1.1 	A resolution
1.2 	memorializing the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress and the Architect 
1.3 	of the Capitol to commemorate Prince with a statue representing Minnesota at the 
1.4 	National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol.
1.5 	WHEREAS, in 1864, the United States Congress authorized the creation of the National 
1.6 	Statuary Hall Collection to allow each state to provide two statues of notable citizens for display 
1.7 	in the United States Capitol; and 
1.8 	WHEREAS, the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress has oversight of the collection 
1.9 	and under the committee's direction, the Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the reception, 
1.10 	placement, and care of the statues; and
1.11 	WHEREAS, according to legislation enacted in 2000, "any State may request the Joint 
1.12 	Committee on the Library of Congress to approve the replacement of a statue the State has 
1.13 	provided for display in Statuary Hall" under two conditions: (1) the request has been approved 
1.14 	by a resolution adopted by the legislature of the State and the request has been approved by the 
1.15 	Governor of the State; and (2) the statue to be replaced has been displayed in the Capitol of 
1.16 	the United States for at least ten years as of the time the request is made, except that the Joint 
1.17 	Committee may waive this requirement for cause at the request of a State; and 
1.18 	WHEREAS, one of the statues currently on display in the National Statuary Hall Collection 
1.19 	provided by Minnesota in 1916 is of Henry Mower Rice, Minnesota's territorial delegate to the 
1.20 	United States Congress and one of the state's first senators; and
1.21 	WHEREAS, he can be best memorialized by locating his statue in a place of honor in the 
1.22 	Minnesota State Capitol where citizens and visitors can enjoy it and be reminded of his significant 
1.23 	historical impact on our state; and
2.1 	WHEREAS, while Presidents, generals, and other political and civic figures make up 
2.2 	a large contingent of the statues representing the various states, the National Statuary Hall 
2.3 	also includes entertainers such as Will Rogers, whose statue represents Oklahoma along with 
2.4 	Sequoyah of the Cherokee Nation; and 
2.5 	WHEREAS, Prince Rogers Nelson, also known to the world simply as Prince, was born 
2.6 	in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and went on to become an iconic international popular music 
2.7 	superstar; and
2.8 	WHEREAS, a teen prodigy with remarkable multi-instrumental skills, Prince played all of 
2.9 	the instruments on his debut album, "For You," released in 1978 when he was just 19 years of 
2.10 	age; his songwriting and production skills grew exponentially on subsequent recordings, and he 
2.11 	developed a reputation as an electrifying, unpredictable live performer; and
2.12 	WHEREAS, Prince's 1982 double album "1999" was his commercial breakthrough, 
2.13 	spawning three top 20 hits, "Little Red Corvette," "Delirious," and the infectious title 
2.14 	track; the follow-up, 1984's "Purple Rain," which also served as the soundtrack for the hit 
2.15 	semi-autobiographical film of the same name starring Prince, was a worldwide smash, to date 
2.16 	selling over 22 million copies; and
2.17 	WHEREAS, along with his band, The Revolution, Prince continued to release a string 
2.18 	of hit records, including "Raspberry Beret" and "Kiss," and as a songwriter, Prince enjoyed 
2.19 	additional success as other artists scored major hits with several of his compositions, such as 
2.20 	Sinead O'Connor's searing version of "Nothing Compares 2 U"; he debuted a new band, the New 
2.21 	Power Generation, and continued to top the charts with number one hits such as "Cream" from 
2.22 	1991's "Diamonds and Pearls"; and
2.23 	WHEREAS, Prince embraced his Minnesota roots, making his home at Paisley Park in 
2.24 	Chanhassen, which served as his recording studio, sound stage, and residence; there, Prince 
2.25 	invited fans to late-night jam sessions, collaborated with and recorded a wide variety of artists, 
2.26 	and mentored new musical talents with his seemingly limitless writing, production, and 
2.27 	performance skills; and
2.28 	WHEREAS, Prince was the rare artist who achieved multiplatinum sales while garnering 
2.29 	accolades from music critics, who view him as one of the most influential and essential artists of 
2.30 	the modern era; he sold over 100 million records worldwide, won seven Grammy awards and an 
2.31 	Academy Award, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the first year 
2.32 	in which he was eligible; on April 21, 2016, the Twin Cities and the world were shocked and 
2.33 	saddened to hear of his passing at Paisley Park; and
3.1 	WHEREAS, upon learning the tragic news, thousands of Prince's devoted fans from near and 
3.2 	far gathered and celebrated his life and his music at Paisley Park and at First Avenue, the nightclub 
3.3 	in downtown Minneapolis he helped make famous, and the I-35W and Lowry bridges were lit 
3.4 	purple in honor of the enormous impact of this incredibly talented native son of Minnesota; and 
3.5 	WHEREAS, the people of Minnesota wish to place a statue of Prince in Statuary Hall in the 
3.6 	United States Capitol; NOW, THEREFORE,
3.7 	BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota that it urges the Joint 
3.8 	Committee on the Library of Congress and the Architect of the Capitol to commemorate Prince 
3.9 	with a statue representing Minnesota at the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol.
3.10 	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Coordinating Commission shall select a 
3.11 	commission to represent the state in selecting the sculptor or sculptors to sculpt the statue and 
3.12 	obtain the funds necessary to carry out this resolution through private donations.
3.13 	BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the State of Minnesota is 
3.14 	directed to prepare copies of this memorial and transmit them to the President of the United 
3.15 	States, the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and the Clerk 
3.16 	of the United States House of Representatives, Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in 
3.17 	Congress, and the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress.