UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS HJR 49/GA
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HJR004910.100 - 1288 - XXXX 3/7/2023 6:54 PM GA
A JOINT RESOLUTION directing the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet to 1
develop a Kentucky Women's History Trail. 2
WHEREAS, throughout Kentucky's history, women have made renowned 3
contributions to the growth and strength of Kentucky; and 4
WHEREAS, many generations of women have helped advance the state through 5
economic, cultural, and social adversity, such as Laura Clay, a native of Richmond, 6
Kentucky, who was the co-founder and first president of the Kentucky Equal Rights 7
Association and a leader in the American women's suffrage movement; and Mary Todd 8
Lincoln, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, who stood courageously by her husband, 9
President Abraham Lincoln, while they led our nation through some of the deadliest and 10
darkest days of its history in the Civil War; and 11
WHEREAS, the women of Kentucky have consistently broken glass ceilings and 12
blazed a trail for future women in historically male-dominated fields such as aviation, 13
music, and literature; and 14
WHEREAS, the list of remarkably talented Kentucky women is extensive and 15
includes Willa Brown, a native of Glasgow, Kentucky, who became the first African 16
American woman in the United States to earn a pilot's license and ultimately became the 17
first African American officer in the Civil Air Patrol, the first American woman to hold 18
both a mechanic's license and commercial pilot's license, and the first African American 19
woman to run for the United States Congress; Bobbie Ann Mason, a native of Mayfield, 20
Kentucky, who is a novelist, short story writer, essayist, and literary critic. In 1985, she 21
published her first novel, In Country, which was made into a feature film. Her memoir 22
was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; and the coal miner's daughter, Loretta Lynn, who was 23
born into poverty in Butcher Hollow, Johnson County, Kentucky, married and left home 24
at 15 years old, and ultimately became one of the most beloved country music legends of 25
all time. These great women paved the way and made it possible for future generations of 26
women to follow in their footsteps; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS HJR 49/GA
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HJR004910.100 - 1288 - XXXX 3/7/2023 6:54 PM GA
WHEREAS, women continue to be leaders of social change, business, government, 1
and more; and 2
WHEREAS, the sacrifices these and many other women have made have created a 3
more fair and just society for everyone; 4
NOW, THEREFORE, 5
Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 6
Section 1. The Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet, after consultation with the 7
Transportation Cabinet and all other relevant state and local agencies, shall develop the 8
Kentucky Women's History Trail, which shall encompass all geographic areas of 9
Kentucky and be designated by historical markers. The cabinet shall develop: 10
(1) Criteria for an application process for nominations of accomplished Kentucky 11
women to be honored along the trail; and 12
(2) A system of placing historical markers designating the areas in which each 13
honoree will be recognized. 14
Section 2. The Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet shall appropriate needed 15
funds for this project in the 2025-2026 biennial budget, subject to the approval of the 16
General Assembly. 17
Section 3. The Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet shall report strategies for 18
the implementation of this trail to the Interim Joint Committee on Tourism, Small 19
Business, and Information Technology by November 1, 2023. 20