More than a year after artists unveiled the January 8 th Memorial, the city of Tucson is well short of the funds to build it.
A trio of state lawmakers, including one who survived the attack that day in 2011, have proposed having the state pay for about half of the memorial’s construction. Republican Rep. Todd Clodfelter authored House Bill 2436, which asks the state to pay $2.5 million over five years.
Fellow Tucson Rep. Daniel Hernandez, a Democrat, would like to see the project completed before the 10 th anniversary of the attack.
Hernandez was an intern working for former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords when a gunman opened fire killing six people and injuring 13 others, including Giffords.
With a price tag around $4 million to build it, the January 8 th Foundation has raised about a quarter of the funds needed through private donations.
The bill is written so that any federal dollars awarded toward the memorial’s construction first goes toward reimbursing Arizona’s state budget.
