With all the uncertainty about what will happen with the elimination of HAL, I want to share a statement made by Senator Cameron Brown on the Senate floor yesterday.  As you know, Senator Brown introduced SB 973, enrolled as the new enhanced historic preservation tax credit law.

 

 

Senate Journal posted for 2/5/09

Senator Cameron Brown's statement is as follows:

 

When students come to the Capitol to experience Michigan government, they look down from the Gallery and see this spectacle we call democracy. But when they complete their day tour with a visit to our states Historical Museum, they see the face of Michigan. The announcement in the Governors State of the State message to eliminate the Department of History, Arts, and Libraries causes one to reflect on just what this dispensable department does. Much to our surprise, it does much with little, and the staff and department personnel are among Michigans finest employees.

 

History, they say is a thing of the past, and now its departmental namesake is being given notice that it, too, is destined to be a thing of the past. How we configure the valued role of History, Arts, and Libraries in the life of state government will indeed be a discussion we will have in this Legislature and soon. The valued assets of HAL, most notably, our flagship state Historical Museum, must be reintegrated into the structures of state government with care, thought, and appreciation for the important role these assets play in the quality of life of the people of Michigan, in the preservation of our heritage, in the inquisitive fascination our children have for all things Michigan, and for the future generations who seek to learn about the past as a springboard to the future.

 

And a similar tribute must be extended to the valuable employees of the Department of History, Arts, and Libraries. How many of you have called our state library, for instance, with a request for information? The response is always superlative and exemplary customer service at its best.

 

I close with a statement of gratitude and appreciation for the administration, staff, and personnel of the Department of History, Arts, and Libraries. They themselves are a valued treasure and among Michigans greatest assets.