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68th Legislature 2023 SB 309.1
1 SENATE BILL NO. 309
2 INTRODUCED BY D. BARTEL
3
4 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE ENSIGN JAMES A. SHELTON MEMORIAL
5 HIGHWAY IN FERGUS COUNTY; DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO INSTALL
6 SIGNS AT THE LOCATION AND TO INCLUDE THE MEMORIAL HIGHWAY ON THE NEXT PUBLICATION
7 OF THE STATE HIGHWAY MAP; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE.”
8
9 WHEREAS, James A. Shelton was born on September 20, 1916, near Denton, Montana, as the fourth
10 child of John Henry Shelton and Anice Lucinda Cady Shelton; and
11 WHEREAS, James A. Shelton graduated from Denton High School in 1934 and went on to earn a
12 degree in forestry; and
13 WHEREAS, James A. Shelton enlisted in the United States Navy in 1941, where he became an
14 aviation cadet and was commissioned ensign in that same year; and
15 WHEREAS, James A. Shelton was assigned to VS-6 aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise at Pearl Harbor; and
16 WHEREAS, James A. Shelton was part of the squadron assigned to find the Japanese fleet at the
17 Battle of Midway on June 4, 1942, a turning point in the Second World War; and
18 WHEREAS, James A. Shelton, along with several members of the aviator squadrons, continued the
19 attack despite low fuel levels and never returned from the battle; and
20 WHEREAS, James A. Shelton was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism in
21 1942 and two naval destroyers have subsequently been named in his honor.
22
23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
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25 NEW SECTION. Section 1. Ensign James A. Shelton memorial highway. (1) There is established
26 the Ensign James A. Shelton memorial highway on the existing state highway 81, beginning at the intersection
27 of state highway 81 and U.S. highway 191 and ending at the intersection of state highways 81 and 80.
28 (2) The department shall design and install appropriate signs marking the location of the Ensign
-1- Authorized Print Version – SB 309
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68th Legislature 2023 SB 309.1
1 James A. Shelton memorial highway.
2 (3) Maps that identify roadways in the state must be updated to include the location of the Ensign
3 James A. Shelton memorial highway when the department updates and publishes the state maps.
4
5 NEW SECTION. Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an
6 integral part of Title 60, chapter 1, part 2, and the provisions of Title 60, chapter 1, part 2, apply to [section 1].
7
8 NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective Date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.
9 - END -
-2- Authorized Print Version – SB 309