Senator John Rizzo Secures $3 million in State Funding for Renovation and Expansion of Harry S. Truman Library in Independence
Investment will keep renovations on track to be completed in time for next year’s 75th Anniversary of President Truman taking office
Jefferson City — State Sen. John Rizzo, D-Kansas City, has secured $3 million in the upcoming state budget for the renovation and expansion of the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri.
“Harry S. Truman is the treasure of Independence, and we proudly celebrate his legacy and important place in history as the president who ended World War II,” Sen. Rizzo said. “These funds will help the library continue to tell Truman’s story to a new generation of Americans so that his leadership, service, and achievements are never forgotten. These improvements will also create new opportunities for community events and special exhibits to be enjoyed by the people of Independence and all Missourians.”
These state funds will support the library’s first major renovation in more than 20 years. Key elements of the capital project include a strategic expansion and renovation of the library’s public spaces, the creation of visitor-friendly amenities, the installation of a new Truman permanent exhibition and a growth in its educational and community programming in anticipation of the 75th anniversary of Truman’s presidential inauguration on April 12, 2020.
State funding for the Harry S. Truman Library is contained in House Bill 12 ($1 million) and House Bill 19 ($2 million). These appropriation bills have been passed with bipartisan support by the Missouri General Assembly and are awaiting the governor’s signature.
While president, and until his death in 1972, Truman was known as ‘the man from Independence’. Each year, 100,000 visitors, including 50,000 students and teachers, enjoy the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library’s resources and benefits.
About Senator Rizzo:
Senator John J. Rizzo, lives in Independence and represents Independence, Sugar Creek and northeast Kansas City within Jackson County in the Missouri Senate. He was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in November 2010, and was later elected to the Missouri Senate in November 2016.