JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Rep. Hardy Billington is looking to memorialize the late Rush Limbaugh by designating January 12th of each year as “Rush Limbaugh Day” in Missouri.
Billington filed HB 1200 on Feb. 19, 2021, following the death of the conservative icon and radio talk show host, who passed away after a battle with lung cancer on February 17, 2021 at the age of 70. Born in Cape Girardeau, Limbaugh went on to host the most listened-to radio show in the country. Limbaugh’s show aired on more than 600 stations with up to 27 million people listening weekly. Limbaugh is a member of the Radio Hall of Fame and the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He was a five-time winner of the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for “Excellence in Syndicated and Network Broadcasting,” He was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians in 2012.
Rush Limbaugh was a thought leader in the conservative movement for decades; in a 1992 letter, former President Ronald Reagan thanked him “for all you’re doing to promote Republican and conservative principles…[and] you have become the Number One voice for conservativism in our country” – after the historic 1994 midterm elections, in which the Republican Party took control of the United States Congress, the freshman Republican class awarded him an honorary membership in their caucus, believing he had a role in their success.
Limbaugh was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump in 2020. Limbaugh was also a dedicated philanthropist who raised a record $1.7 million-plus for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America in his annual Cure-a-Thon, in addition to his personal donation of a quarter of a million dollars.
“Rush Limbaugh’s contributions to broadcasting and the conservative movement cannot be overstated. He was, simply put, a legend who cannot be replaced,” Rep. Billington, R-Poplar Bluff, said. “This is one way we can recognize the outstanding impact Rush Limbaugh has had on our state and country.”
Billington’s legislation already has garnered the support of numerous co-sponsors, which he hopes will give ample support to push the bill through in order to memorialize Limbaugh and pay tribute to his many contributions to conservative efforts, the broadcast industry, and the State of Missouri.
For more information, contact Rep. Billington’s office at 573-751-4039.
