MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Michel, Gollott, Smith, Burton, Frazier, Scoper

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING SENATOR THAD COCHRAN UPON HIS RECEIPT OF THE 2000 ARTS LEADERSHIP AWARD OF THE GOVERNOR'S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE ARTS.

WHEREAS, Senator Cochran has been named as the recipient of the 2000 Arts Leadership Award of the Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts; and

WHEREAS, on June 28, 1999, The Honorable Thad Cochran, United States Senator, long-time champion of the arts, introduced a bill, which, if enacted, will change the state of the arts in education throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, this bill, the Congressional Recognition for Excellence in Arts Education Act (CREATE), will reward those school districts that include the arts in their regular curriculum; and

WHEREAS, in this bill, Senator Cochran proposes the establishment of a board to oversee the administration of awards to schools, both public and private that implement an arts education program in their regular curriculum; and

WHEREAS, in addition to this significant bill, Senator Cochran further supported the arts by submitting a resolution designating March 2000 as "Arts Education Month"; and

WHEREAS, Senator Cochran is a senior member of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which directly oversees funding for arts programs; and

WHEREAS, as a volunteer, Senator Cochran serves as a Regent for the Smithsonian Institution, and consistently rallies support for the National Endowment of the Arts, the National Endowment of the Humanities, and other major cultural agencies of the nation; and

WHEREAS, Senator Cochran recognizes that support of the arts is vital to strengthening our nation's social and economic well-being, and he has fought for many years to ensure that the arts are accessible to all citizens of Mississippi, including the most rural areas of the state:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we hereby commend Senator Thad Cochran for his vision and forethought in the introduction of CREATE, and we congratulate him upon being named the recipient of the 2000 Arts Leadership Award of the Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to Senator Thad Cochran and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.