11-R084
2011 -- H 5141
Enacted 02/24/11
J O I N T R E S
O L U T I O N
CREATING A
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO BE KNOWN AS "THE
Introduced By: Representatives JP O`Neill, Ucci, Flaherty, Mattiello, and Lally
Date Introduced: January 25, 2011
WHEREAS, The American
Civil War was a defining experience in the development of
the
WHEREAS, The people of the
civil rights, heritage, and the politics of federalism,
which are legacies of the Civil War and
Reconstruction; and
WHEREAS, There is a
resurgence of interest in the Civil War that is evidenced by the
multitude of publications, exhibits, reenactments, research
organizations, Internet and multimedia
resources, historic parks, and preservation associations
focused on the Civil War; and
WHEREAS,
other northern state; and
WHEREAS,
political, and military support; and
WHEREAS, The years 2010 through 2015 mark the sesquicentennial of the
period,
beginning with the election of Abraham Lincoln and concluding
with the end of the Civil War;
and
WHEREAS, Notable
milestones during this period include the following:
On November 6, 1860,
Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United
States;
On December 20, 1860, in
a special convention, the South Carolina Legislature
voted to secede from the Union following the election of
months of the following year,
and
In April, 1861,
Confederate forces fired on
the Civil War. In response, President Lincoln
ordered the blockade of all
Confederate ports and called for 75,000 volunteers to
enlist in the Union Army.
Four more Southern States, Virginia,
seceded in the months following the attack on
The Civil War spawned
numerous campaigns, battles, and engagements,
including
Shiloh, the Capture of
Pines, Seven Days, Antietam,
Siege of
On January 1, 1863,
President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation,
freeing all slaves in states or parts of states considered to
be in rebellion against
the Federal Government;
On June 28, 1864,
President Lincoln repealed all fugitive slave laws;
On January 31, 1865, the
United States Congress, with the vigorous support of
Abraham Lincoln, passed the 13th Amendment to the
Constitution, abolishing
slavery and involuntary servitude;
On April 9, 1865,
Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered at
Courthouse;
On April 14, 1865,
President Lincoln was shot by Confederate sympathizer John
Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre,
and died the next day;
In April and May 1865,
Confederate Generals Joseph Johnson and E. Kirby
Smith, leaders of the remaining organized Confederate
Forces, surrendered,
formally ending the Southern Resistance; and
By the end of the Civil
War, an estimated 620,000
soldiers had been killed and over 471,000 wounded, making the
Civil War the
bloodiest war in the history of our Nation; and
WHEREAS, The sesquicentennial of the Civil War presents a significant
opportunity for
Rhode Islanders and all Americans to recall and
reflect upon all aspects of that conflict and its
legacy in a spirit of reconciliation and honest reflection,
through exploration, interpretation, and
discussion; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED,
That a special legislative commission to be known as
“The Rhode Island
Civil War Sesquicentennial
Commemoration Commission” be and the same is hereby
created
consisting of twenty-seven (27) members: two (2) of whom shall be
members of the Senate, not
more than one from the same political party, to be
appointed by the President of the Senate; two
(2) of
whom shall be members of the House of Representatives, not more than one from
the same
political party, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House;
one of whom shall be the Adjutant
General of the State of
Rhode Island Civil War
Roundtable, or designee; one of whom shall be the Chair of the
Forum, or designee; one of
whom shall be the Commanding General of the
Brigade, or designee; one
of whom shall be the Rhode Island State Archivist, or designee; one of
whom shall be a member from the Rhode Island State Council
on the Humanities, to be appointed
by its Executive Director; one of whom shall be a member
from the Rhode Island Economic
Development Corporation, to
be appointed by its Executive Director; one of whom shall be a
member from the Rhode Island Historical Society, to be
appointed by its Executive Director; one
of whom shall be a member from the Historical
Preservation and Heritage Commission, to be
appointed by its Executive Director; one of whom shall be a
member from the
Council on the Arts, to be
appointed by its Executive Director; one of whom shall be a member
from the Lincoln Group of
shall be a member of the Rhode Island Board of Regents for
Elementary and Secondary
Education, to be appointed
by the Chairperson of the Board; one of whom shall be a member of
the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education,
to be appointed by the Chairperson
of the Board; one of whom shall be the curator of the McLellan Lincoln Collection at The John
Hay Library of Special
Collections at
curator of the Anne S. K. Brown and Military Collections at
of whom shall be the Director of Hearthside House,
located in the Town of
one of whom shall be the Rhode Island Commander, Military
Order of the Loyal Legion, or
designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Providence
Chapter of the N.A.A.C.P., or
designee; one of whom shall be the President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Urban League of
demonstrated interest in history and substantial knowledge and
appreciation of the Civil War, to
be appointed by the
Governor.
In
lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory
commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission
created by a General Assembly
resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the
general public to serve in lieu
of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or
the minority leader of the political party which
is entitled to the appointment consents to the
appointment of the member of the general public.
The
purpose of said Commission shall be to make a comprehensive study in order to:
Ensure
a suitable observance in the State of
of the Civil War that includes recognition of the
historic, social, legal, cultural,
and political forces that caused the American Civil War
and influenced its course
and outcomes;
Collaborate
with and assist other state and national organizations with programs
and activities for the observance of the sesquicentennial
of the Civil War in the
State of
Observe
and study
contribution of its soldiers, sailors, and citizens;
Assist
in ensuring that any observance of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War is
inclusive and appropriately recognizes the experiences and
points of view of all
people affected by the Civil War; and
Provide
assistance for the development of programs, projects, and activities on
the Civil War that have lasting educational value within
the State of
Island.
The
duties of said Commission shall be to:
Plan,
develop, and carry out programs and activities appropriate to commemorate
the sesquicentennial of the Civil War and
contributions therein, including activities in recognition of the
historic, social,
legal, cultural, and political forces that caused the
American Civil War and
influenced its course and outcomes;
Encourage
interdisciplinary examination of the Civil War;
Facilitate
Civil War-related activities throughout the State of
Encourage
civic, historical, educational, economic, and other organizations
throughout the State of
expand the understanding and appreciation of the
significance of the Civil War;
Coordinate
and facilitate the public distribution of scholarly research,
publications, and interpretations of the Civil War;
Provide
assistance to localities, and nonprofit organizations to further the
commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War;
Develop
programs and facilities to ensure that the sesquicentennial
commemoration of the Civil War results in a positive legacy and
long-term
public benefit; and
Encourage
the development and conduct of programs and activities that
commemorate the Civil War and
therein.
Appointments
to the Commission shall be made within sixty (60) days of the passage of
this resolution. The members of the Commission shall
meet no later than sixty (60) days after the
completion of all appointments to the Commission, and shall
select a Chairperson and a Vice
Chairperson
from among its voting members.
Subsequent meetings of the Commission shall be
at the call of the Commission’s Chairperson.
A
majority of members shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold
meetings. The commission shall act only on an affirmative
vote of a majority of the voting
members of the Commission.
Vacancies
in said Commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.
The
membership of said Commission shall receive no compensation for their services.
All
departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and
information,
documentary and otherwise, to said Commission and its agents as
is deemed necessary or
desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this
resolution.
The
Commission may, for the purpose of carrying out its duties:
Accept
and use gifts of money, property, and services, and may accept and use
voluntary services;
Appoint
any advisory committee as the Commission considers appropriate;
Authorize
any voting member or employee of the Commission to take any action
that the Commission is authorized to take under duties and
purpose of the
commission;
Procure
supplies, services, and property, and make or enter into contracts, leases,
or other legal documents to carry out its duties and
purpose (except that any
contracts, leases, or other legal agreements entered into by
the Commission shall
not extend beyond the date of the Commission’s
expiration;
To
perform any and all other activities in connection with the educational,
charitable and scientific purposes of the Commission within the
meaning of
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and
to
work in conjunction with other 501(c)(3) and non-profit
organizations with a
similar mission.
The
Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to
provide
suitable quarters in the State House for said Commission; and
be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Commission shall prepare a strategic plan and
shall submit annual
performance plans for the activities of the commission to the
General Assembly. In addition to
performance plans, said reports shall contain a list of each
gift, bequest, or devise with a value of
more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250), together with
the identity of the donor of each such
gift, bequest, or devise; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the Commission shall issue a final report that
contains a summary of
activities of the Commission, a final accounting of funds
received and expended by the
Commission, and the
findings and recommendations of the Commission to the General Assembly
not later than January 5, 2016, and said Commission shall
expire on March 5, 2016.
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LC00267
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