Bill to Designate ‘Lost Battalion Memorial Highway’
House Bill 3099 will designate the portion of U.S. 380 from Decatur to Jacksboro as honorary highway for WWII American troops.
Last week, Texas State Rep. Lynn Stucky (R-Sanger) filed a bill to designate the highway stretching from Decatur to Jacksboro as the “Lost Battalion Memorial Highway.”
House Bill 3099 would officially name a portion of U.S. 380 in Wise and Jack Counties as a memorial highway for the men imprisoned in Japan during World War II. This bill follows several recent events to highlight these brave Army soldiers. In August 2021, an Eagle Scout named Dylan Hayden successfully installed a monument at the Wise County Heritage Museum in Decatur. The monument is a tribute to the more than 500 North Texas soldiers who were captured as prisoners of war and dubbed the “Lost Battalion.”
“Today, we take the next step to further honor the brave Texans who were part of the greatest generation,” Rep. Stucky said. “This is a busy stretch of highway and, once passed, this Memorial Highway will be a reminder to travelers of the sacrifice and service of the ‘Lost Battalion.’ I am honored to be carrying this bill and look forward to working with my colleague Rep. David Spiller to make this happen.”
Descendants of the venerated “Lost Battalion” still live in Wise and Jack Counties. Wise County Commissioner Kevin Burns is the son of one of the prison camp survivors and offered his thanks to Rep. Stucky for keeping this history alive for future generations.
“This isn’t just about my dad,” Commissioner Burns said. “The descendants of the ‘Lost Battalion’ continue to gather to honor the sacrifices of their ancestors. Thank you to Dr. Stucky for stepping into his role as our new state representative and immediately recognizing the importance of local history to our communities. I fully support this bill and can’t wait for this memorial highway to become state law.”
This is the second bill Rep. Stucky has filed this session to support local history and historic preservation efforts. House Bill 1034 seeks to authorize Wise County to implement a Hotel Occupancy Tax to support the preservation of the historic courthouse—currently undergoing renovations—as well as promote local events, promote heritage tourism, and fund critical improvements and expansion of the Wise County Fairgrounds.
Ask Your State Representative: Fighting for Law Enforcement, Local Issues
Dr. Lynn Stucky, Texas State Representative
The Texas Legislature is in high gear now after passing the halfway point on March 20. Thank you to all the Robson Ranch Republicans who made the trip on March 22 to tour the Capitol, the governor’s mansion, and take in the legislature. I look forward to an upcoming club meeting where I can present you with the official resolution honoring Robson Ranch Republican Day in the Texas Capitol.
Already, I have had a package of legislation heard in committee and voted out favorably. As I work through the last of the 140-day session, I wanted to be sure you had a sense of the legislation I have filed.
This session, I have filed about 30 bills and resolutions. Many of these policies address issues either in Denton or Wise County, or addressing larger problems being faced statewide. Below is a highlight of the policy I have filed.
H.B. 898: This bill seeks to increase the penalty for failing to observe the state’s Move Over, Slow Down law. The bill is joint-authored by Reps. Frederick Frazier and John Lujan, a police officer and firefighter, respectively.
H.B. 1034/H.B. 5105: Each of these bills independently authorizes Wise and Denton County to have HOT Fund authority to promote tourism, as well as support facility construction, upkeep, and restoration.
H.B. 2183: This bill supports Texas sheriffs who are struggling with workforce issues in county jails. The bill authorizes an extension of temporary jailers licenses, as well as allowing former correctional officers to reapply for a temporary license.
H.B. 1348: Seeks to rein in cities that are acting outside their authority by attempting to regulate state-licensed occupations.
H.B. 1938: Texas continues to have a problem with teachers and other education professionals engaging in improper relationships with students (about one teacher for every day of the school year has their certification revoked or surrendered). This bill will create a framework for parents to report a teacher for sexual grooming after their child has made an outcry, and then transfer the student to a new school.
H.B. 3211: Among the workforce shortages we are facing in Texas are skilled trades. This bill will allow Texas State Technical College to build a campus in Denton County to increase the availability of local skilled workers. These include welders, HVAC technicians, electricians, etc.
H.B. 1906/H.J.R. 99/H.B. 3556: This package of legislation was filed in honor of Athena Strand, the seven-year-old girl who was kidnapped and murdered in Wise County. These policies seek to address our open-door bail policies by delaying the release of criminals facing charges of injuring or killing a child. H.B. 3556 creates a framework for regional use of the Amber Alert system for missing children.
These are just some of the bills that I have filed. A full list of bills that I have either authored or are supporting as a joint- or co-author may be found online at capitol.texas.gov.
If you would like more information about a specific bill mentioned here, please contact my Capitol office at 512-463-0582 or email [email protected]. For regular updates from the Capitol, sign up for my e-newsletter at LynnStucky.com.
It is an honor to serve you and be working hard for the people of Texas.