SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 60

(By Senators Palumbo, Foster, McCabe, Wells, Chafin, Browning, Jenkins, Kessler (Acting President), Unger, Fanning, Plymale and Boley)

Requesting the Division of Highways name bridge number 20-60/63-0.11, which crosses the Kanawha River and connects Interstate 64-eastbound/77-southbound at Exit 98 with Kanawha City at 35th Street in Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia, commonly known as the 35th Street Interstate Bridge, the “Kaufman Memorial 35th Street Bridge”.

    Whereas, The Kaufman Memorial 35th Street Bridge would honor three Charlestonians, all members of the same family who were born and raised and lived their entire lives in Charleston not far from this bridge; and

    Whereas, All three Kaufman family members, Paul Joseph Kaufman (age 60), Rose Jean (“R.J.”) Kaufman (age 52) and Steven Miles Kaufman (age 20), were tragically killed by a drunk driver on December 28, 1980 in the prime of their lives; and

    Whereas, Paul J. Kaufman served as a West Virginia State Senator from 1960 until 1968 and was widely considered an effective people-oriented legislator, sponsoring such legislation as the West Virginia Human Rights Act, tax reform, providing free textbooks to school children, one person one vote legislative representation, improved and expanded health care, West Virginia’s first pollution control law, the repeal of capital punishment, repeal of certain Sunday Blue Laws, sponsorship of the first West Virginia Arts and Humanities Commission, and support of civil service for all state government employees; and

    Whereas, In 1968, Paul J. Kaufman was defeated in a bid for Governor of West Virginia, but was subsequently elected as a delegate to his first of three Democratic National Conventions; and

    Whereas, In 1951, Paul J. Kaufman launched the first legal aid office for the poor in West Virginia on a volunteer basis, which grew from a small privately financed beginning to publicly financed legal services offices throughout the state; and

    Whereas, In 1969, Paul J. Kaufman organized a regional public interest, consumer-oriented law firm, the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund, in Kentucky and West Virginia, which he directed until 1973, when he resumed the private practice of law in Charleston; and

    Whereas, Paul J. Kaufman was a regionally and nationally published author, founder of the first Appalachian Land Festival, and counsel to West Virginia coal miners in 1969, resulting in passage of the first Black Lung Compensation Law in West Virginia, and subsequently the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Law; and

    Whereas, Rose Jean (“R.J.”) Kaufman was a strong feminist, a fierce civil rights advocate of long standing, and a labor organizer in higher education who also had written articles for publication; and

    Whereas, R.J. Kaufman had a life-long career in the fields of social work, health and education, and also served on the boards of a number of charitable and civic organizations, including serving as an early member of the Women’s Health Center Board, becoming an early proponent of Kanawha-Valley Hospice, and serving as the only Caucasian Board member of the Mattie V. Lee Home at the time of her death; and

    Whereas, Opera and ballet were R.J. Kaufman’s favorite spectator sports; and

    Whereas, R.J. and Paul J. Kaufman were married for thirty years at the time of their untimely deaths; and

    Whereas, Steven Miles Kaufman was in the upward trajectory of his life when he was killed with his parents; and

    Whereas, Steven Miles Kaufman, like his beloved parents, attended elementary school, junior high school, and high school in the public schools of Kanawha County; and

    Whereas, Steven Miles Kaufman was a lanky, tall, student/athlete, playing basketball, running distances and mountain climbing at the end of the first semester of his sophomore year studying premed at Tufts University when he was killed while visiting at home over the winter break; and

    Whereas, Paul Joseph, Rose Jean and Steven Miles Kaufman were buried along side each other, less than a mile from this bridge and the hospital where Steven Miles Kaufman was born; and

    Whereas, The lives of Paul Joseph, Rose Jean and Steven Miles Kaufman shall be recognized and honored; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Division of Highways name bridge number 20-60/63-0.11, which crosses the Kanawha River and connects Interstate 64-eastbound/77-southbound at Exit 98 with Kanawha City at 35th Street in Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia, commonly known as the 35th Street Interstate Bridge, the “Kaufman Memorial 35th Street Bridge”; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the bridge as the “Kaufman Memorial 35th Street Bridge”; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Secretary of Transportation, the Commissioner of Highways and the family of Paul Joseph, Rose Jean and Steven Miles Kaufman.