Call grows louder to remove bust of Confederate general
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The call is getting louder to remove a bust of a Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader from the halls of the Tennessee Capitol.
The state’s two Republican speakers have sent a letter to the Tennessee State Capitol Commission to evaluate the characteristics of those to be honored in the Capitol complex following calls to remove the bust.
If the panel votes to remove it, it must seek a waiver from the Tennessee Historical Commission to avoid violating a state law.
Republican Gov. Bill Haslam said earlier this week that he supports removing the bust, as well as Confederate flags from state license plates.
The actions come days after nine parishioners were gunned down in a historic black church in South Carolina, prompting a debate over Confederate symbols.
