SF 3601

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 05/03/2016 08:56am

A resolution
memorializing the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress and the Architect
of the Capitol to commemorate Prince with a statue representing Minnesota at the
National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol.

WHEREAS, in 1864, the United States Congress authorized the creation of the National
Statuary Hall Collection to allow each state to provide two statues of notable citizens for display
in the United States Capitol; and

WHEREAS, the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress has oversight of the collection
and under the committee's direction, the Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the reception,
placement, and care of the statues; and

WHEREAS, according to legislation enacted in 2000, "any State may request the Joint
Committee on the Library of Congress to approve the replacement of a statue the State has
provided for display in Statuary Hall" under two conditions: (1) the request has been approved
by a resolution adopted by the legislature of the State and the request has been approved by the
Governor of the State; and (2) the statue to be replaced has been displayed in the Capitol of
the United States for at least ten years as of the time the request is made, except that the Joint
Committee may waive this requirement for cause at the request of a State; and

WHEREAS, one of the statues currently on display in the National Statuary Hall Collection
provided by Minnesota in 1916 is of Henry Mower Rice, Minnesota's territorial delegate to the
United States Congress and one of the state's first senators; and

WHEREAS, he can be best memorialized by locating his statue in a place of honor in the
Minnesota State Capitol where citizens and visitors can enjoy it and be reminded of his significant
historical impact on our state; and

WHEREAS, while Presidents, generals, and other political and civic figures make up
a large contingent of the statues representing the various states, the National Statuary Hall
also includes entertainers such as Will Rogers, whose statue represents Oklahoma along with
Sequoyah of the Cherokee Nation; and

WHEREAS, Prince Rogers Nelson, also known to the world simply as Prince, was born
in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and went on to become an iconic international popular music
superstar; and

WHEREAS, a teen prodigy with remarkable multi-instrumental skills, Prince played all of
the instruments on his debut album, "For You," released in 1978 when he was just 19 years of
age; his songwriting and production skills grew exponentially on subsequent recordings, and he
developed a reputation as an electrifying, unpredictable live performer; and

WHEREAS, Prince's 1982 double album "1999" was his commercial breakthrough,
spawning three top 20 hits, "Little Red Corvette," "Delirious," and the infectious title
track; the follow-up, 1984's "Purple Rain," which also served as the soundtrack for the hit
semi-autobiographical film of the same name starring Prince, was a worldwide smash, to date
selling over 22 million copies; and

WHEREAS, along with his band, The Revolution, Prince continued to release a string
of hit records, including "Raspberry Beret" and "Kiss," and as a songwriter, Prince enjoyed
additional success as other artists scored major hits with several of his compositions, such as
Sinead O'Connor's searing version of "Nothing Compares 2 U"; he debuted a new band, the New
Power Generation, and continued to top the charts with number one hits such as "Cream" from
1991's "Diamonds and Pearls"; and

WHEREAS, Prince embraced his Minnesota roots, making his home at Paisley Park in
Chanhassen, which served as his recording studio, sound stage, and residence; there, Prince
invited fans to late-night jam sessions, collaborated with and recorded a wide variety of artists,
and mentored new musical talents with his seemingly limitless writing, production, and
performance skills; and

WHEREAS, Prince was the rare artist who achieved multiplatinum sales while garnering
accolades from music critics, who view him as one of the most influential and essential artists of
the modern era; he sold over 100 million records worldwide, won seven Grammy awards and an
Academy Award, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year
in which he was eligible; on April 21, 2016, the Twin Cities and the world were shocked and
saddened to hear of his passing at Paisley Park; and

WHEREAS, upon learning the tragic news, thousands of Prince's devoted fans from near and
far gathered and celebrated his life and his music at Paisley Park and at First Avenue, the nightclub
in downtown Minneapolis he helped make famous, and the I-35W and Lowry bridges were lit
purple in honor of the enormous impact of this incredibly talented native son of Minnesota; and

WHEREAS, the people of Minnesota wish to place a statue of Prince in Statuary Hall in the
United States Capitol; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges the Joint
Committee on the Library of Congress and the Architect of the Capitol to commemorate Prince
with a statue representing Minnesota at the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Coordinating Commission shall select a
commission to represent the state in selecting the sculptor or sculptors to sculpt the statue and
obtain the funds necessary to carry out this resolution through private donations.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is
directed to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the President of the United
States, the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk
of the United States House of Representatives, Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in
Congress, and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress.