THE
WILLIAM BARRET TRAVIS MEDAL
HAS
BEEN AWARDED TO
Wayne
Ballard
FOR
HIS
ACTIONS, CONDUCT AND ACHIEVEMENT DURING THE PERIOD OF
SEPTEMBER
2000 to SEPTEMBER 2001
As
Executive Director of the Texas Heritage Coalition, Wayne
Ballard organized the parade and rally that took place in
Austin, TX at the state capital on October 21st,
2000. The parade
and rally were to protest the removal of the memorial plaques
from the Texas Supreme Court building that documented the
building as being dedicated to the memory of Texans that
fought for the Confederacy, and that money from the
Confederate Veterans and Widows Fund was used to build the
courthouse. The
event brought to the doorstep of our state politicians the
fact that Texans were not pleased with the erasing of our
Texas and Southern history.
Wayne personally fended off city and state politicians
who attempted to derail the rally, and worked tirelessly to
ensure the support of various Southern heritage groups, and
politicians such as former state senator Jerry Patterson and
former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman.
The event was extensively covered by the local and
state press, as well as by the Associated Press.
During
the 2001 state legislative session, Wayne worked with other
members of the Texas Heritage Coalition to push through a
Heritage Preservation Bill.
Wayne spent extensive time walking the halls of the
state capitol talking to representatives, getting House Bill
2360 a legislative sponsor, into committee, and on the floor
for a vote. This
bill takes the first step in protecting Texas history by
ensuring historical committees are controlled at the local
level, and preventing the removal of any historical monuments,
plaques, statues, portrait, symbol, street or building name
without input from concerned organizations (such as the League
of the South), and, if an item is removed, it must be placed
in another prominent location.
Wayne’s actions were handled in such a professional
and positive manner that when the bill came up for a vote, it
passed without argument or dissention.
Wayne’s actions reflect great credit on himself, his
family and the South.
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