SB489

Senate Bill 489 directs the placement of a monument on the Arkansas State Capitol grounds to commemorate the 1954 desegregation of the Charleston and Fayetteville school districts. The bill recognizes these districts as the first in the former Confederate States to integrate following the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. To facilitate this project, the legislation establishes the 'Charleston and Fayetteville Desegregation Memorial Monument Fund.' This fund is designated to collect gifts, grants, and donations from private individuals and organizations to cover the costs of erecting and maintaining the monument. The Secretary of State is tasked with arranging the placement of the monument and approving its design and location in consultation with the Capitol Arts and Grounds Commission. Additionally, the bill updates existing law to include this new fund among those that must be utilized for maintenance and upkeep of specific state capitol monuments.