Committee adopts amendment and defers bill to clarify transfer of removed monuments to State Parks

Representative Baham presented HB 1215 to provide for the custodianship of monuments and memorials removed by communities: the bill would transfer those items to the lieutenant governor through the Office of State Parks for safekeeping and interpretive placement. Baham said the legislation would provide “interpretive signage” and a timeline documenting original placement and removal.

The committee adopted Amendment 3896 (as explained in the amendment text): it would apply to statues removed on or after Aug. 1, 2006; require coordination between the removing public entity and the Office of State Parks rather than mandating unilateral local expense; and add a provision clarifying the relationship to RS 44:406. Baham said the amendment intended to avoid placing an uncompensated burden on local governments.

Members asked detailed questions about fiscal impact and whether the lieutenant governor's office would accept custodianship and associated costs. Representative Billings asked whether the lieutenant governor had been consulted; Baham said he had coordinated with that office but lieutenant governor staff were not present. Several members requested a clearer commitment that the lieutenant governor's office would not be left holding significant unanticipated expenses; Baham agreed to defer the bill another week to allow lieutenant governor staff to appear and to work with members on narrowing language.

Representative Knox raised a coordination concern: if a municipality removes a statue, could state parks within the same municipal boundaries become the repository, which some members said would undercut the removal's purpose. Baham said he would work to add language to address that concern. Representative Stagney said the bill should not impinge on zoning authority, and Baham said that was not the intent.

The author voluntarily deferred the bill to the committee's next meeting to allow lieutenant governor staff to answer fiscal questions and to draft additional clarifying language.

No final vote on the bill occurred in committee.