A detailed description of what the mineral museum was is available at http://www.miningmineralmuseum.com/
A brief summary of the situation is as follows:
- The Governor decided to build a 5C Centennial Museum featuring cattle, cotton, citrus, copper, and climate
- She assigned the task to the Arizona Historical Society (AHS) and increased their budget over 50% during the fiscal crisis
- She chose the building currently occupied by the top rated Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum (AMMM).
- Rather than just assigning the building to the AHS, she transferred all assets of the AMMM (mineral collection, mining artifacts and equipment, etc.) to the AHS. To do so, she used House Bill 2251.
- Preliminary plans from her out of state, sole source contractor appear to show every feature of the existing AMMM eliminated.
- She never acknowledged the existence of the AMMM earth science education programs which are now terminated.
- She refused to consider the protests of thousands of students.
- She never acknowledged the value of mining artifacts restored to operating condition by tens of thousands of volunteer hours.
- Arizona's mineral collection is now under the control of an organization lacking appropriate scientific credentials, and is at risk
- The closing of the mineral museum on April 30, 2011 was ugly. All employees were fired without notice, and police prevented them for gathering their personal belongings.
- The centennial museum can never be open for Arizona's centennial. It is now a museum in search of a theme.
- The AHS defied state statutes by eliminating the mineral museum.
- After the centennial museum project was long dead (2014), the AHS began planning to complete the destruction of the mineral museum.
- In 2015, the Arizona legislature passe SB1200 (mineral museum restoration) with an overwhelming bipartisan majority. Unfortunately, the new Governor vetoed the bill
- Apparently, the new Governor vetoed SB1200 at the request of AHS lobbyists who want the building to become a "reception center". Note: the Governors office received over 1300 communications in favor of SB1200, and only 5 against.
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