Alabama senators want Confederate tax to fund Black history
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Two Alabama state senators say they want to divert part of a statewide property tax tied to the legacy of the Confederacy to preserve and promote Black history in the state.
Alabama imposed the tax to fund pensions for Confederate soldiers and their widows, and still collects it today, the only tax directly tied to the Confederacy. Most of the revenue is used for other purposes, but 1% goes to preserve and operate the state's Confederate Memorial Park in rural Mountain Creek. The Chilton County site between Montgomery and Birmingham was the site of a home for indigent Confederate veterans and their widows.
Sen. Clyde Chambliss tells The Montgomery Advertiser that he and Sen. Bobby Singleton will sponsor a bill this year that will preserve funding for the park, but require that the state spend an equal 1% on Black history sites.
That would be more than $500,000 a year for each purpose. The owner of a $100,000 house who utilizes Alabama’s homestead exemption pays 10 cents a year for park’s upkeep.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/alabama-senators-want-confederate-tax-to-fund-black-history/ar-BB1fxvW6
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