Liberty Dollar Bill Act Back on Track -- 03/01/1999

Liberty Dollar Bill Act Back on Track

01 March, 1999

By Ben Anderson
CNS Staff Writer

(CNS) – On the heels of the Dollars to the Classroom Act which sends federal tax revenue directly to the school districts, Rep. Tom Bliley (R-VA) will introduce legislation to create what is essentially the Dollar Bill from the classroom.

It's called the Liberty Dollar Bill Act, a creation of students from Liberty Junior High School and Patrick Henry High School in Hanover County, VA. If enacted into law, the back side of the One Dollar bill will list portions of the United States Constitution.

The idea began in an effort by Liberty Civics teacher Randy Wright to have his students memorize The Preamble, The Articles and the 27 Amendments to the constitution. Upon further study, Wright realized all three sections, once typeset, could legibly fit on the back of a dollar bill. A civics teacher, Wright also realized he had a golden opportunity to educate his students about the legislative process and educate the rest of the country about the United States Constitution. "Sixty-two percent of Americans cannot name the three branches of government," Wright told CNS last fall.

After some of Wright's current and former students lobbied members of Congress to adopt the act, their efforts caught Bliley's attention. Bliley will re-introduce the bill again in the 106th Congress.

Wright pulled together a group of 32 students during their summer vacation last year and began to lobby Congress on the proposal. His strategy was to catch congressional aides at their least busy moment – when Congress members are in their home districts – in order to get their full attention.

Wright said they went from office to office on Capitol Hill speaking to Legislative Assistants and in one day's work, gained 12 to 15 co-sponsors to the proposal. Bliley sponsored the legislation in the House and has picked up 37 co-sponsors in the 105th Congress. In the Senate, Wright and his students earned the sponsorship of Senators John Warner (R-VA) and Charles Robb (D-VA). On Monday, Bliley will announce his intentions to re-introduce the legislation.

The "Liberty Dollar Bill Act" has received endorsements from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Military Order of the Purple Heart and a number of newspaper editorial boards.

Wright told CNS, "With the Constitution on the One Dollar bill, we think Americans will be the most knowledgeable people in the world about their own government. Around the world, the One Dollar bill will be the symbol for freedom and liberty."

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