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1999 SESSION


SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 477
Requesting the State Song Subcommittee of the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to continue its consideration of an appropriate song or group of songs to recommend for official state song designation.

Agreed to by the Senate, February 4, 1999
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 25, 1999

WHEREAS, the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations was requested by the 1998 Session of the General Assembly to establish a State Song Subcommittee to make recommendations about a new official state song and about the advisability of creating a commission to make recommendations about all official designations of the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, at its regular meeting on May 18, 1998, established a State Song Subcommittee, which held its organizational meeting on June 25, 1998, and subsequently met again on July 28, October 20, and December 7, 1998; and

WHEREAS, on July 8, 1998, the State Song Subcommittee announced a contest, entitled “The 1998 State Song Competition,” to serve as a means of identifying an appropriate song or group of songs to recommend for official state song designation; and

WHEREAS, by the contest deadline on August 31, 1998, the public’s enthusiastic response to the contest had resulted in 339 official entries, a much greater number than had been expected, each with an entry form, audio tape, and lyrics sheet; and

WHEREAS, the enormity of the effort involved in the general administration of the contest, in responding to members of the public and the press, and in reproducing the 339 tapes and lyrics sheets for distribution to the judges consumed far more staff time than had been anticipated, and the work involved in listening to and judging more than 17 hours of music required considerably more time on the part of subcommittee members than had been originally planned; and

WHEREAS, at its December 7, 1998, meeting, the State Song Subcommittee released the names of approximately 50 semifinalist winners in The 1998 State Song Competition but determined that it could not reasonably select a single song or group of songs in time to make a recommendation to the 1999 Session of the General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, the members of the subcommittee at the December 7, 1998, meeting also agreed to engage the full Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations in an ongoing discussion of the question of whether to establish a commission to make recommendations about all other official designations; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations State Song Subcommittee be requested to continue its consideration of an appropriate song or group of songs to recommend for official state song designation. The subcommittee shall also continue its consideration of the advisability of establishing a commission to make recommendations about all other official designations. Any funds expended in support of the subcommittee’s work shall be reimbursed with nongeneral funds raised from private donations.

The State Song Subcommittee of the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2000 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.