A bill that provides for the conservation of public military memorials passed a state house committee this morning. The simple language of House Bill 71 doesn’t mention the word ‘confederate’, but it has everything to do with preserving the three remaining monuments that are slated for removal. Testimonies for and against State representative Thomas Carmody’s bill were directly related to the status of the PT Beauregard, Robert E Lee, and Jefferson Davis statues.
New Orleans resident Kurt Booker testified this morning before the committee voted on the bill. "This is not gonna end at Civil War monuments," he argued. Bookers said that removing these confederate monuments is a slippery slope.
"Twenty, thirty years from now we’re gonna be defending churches, we’re gonna be defending crosses, where people are gonna want em torn down. This is not gonna end. We’re gonna be fighting this battle for decades if something is not done now."
New Orleans Deputy Mayor Ryan Berni testified against the bill, stating that the monuments are private property that belong to the city of New Orleans. After hearing testimonies on both sides, the vote landed 10-8 in favor of the bill. It now moves to the house floor.
Copyright 2017 WWNO - New Orleans Public Radio
