Bill introduced to give state funding to Tucson Shooting memorial

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - January 2017 marked six years since a gunman shot and killed six people, and injured 12 others outside a supermarket in Tucson.

One of those injured was former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Recently, state lawmakers are proposing a bill that would help fund a memorial in honor of the victims.

On Wednesday, lawmakers held a news conference to announce the introduction of House Bill 2436, which would provide $2.5 Million for the memorial, over the course of five years. The rest of the funding would come from private donations.

The memorial is set to be built near the old Pima County Courthouse in Tucson, with a price tag of $5 Million.

According to State Rep. Todd Clodfelter, there are people who are opposed to providing state funds for the Memorial, but he, along with a survivor of the shooting, said this is important for not only the Tucson community, but for the State of Arizona.

The bill does come with conditions. In order to get state funding, the "January 8th Memorial Foundation" must match the other $2.5 Million needed to build the memorial, and the memorial must also be designated as a National Memorial Site.

The bill must also pass an Appropriations Committee before going to the full State House. To learn more, click here.