PROPOSED MONUMENTS BILL

Florida House District 1 Representative Mike Hill has filed a bill that would make it illegal to remove a public monument for any reason other than repairs or relocation to an equally prominent place. The “Soldiers’ and Heroes’ Monuments and Memorials Protection Act,” would protect all monuments built on public property on or after March 22, 1822 and would prohibit Florida communities from tearing down Confederate monuments.  In an interview with the Broward Palm Beach New Times, Hill described the bill as a means of preserving history and providing education. The bill also says if a public property bearing a monument is sold, the monument must be relocated to a location of equal prominence.