A RESOLUTION adjourning the Senate in honor and loving memory of Dixie P. Hibbs.
Summary
SR21 is a Senate resolution honoring the life and memory of Dixie P. Hibbs of Bardstown, Kentucky. The resolution recounts her birth, education, family, and lifelong commitment to public service, community history, and preservation. It highlights her 19 years on the Bardstown City Council, her service as Bardstown’s first female mayor in 2002, and her role as a community ambassador who welcomed visitors and shared local history with schools, libraries, and tour groups.
The resolution also recognizes her extensive historical scholarship and civic involvement, including authorship of more than 17 books and 20 articles, membership in historical and heritage organizations, and work preserving important local properties such as Wickland, Anatok, Flaget Hall, and Spalding Hall. It notes her distinction as the first woman inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame and emphasizes her devotion to her family. The Senate expresses condolences to her family and community and adjourns in her honor.
Impact
SR21 does not change state law or create any new statutory requirements. Its effect is ceremonial and commemorative: it records the Senate’s official tribute to Dixie P. Hibbs, directs the Clerk to transmit the resolution to Senator Jimmy Higdon for delivery to the family, and authorizes adjournment in her honor. The resolution primarily affects the Senate’s proceedings and serves as an official legislative memorial rather than a policy measure.
Sentiment
The sentiment surrounding SR21 is uniformly respectful and appreciative. The resolution itself is written in a celebratory and mournful tone, emphasizing Hibbs’s public service, historical contributions, and family life. The bill’s final action—adoption by voice vote—indicates broad, noncontroversial support and no recorded opposition in the available history.
Contention
There is no notable policy contention in SR21 because it is a memorial resolution rather than substantive legislation. The only potentially debatable aspect is the choice to honor one individual and adjourn the Senate in her memory, but the available record shows no disagreement, amendments, or recorded votes against it. The resolution reflects consensus recognition of Hibbs’s civic leadership, preservation work, and local historical significance.