloe Ross on here, or maybe its Susan B. Anthony,” Harshman said. “There is a lot of history that we could talk about or think about, including Native American leaders.”
Harshman said he would like the monument to be on school trust land.
“We are tying to locate it on school trust land so it colud be a funding source for our schools. I think also perhaps on the reservation, those things are how you change economies,” Harshman said. “The idea is to generate permanent revenue for the school children.”
A Freemont County citizen, Joseph Martinez, said he had issues with the language of the bill and the construction of the project.
“I think it’s a little too vague to really define what we are going to do here,” Martinez said. “How long will it take for the task force to complete this project I’m not really sure and I don’t think the bill does a good job explaining how long and how much money this will take.”
The committee also amended the bill to say they would discuss ideas for the monument of America softening the bill where the committee would discuss ideas and have several proposals for both the location and the the overall project. It also removed the part of the bill that states the monument to America shall be similar in size and scope to the Mount Rushmore, which representatives said would free up the task force to make something entirely unique if it wishes.
The committee also amended the bill to make it so the task force consists of no more than 20 people.
Co-Sponsor of the bill, Rep. Andrew Byron, said there will be plenty of work to do regarding the monument.
“We are in uncharted territory, the seas are rough and the slopes are steep and we don’t know what’s going to happen, but I think part of our job on this committee is to support this industry in Wyoming and I think this bill goes in that direction,” Byron said.
Yes Votes-(8) Andrew Byron, Elissa Campbell, Marilyn Connolly, Steve Harshman, Julie Jarvis, Karlee Provenza, Liz Storer, Pam Thayer
No Votes-(1) Robert Wharff
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