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Preservation of monuments and
memorials. Provides that certain monuments or memorials that are erected on
public property of the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions
shall not be relocated, removed, disturbed, or altered, without consent of
the citizens of the Commonwealth or one of its political subdivisions.
However, the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions may temporarily
relocate or remove a monument or memorial in order to perform necessary
construction or maintenance on streets, highways or utilities. No street, bridge,
structure, park, preserve, reserve, or other public area of the Commonwealth
or any of its political subdivisions dedicated in memory of or named for any
historic figure or historic event may be renamed or rededicated. No person
may prevent the public body from taking proper measures and exercising proper
means for the protection, preservation, and care of these monuments,
memorials, or nameplates, as described in §15.2-1812 and §18.2-137. To
provide appropriate opportunity for involvement by the general public, the Commonwealth
or one of its political subdivisions shall conduct public hearings prior to
establishing such guidelines. Thirty days prior to conducting such hearings,
the Commonwealth or one of its political subdivisions shall give notice of
the date, time, and place of the hearings, and publish notice of its
intention to hold such hearings. Interested parties shall be given reasonable
opportunity to be heard and present information prior to any proposed change
to such monuments and memorials.
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The following announcement is
courtesy Fred Taylor, President, HPA Virginia
Virginians,
Senate Bill 631 was introduced yesterday into the General Assembly by Senator
Frederick M. Quayle, Republican-Suffolk. SB 631 provides that no monument or
memorial erected on public property of the Commonwealth or any locality shall
be relocated, removed, or altered and no street, bridge, structure, park,
preserve or reserve or other public area of the Commonwealth or any locality
that has been dedicated to the memory of or named for any historic figure or
event may be renamed or rededicated unless a public hearing has been held by
either the Department of General Services (DGS) or the locality, depending on
where the monument or dedicated public area is located.
This bill is a modified version of our past memorial protection bills. For
the past three years, we have faced extreme opposition from local government
lobbyists, the Department of Transportation, Department of Historic
Resources, and other groups who opposed our complete prohibition of
localities to rename or alter historic monuments, streets, etc. In this bill
though, we require notice of at least 30 days of a hearing before a locality
or the state tries to remove, relocate, or change such a memorial. Secondly,
this bill goes even further than our current monument & memorial protection
laws as it protects streets, bridges, parks, preserves, or reserves named
after a historic figure. This is our first step, but a very important one, in
putting a stop to the renaming or relocating of our most sacred memorials for
good. Had we had this when the Richmond City Council changed the names of the
JEB Stuart and Stonewall Jackson Bridges in Richmond, it would have forced
the City to hold public hearings specifically about the name change, and
would not have allowed them to brush the public aside from debate of this
issue.
Besides the efforts fo the SCV, HPA, and other Southern Heritage Groups, this
bill is being supported by the Virginia State American Legion thanks to the
help of Compatriot George Lee, and was sponsored by Senator Quayle through
the efforts of Brig. Gen. Hank Morris of Portsmouth. Our thanks to both of
these gentlemen for their help!
Now, what can you do?
We must encourage our elected officials in the Senate to SUPPORT Senate Bill
631. Below, I have listed the members and contact information for the
Committee on General Laws. Please check and see if your Senator is on this
list, and call or e-mail them and the other members. The politicians only
understand numbers, and when the e-mails and phone calls begin to pour into
their offices supporting Historic Monument &
Memorial protection it will make a difference! If your legislator is not on
this Committee, still contact all of the committee members as concerned
Virginians and Southerners. With your help, this Resolution will pass the
Committee and you will be given the chance to encourage your local Senator to
support this Resolution in the full Senate. It only takes a few minutes to
type an e-mail or make a phone call, so I urge you to call all of the Rules
Committee members as soon as possible. Here's how...
Call the Constituent Viewpoint Hotline, it's toll free!
1-800-889-0229
Call & E-Mail the fifteen members of the Senate General Laws Committee:
* Senator Walter A. Stosch, Chairman of the Committee, and Majority Leader -Republican
(District 12 - Goochland County (Part); Henrico County (Part); Richmond City
(Part) (804) 698-7512 district12@sov.state.va.us
* Senator Charles J. Colgan - Democrat (District 29 - Manassas City (All);
Manassas Park City (All); Prince William County (Part) (804) 698-7529
district29@sov.state.va.us
* Senator R. Edward Houck - Democrat (District 17 - Culpeper County (All);
Fredericksburg City (Part); Louisa County (All); Madison County (All); Orange
County (All); Spotsylvania County (Part) (804) 698-7517
district17@sov.state.va.us
* Senator Benjamin J. Lambert, III - Democrat (District 9 - Charles City
County (All); Henrico County (Part); Richmond City (Part) (804) 698-7509
district09@sov.state.va.us
* Senator William C. Wampler, Jr. - Republican (District 40 - Bristol City
(All); Grayson County (Part); Lee County (All); Norton City (All); Scott
County (All); Smyth County (Part); Washington County (All); Wise County
(Part) (804) 698-7540 district40@sov.state.va.us
* Senator Yvonne B. Miller - Democrat (District 5 - Chesapeake City (Part);
Norfolk City (Part); Virginia Beach City (Part) (804) 698-7505
district05@sov.state.va.us
* Senator Charles R. Hawkins, Patron of the Confederate History &
Heritage Month Resolution - Republican (District 19 - Campbell County (Part);
Danville City (All); Franklin County (All); Pittsylvania County (All) (804)
698-7519 district19@sov.state.va.us
* Senator Stephen H. Martin - Republican (District 11 - Chesterfield County
(Part); Colonial Heights City (All) (804) 698-7511 district11@sov.state.va.us
* Senator William "Bill" Bolling, Candidate for Lieutenant Governor
of Virginia -Republican (District 4 - Caroline County (All); Essex County
(All); Hanover County (All); King and Queen County (All); King William County
(All); Middlesex County (All); Spotsylvania County (Part) (804) 698-7504
district04@sov.state.va.us
* Senator Frank M. Ruff, Jr. - Republican (District 15 - Amherst County
(Part); Appomattox County (All); Brunswick County (Part); Buckingham County
(Part); Charlotte County (All); Cumberland County (Part); Fluvanna County
(All); Halifax County (All); Lunenburg County (Part); Mecklenburg County
(All); Prince Edward County (All) (804) 698-7515 district15@sov.state.va.us
* Senator Frank W. Wagner - Republican (District 7 - Virginia Beach City
(Part) (804) 698-7507 district07@sov.state.va.us
* Senator Jay O'Brien - Republican (District 39 - Fairfax County (Part);
Prince William County (Part) (804) 698-7539 district39@sov.state.va.us
* Senator Jay Brandon Bell, II - Republican (District 22 - Botetourt County
(All); Montgomery County (Part); Radford City (All); Roanoke County (Part);
Salem City (All) (804) 698-7522 district22@sov.state.va.us
* Senator Jeannemarie Devolites - Republican (District 34 - Fairfax City
(All); Fairfax County (Part) (804) 698-7534 district34@sov.state.va.us
* Senator Mamie Locke - Democrat (District 2 - Hampton City (Part); Newport
News City (Part); Portsmouth City (Part); Suffolk City (Part) (804) 698-7502
district02@sov.state.va.us
Time is of the essence here, so let's show the Senate General Laws Committee
that we support Monument and Memorial Protection in Virginia! As more
information concerning this Resolution is made available, it will be passed
on. Keep the heat on these legislators and feel free to pass this message on
to all concerned Virginians!
Sic Semper Tyrannis,
Fred D. Taylor
Virginia State President
Heritage Preservation Association
vahpa@att.net 757-537-7495
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TO THE MEMBERS OF THE