When Gov. Nathan Deal decided to sideline the statue of segregationist Tom Watson, state Rep. Tommy Benton was one of the most forceful opponents.
He's sponsoring a proposal, House Bill 50, which would make it harder for another statue switcheroo. It was approved by a House committee on Wednesday with a 10-1 vote, and could reach a vote on the House floor next week.
The measure would require local or state governments who move a publicly-owned monument to place it at another site with "similar prominence, honor, visibility, availability and access" within the same county. It applies to any monument - not just Civil War or political memorials - and also bars them from being moved to a museum, a cemetery or a mausoleum unless that's where they were originally displayed. The statue of Watson, a white supremacist who vilified blacks and Jews, was moved from the statehouse grounds to a small park across the street.
Benton, a Jefferson Republican who taught history for three decades, has said Georgia politicians shouldn't be in the business of picking and choosing what history they are going to remember. His proposal, he told the committee, is meant to prevent ideological disputes over monuments.
"If it's on Main Street somewhere, we ought to find another spot on main street for people to see it," said Benton. He added: "Think about all those monuments in Savannah that could be moved."
A similar measure failed to gain traction in the last legislative session. And despite its success in the committee, it faces staunch opposition from Democrats and local officials, who say it ties the hands of county and city leaders.
A Georgia Municipal Association lobbyist said her group opposed the bill, partly because it used broad language to define a monument as a plaque, statue, marker flag or a display that honors a U.S. citizens or Confederates.
Benton asked the committee to consider the example of Henry W. Grady, the iconic Atlanta Constitution editor whose statue rests on busy Marietta Street. In a generation or two, a new regime running Georgia may not look so kindly on the Spokesman for the New South.
Said Benton:
"Even though he was a great publicist and reporter ... they might feel ill will toward his politics and that can change here in Atlanta - and that statue is gone. What if it got stuck in the Westview Cemetery where very few people will see it?"
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