Iowa 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Iowa House Bill HJR8 Introduced / Bill

Filed 02/25/2025

                    House Joint Resolution 8 - Introduced   HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 8   BY BAGNIEWSKI , CROKEN ,   KRESSIG , AMOS JR. , WILSON ,   KURTH , BROWN-POWERS ,   WILBURN , B. MEYER , KONFRST ,   R. JOHNSON , JUDGE , and   OLSON   HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION   A Joint Resolution relating to the placement of a statue in the 1   United States capitol honoring Governor Robert D. Ray, and 2   making appropriations. 3   WHEREAS, each state may provide two statues of notable 4   citizens for display in the United States capitol, and may 5   replace the statues if a resolution to do so is approved by a 6   states legislature and governor; and 7   WHEREAS, Governor Robert Dolph Ray was born September 8   26, 1928, in Des Moines, grew up in the heart of the Drake 9   neighborhood, and attended Roosevelt high school; and 10   WHEREAS, Governor Ray spent two years in Japan as a member 11   of the United States army during World War II and earned a 12   bachelors degree on the G.I. Bill and then a law degree from 13   Drake university; and 14   WHEREAS, Governor Ray was elected as the thirty-eighth 15   governor of Iowa and served with bipartisan support for 16   fourteen years; and 17   WHEREAS, Governor Ray was a trailblazer on multiple fronts, 18   from establishing the commission on the status of women and the 19   Iowa department of transportation to eliminating the sales tax 20   on groceries and prescription drugs; and 21   WHEREAS, the Iowa burials protection Act of 1976, championed 22   by Governor Ray, was the first state statute that protected 23   American Indian remains and was a predecessor to the federal 24   Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act; and 25   WHEREAS, Governor Ray set a high-water mark for the 26   TLSB 2468YH (5) 91   ss/ns  

  House Joint Resolution 8 - Introduced   generosity of states in creating Iowas refugee resettlement 27   program which welcomed thousands of Southeast Asian refugees 28   after the end of the Vietnam Conflict; and 29   WHEREAS, Governor Rays commitment to public service 30   continued in his roles as interim mayor of Des Moines in 1997 31   and as president of Drake university in 1998; and 32   WHEREAS, Governor Rays commitment to civility and moral 33   leadership led to the creation of the institute for character 34   development at Drake universitys Robert D. and Billie Ray 35   Center; NOW THEREFORE, 36   BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 37   TLSB 2468YH (5) 91   ss/ns  

  H.J.R. 8   Section 1. REPLACEMENT AUTHORIZATION. The state of Iowa 1   authorizes the replacement of the statue of Samuel J. Kirkwood 2   with a statue honoring Governor Robert D. Ray. 3   Sec. 2. COMMITTEE CREATED. A committee of seven is created, 4   to be appointed by the governor and to serve at the pleasure 5   of the governor, to exchange the statue of Samuel J. Kirkwood 6   currently on display in the United States capitol with a statue 7   of Governor Ray. 8   1. The committee shall select its own chairperson and 9   establish its rules of procedure. The committee shall meet as 10   may be deemed necessary by the chairperson. A majority of the 11   members of the committee shall constitute a quorum. 12   2. Members shall serve without compensation or 13   reimbursement for actual expenses. 14   3. The committee shall raise all of the moneys necessary for 15   the operation of the committee; and shall solicit donations to 16   exchange the statue, commission the creation of a new statue, 17   transport the replaced statue to the Iowa capitol building, and 18   make all arrangements with the architect of the United States 19   capitol necessary for the new statue to be put into place. 20   Sec. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. The Iowa economic 21   development authority shall provide all necessary 22   administrative support for the committee and shall administer 23   the capitol statuary fund created in this resolution. 24   Sec. 4. CAPITOL STATUARY FUND. A capitol statuary fund 25   is created in the state treasury, to be administered by the 26   Iowa economic development authority. Moneys in the fund are 27   appropriated to the authority for the purposes specified in 28   section 2 of this resolution. Any moneys remaining after 29   the exchange of statues shall be used to suitably restore 30   and relocate the Kirkwood statue. The authority may accept 31   gifts, grants, bequests, and other moneys, including but not 32   limited to state or federal moneys and in-kind contributions 33   for deposit in the fund. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, 34   interest or earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited 35   -1-   LSB 2468YH (5) 91   ss/ns 1/ 2  

  H.J.R. 8   to the fund. Notwithstanding section 8.33, any unexpended or 1   unencumbered moneys remaining in the fund shall not revert but 2   shall remain available for expenditure by the authority in 3   succeeding fiscal years for the purposes specified in section 2 4   of this resolution. 5   Sec. 5. DISPLAY OF REPLACED STATUE. The department of 6   administrative services shall provide for a perpetual display 7   of the replaced statue at a suitable location within the Iowa 8   capitol building. 9   EXPLANATION 10   The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 11   the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 12   This joint resolution relates to the display of a statue of 13   former governor Robert D. Ray in the United States capitol. 14   The joint resolution requests that the statue of Samuel J. 15   Kirkwood currently on display in the United States capitol be 16   replaced with a statue of former governor Robert D. Ray. The 17   joint resolution creates a seven-member committee, appointed by 18   the governor, to raise, through donations, all moneys necessary 19   to make this exchange. Administrative support for the 20   committee shall be provided by the Iowa economic development 21   authority. 22   The joint resolution creates a capitol statuary fund in the 23   state treasury, administered by the Iowa economic development 24   authority. The fund will be used to finance committee 25   operations, the exchange of the statuary, and the relocation 26   of the Kirkwood statue. The joint resolution requires the 27   department of administrative services to provide for the 28   perpetual display of the Kirkwood statue at a suitable location 29   within the Iowa capitol building. 30   -2-   LSB 2468YH (5) 91   ss/ns 2/ 2