GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2001
H	1
HOUSE BILL 1162
     

 
Short Title:	Establish Liberty Day.	()	
Sponsors:	Representatives Russell; and Goodwin.	
Referred to:	Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House.	
April 12, 2001

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT establishing liberty day in the state of north carolina.

Whereas, as Americans, we enjoy our liberties as a result of the documents that our founding fathers created, those documents being the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution with its Bill of Rights; and
Whereas, James Madison was a contributing author of the Virginia Plan, the model and the basis of discussion for the forming of a new constitution, in the constitutional convention of 1787, which new constitution established our new form of government, replacing the Articles of Confederation; and
Whereas, James Madison kept written records of the Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, which debates and compromises finally produced the Constitution of the United States; and
Whereas, these records were not made public until the last signer died, who was James Madison, and his wife Dolley Madison, sold the records to the United States government, and they were published around 1840; and
Whereas, James Madison wrote many of the newspaper articles which outlined the reasons that the states should endorse the new constitution; and
Whereas, these articles became known as the Federalist Papers, and were co‑written with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay and still stand as some of the best arguments for our form of government, a representative republic; and
Whereas, James Madison served in the United States House of Representatives from 1789 until 1797, during which time he introduced into Congress the Bill of Rights, which was ratified by the states in 1791; and
Whereas, James Madison was Secretary of State from 1801 until 1809, and President of the United States from 1809 until 1817; and
Whereas, March 16th is the anniversary of the birth of James Madison; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Chapter 103 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 103-11.  Liberty Day.
The sixteenth day of May of each year is designated as Liberty Day in North Carolina."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.