Madeleine Dean

Mr. Speaker, Greeting · 25 wordstoday, I rise to pay tribute to a champion for environmental protection, former Pennsylvania State Senator Franklin Kury, whom I had the privilege of meeting.Greeting Claims · 159 wordsBorn and raised in central Pennsylvania, Franklin Kury passed away on August 16.¹ He was 89.² A devoted public servant, Kury was first elected as State representative in Northumberland County before serving as State senator.³ His lasting legacy was the writing and passing of our environmental rights amendment, Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, ⁴which guarantees Pennsylvanians the right to ``clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic values.’’ It affirms that Pennsylvania’s natural resources are the common property of our Commonwealth, and it makes us, Pennsylvanians and legislators, the stewards of our environment for generations yet to come. Every legislator supported it.⁵ Article I, Section 27 was the first of its kind, though several States have now followed Kury’s lead.⁶ It is a testament to its creator, who understood that we each have the right to enjoy but bear a responsibility to pass along a clean, healthy, safe environment. Mr. Speaker, Thanks · 16 wordsmay his memory be a blessing, and may we continue his unwavering love of our planet.ThanksVague promise