A West Virginia House of Delegates member from the Huntington area has proposed a bill to create a state-recognized holiday in remembrance of Nov. 14, 1970, the date of the Southern Airways plane crash that resulted in the deaths of several Marshall football players, staff and other community members. 

Delegate Sean Hornbuckle of Cabell County is the sponsor of the bill. This bill would slightly alter the operations of the state by giving state employees the day off and halting state operations for the day.

“It’s bigger than Marshall,” Hornbuckle said. “Nov. 14 is a great tragedy we all know about at Marshall. It’s part of our state’s history and about how people were able to band together to triumph and try to deal with something.”

The final decision on the bill will be made by midnight on Mar. 11, 2023, the last day of the 2023 West Virginia legislative session.