Bill limiting cities' power to remove monuments dies (AL)
Brian Lyman, Montgomery Advertiser
1:11 a.m. CDT May 5, 2016
... The legislation, which emerged in the wake of the state governments and some cities removing or attempting to remove public symbols of the Confederacy, was carried over after a debate late Wednesday evening.
The measure, sponsored by Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, would have required any city that wanted to remove a monument provide notice of their intent, hold public hearings and then get approval to remove the monument from a legislative committee. The bill contained exceptions for museums, archives and similar entities ...
The House debate largely avoided the historical symbolism of the monuments. Instead, Democratic and Republican critics questioned the $100,000 fine for cities that violated the law.
“That is an atrocious fee,” said Rep. Barbara Boyd, D-Anniston. Rep. Phil Williams, R-Huntsville, said he had asked a judge if he could “think of anything that creates a $100,000 fine for anything,” and came up short ...
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/politics/southunionstreet/2016/05/05/bill-limiting-cities-power-remove-monuments-dies/83923570/
