By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
In a renewed push to protect Confederate monuments across Alabama, State Senator Gerald Allen has re-filed legislation that would drastically increase financial penalties for cities and counties that remove them. The bill proposes a $1.825 million annual fine—a sharp rise from the current flat $25,000 penalty—for any municipality that alters or removes monuments over 40 years old, including those commemorating the Confederacy.
“This legislation is about preserving our history and ensuring that future generations understand the complexities of our past,” said Allen. “Monuments serve as tangible reminders of our heritage, and their removal should not be taken lightly.”
Originally passed in 2017, the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act was created in response to a growing number of local efforts—particularly in Birmingham and Mobile—to take down monuments honoring the Confederacy. The law restricts the alteration or removal of monuments over certain age thresholds and has faced ongoing legal and public challenges, especially after the 2020 protests for racial justice reignited scrutiny of Confederate symbols in public spaces.
Critics argue the new bill weaponizes financial penalties to stifle local control and the will of
diverse communities.
“Imposing exorbitant fines to protect symbols of the Confederacy is a step backward,” said State Representative Juandalynn Givan (D-Birmingham). “These monuments don’t represent shared history—they represent oppression and division. Our communities should have the right to decide what stands in their public spaces.”
The proposed bill would apply a daily fine of $5,000, accumulating to $1.825 million per year, until a removed monument is fully restored. Some legal analysts believe such a measure could face constitutional challenges on the grounds of excessive penalties and infringement on municipal governance.
Senator Allen, however, maintains the bill is not racially motivated but intended to “safeguard all of Alabama’s historical markers, no matter how controversial.” The bill has not yet been scheduled for a vote but is expected to be taken up in the 2025 legislative session.
As cities across the South wrestle with the legacy of the Confederacy, Alabama’s legislation could become a national flashpoint in the debate between historical preservation and social progress.