An Alabama lawmaker said today said she will sponsor legislation next year to allow cities and counties to relocate historic monuments on public property.
Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, said that under her proposal, monument removals would require a transfer of ownership to the Alabama Department of Archives and History or the Alabama Historical Commission.
Those state agencies would maintain the monuments in a location for public display.
A state law called the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act currently prohibits cities and counties from moving monuments on public property that have been in place 40 years or more.
“Across the state of Alabama, citizens are calling for the removal of prominently placed statues and monuments that are insensitive or offensive to the communities that surround them,” Givan said in a press release. “City and county governments must be able to address the demands of their citizens. This legislation provides a tool for local governments to safely remove these artifacts so that they can be moved to a site more appropriate for preserving or displaying the historical monument.”
The Legislature passed the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act in 2017 at a time when calls for removal of Confederate memorials from public property were gaining support. The Republican majorities in the House and Senate passed the bill over opposition from Democrats. Givan sponsored a bill in 2018 to repeal the law but it did not pass.
The protests for racial justice after the police killing of George Floyd in May sparked a new wave of removals and calls for removals of monuments linked to the Confederacy. In Alabama, the Memorial Preservation Act has come into play because of those efforts.
Birmingham took down the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors monument in Linn Park in June, one day after efforts to topple it failed during a protest that turned violent. Mobile took down its Confederate statue of Admiral Raphael Semmes a few days later.
Under the Memorial Preservation Act, both cities face fines of $25,000 for removing the monuments.
The Madison County Commission is seeking permission to remove the Confederate monument outside the courthouse in downtown Huntsville.
Changes to the Memorial Preservation Act are expected to be an issue when the Legislature returns for its next annual session in February. Givan said she believes her bill can win bipartisan support.
“It respects the will of communities that want the monuments removed. It also respects those who wish to preserve history,” Givan said. “With this legislation, Confederate monuments could be relocated to a public site, like Confederate Memorial Park, whose purpose and mission is to interpret and tell these stories. When the Legislature convenes, I hope to have the support of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.”
Related: Where are Alabama’s Confederate Monuments? Markers, many at courthouses, exist across Alabama
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Alabama lawmaker announces bill to allow relocation of monuments - AL.com
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