Write and call your state representatives and show your support on August 3rd when the state legislature reconvenes.
To create the Alabama Heritage Protection Act of
2015; to prohibit the relocation, removal, alteration,
renaming, rededication, or other disturbance of any statue,
monument, memorial, nameplate, or plaque located on public
property that has been erected for, or named, or dedicated in
honor of certain historical military, civil rights, and Native
American events, figures, and organizations; to prohibit any
person from preventing the governmental entity responsible for
maintaining the items, structures, or areas from taking proper
measures to protect, preserve, care for, repair, or restore
the items, structures, or areas; to authorize the Alabama
Historical Commission to grant waivers; and to exempt the
Department of Transportation under certain limited
circumstances.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited
as the Alabama Heritage Protection Act of 2015.
Section 2. (a) No statue, monument, memorial,
nameplate, or plaque which is located on public property and
has been erected for, or named, or dedicated in honor of the
French and Indian War, American Revolution, War of 1812,
United States-Mexican War, the War Between the States, Spanish
American War, the Mexican border period, World War I, World
War II, the Korean conflict, the Vietnam War, Operation Urgent
Fury (Grenada), Operation El Dorado Canyon (Libya), Operation
Just Cause (Panama), Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm
(Persian Gulf War I), Operation Enduring Freedom
(Afghanistan), and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Persian Gulf War
II) may be relocated, removed, altered, renamed, rededicated,
or otherwise disturbed.
(b) No statue, monument, memorial, nameplate,
plaque, school, street, bridge, building, park, preserve, or
reserve which is located on public property and has been
erected for, or named, or dedicated in honor of any historical
military figure, historical military event, military
organization, or military unit may be renamed or rededicated.
(c) No statue, monument, memorial, nameplate,
plaque, school, street, bridge, building, park, preserve, or
reserve which is located on public property and has been
erected for, or named, or dedicated in honor of the Civil
Rights Movement or any historical civil rights figure,
historical civil rights event, or civil rights organization
may be renamed or rededicated.
(d) No statue, monument, memorial, nameplate,
plaque, school, street, bridge, building, park, preserve, or
reserve which is located on public property and has been
erected for, or named, or dedicated in honor of Native
Americans or American Indians or any historical Native
American or American Indian figure, historical Native American
or American Indian rights event, or Native American or
American Indian organization may be renamed or rededicated.
Section 3. No person may prevent the governmental
entity having responsibility for maintaining any of the items,
structures, or areas described in Section 2 from taking proper
and appropriate measures, and exercising proper and
appropriate means, for the protection, preservation, care,
repair, or restoration of those items, structures, or areas.
Section 4. (a) For the purposes of this act, public
property means all property owned or leased by the State of
Alabama, any county, municipality, metropolitan government, or
any other entity that is created by act of the Legislature to
perform any public function.
(b) Any entity exercising control of public property
on which an item, structure, or area described in Section 2 is
located may petition the Alabama Historical Commission for a
waiver from this act. A petition for waiver shall be in
writing and shall state the reason, or reasons, upon which the
waiver is sought. At any regularly scheduled meeting of the
commission, the commission may grant a petition for waiver by
a majority vote of those present and voting. The commission
may include reasonable conditions and instructions to ensure
that any items, structures, or areas are preserved to the
greatest extent possible.
Section 5. (a) This act shall apply to items,
structures, or areas described in Section 2 in existence
before January 1, 1970, and those lawfully erected, named, or
dedicated on or after January 1, 1970.
(b) This act does not apply to items, structures, or
areas described in Section 2 that are located on public
property under the control of, or acquired by, the Department
of Transportation which may interfere with the construction,
maintenance, or operation of the public transportation system.
The department shall strive to ensure that any such items,
structures, or areas are preserved to the greatest extent
possible.
Section 6. This act shall become effective
immediately following its passage and approval by the
Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.
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