Confederate monuments would be protected under altered bill
A bill to protect military monuments on public property has been altered in a way to preserve memorials to the Confederacy, a state senator says.
Senate Bill 970 was approved by the Senate last year and remains alive this legislative session.
Symbols of the Confederacy are sometimes controversial, with some people saying they are an objectionable tribute to those who supported slavery, while others say they venerate Americans who fought and died in the Civil War.
In its original version, the bill prohibited state and local government from renaming or removing structures or monuments that honor military figures or events for a list of military conflicts beginning with the first World War and ending with the second Persian Gulf War.
When the bill got to a House committee on March 30, it was replaced with a version that did not specify which wars were covered.
Sen. David Holt, R-Oklahoma City, learned of the issue from a constituent who
A ceremony will be held on the 21st anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing to remember the 168 victims of that tragic day.
The April 19 event at the Oklahoma City Memorial and Museum will take place near the Field of Empty Chairs at 8:45 a.m. and will last about one hour. Participants will pause for 168 seconds of silence before the names of those who died are read aloud.
The museum will be open free of charge for the rest of the day, according to a news release.
Renovated in 2014, the museum now offers visitors interactive exhibits and more than 1 million artifacts from the bombing.
Later this month, more than 20,000 participants are expected to come to Oklahoma City for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. That event takes place April 24.
Those interested in volunteering at the race can call 235-3313.