The Arizona Senate approved SB1200 this morning by a vote of 25-3 and transmitted it to the Governor. The bill transfers the former mining and mineral museum from the Arizona Historical Society to AZGS to be re-opened as the "Mining, Mineral, and Natural Resources Education Museum." It was closed in 2011 to be converted to the Arizona Experience centennial museum but the private funds were not forthcoming to finance it. [Photo credit, http://www.miningmineralmuseum.com/] The museum was formerly operated by the Arizona Dept. of Mines & Mineral Resources, which merged with AZGS in 2011.
The legislation also transfers the budget for the rent and a curator from AHS to AZGS. AZGS will be responsible for finding additional funds for developing exhibits and education programs, setting up a gift shop to fund operations, hiring staff, and operations costs.
Details on SB1200 and the four year closure of the mineral museum are available on the blog Mineral Museum Madness.
ReplyDeleteThat's great, Lee. Now you will have to hire someone to wash windows and mop floors. And the bathrooms, of course. Do you know what you are getting into?
ReplyDeleteSeriously, however, I thought it was quite creepy that AHS had been using their resources to petition the vote going their way. Such as using totally fantastic arguments: "The Historical Society is efficiently and effectively maintaining the Mining and Mineral Museum and it should stay where it is." Aside from being untruthful, using state resources to lobby the legislature this way must be straddling legality.
Good for the good guys.
10-4!
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