Legislative Power Over Capitol Rotunda Statuary Granted by Kentucky House Vote – Sky Bulletin

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — In a decision on Friday, the House of Representatives of Kentucky, dominated by the Republican party, endorsed a measure that would hand over the decision-making power regarding the placement or removal of statues within the state Capitol’s Rotunda to the legislature. This bill was supported regardless of the controversy surrounding the ouster of a statue of Jefferson Davis, the Confederate President, which happened four years prior.

According to Representative David Hale of the Republican party, the bill is designed to look towards the future in light of the upcoming refurbishments planned for the Kentucky statehouse. He emphasized that the bill is not about past decisions made about the Rotunda’s exhibits.

A heated exchange emerged when Democratic Representative Josie Raymond posed a question to Hale about whether the legislation could lead to reinstating a figure such as Davis, who was a “racist, slaver and secessionist,” or someone of equal infamy. The question was dismissed as inappropriate, and the House immediately proceeded to vote.

The proposal was adopted by the House with a 77-17 vote and is now moving to the Senate, where the Republican majority is similar.

Hale, in a post-vote interview, clarified that the legislation does not permit lawmakers to unilaterally decide on adding or excluding statues or various permanent features in the Rotunda. Rather, it provides a mechanism for lawmakers to review suggestions from the state Historic Properties Advisory Commission, he said.

He also reiterated that the bill was not a reaction to the Davis statue’s removal. “I have no intention of making any kind of a request to bring anything back that’s gone,” Hale stated.

It has been nearly four years since the Davis statue was removed from the Rotunda, an area frequently utilized for demonstrations during the legislative sessions. For many years, the statue of Davis was located just a short distance from that of Abraham Lincoln, his adversary during the Civil War and the president who enacted the Emancipation Proclamation. Both figures hailed from Kentucky.

Currently, the space formerly occupied by the Davis statue stands vacant, while Lincoln’s likeness remains at the Rotunda’s center. The directive to remove the Davis statue came from Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, with the Historic Properties Advisory Commission concurring to its removal. Governor Beshear even took part in the removal event, initiating the crane that lifted the Davis statue from its base. The statue has since been relocated to a state historic site located near his birthplace in southern Kentucky.

The removal of the Davis statue from the Kentucky Capitol occurred amidst a wave of action to dismantle Confederate monuments across the country following police-related deaths of Black Americans.

Under the new Kentucky legislation, any statue, monument, or artwork can only be installed or removed from the Rotunda if approved by the legislature. The Historic Properties Advisory Commission could suggest changes, but they could not autonomously authorize alterations of permanent displays without the legislature’s approval. If the commission defies the bill’s terms, its members may be held financially responsible for any removal or reinstallation costs.

Critics within the Democratic Party argue that this bill is another attempt to undermine the governor’s powers, as the governor appoints members of the Historic Properties Advisory Commission. Others against the bill claim that the current system works effectively and that the choice of displays in the Rotunda should not be a legislative decision.

House Democrat Derrick Graham voiced his disapproval by referencing the Davis statue, saying, “I know exactly why this bill is being presented before this body,” admiring the governor’s prior decision to remove the statue.

Hale countered by saying the Capitol belongs to the citizens of Kentucky and that their elected representatives should have a say in what is displayed within the Rotunda permanently.

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This enacted legislation is referred to as House Bill 513.