STAFFORDSVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Fans of the late country music star Loretta Lynn are asking lawmakers to consider naming a state park after her.
A petition, started on Change.org, has nearly reached its goal of 25,000 signatures, just in time for the Kentucky legislative session to commence on Tuesday.
It asks the general assembly to consider renaming Paintsville Lake State Park as "Loretta Lynn State Park."
The park is located in Johnson County, the same county in which Lynn grew up.
Lynn, the "Coal Miner's Daughter" turned superstar, passed away in October 2022.
"Loretta Lynn is a gem, a diamond in the coal; brilliant, bright, beautiful, and resilient. Loretta Lynn is not only Kentucky's daughter; she is a national treasure," the petition reads.
One of the fans spearheading the name change, Todd Jenkins, has been listening to Lynn's music for decades, even spending one-on-one time with the singer.
"We'd just chat, sometimes for hours about life in Kentucky, about being a coal miner's daughter," Jenkins said. "They always say don't meet your heroes. And that was totally false when I met Loretta."
Organizers had hoped to get the petition in front of the legislature last year but weren't able to get momentum in time. Now, they hope to see it make its way to Frankfort in 2024.
"She built her career around her pride in Kentucky. And I think that legislators need to really kind of look at that and the impact she had on people," Jenkins said.
You can view and sign the petition on Change.org.
