Senate Bill Would Change Confederate Memorial Day to Unpaid Holiday
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Many people had today off for Confederate Memorial Day.
It’s a state holiday…but one that brings a bit of controversy.
Some say Alabama shouldn’t recognize those who died while fighting for the confederacy.
And now a newly introduced bill would make Confederate Memorial Day and Jefferson Davis’s birthday both unpaid holidays.
Alabama is one of four southern states that recognize Confederate Memorial Day. But now one of the state’s top republicans wants it to be unpaid.
Confederate Memorial Day was first recognized 147 years ago. It’s a day to pay respect to those who died while fighting for slavery with the confederacy. State offices are closed and state employees get a paid holiday. But a new bill would change that. It would make both Confederate Memorial Day and Jefferson Davis’ birthday unpaid holidays.
“If people want to recognize it, that’s fine, but I think we can eliminate it as a paid holiday,” says Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh.
Marsh is sponsoring the bill. He says it’s all about being more fiscally responsible with the state’s money.
“We are definitely going to continue to find ways to streamline and be more efficient.”
But some, mainly those who celebrate Confederate Memorial Day, feel differently.
“We have people that are trying to silence us and that’s not what we’re about,” says Leslie Kirk.
A ceremony was held Monday morning at the state’s Confederate Memorial Monument honoring those lost during the Civil War. Leslie Kirk is the Chairperson of the Alabama Division of Daughters of the Confederacy and says Confederate Memorial Day should remain a paid holiday.
“You can’t rewrite history,” she says. “And so what we’re here today to do is to honor the history for what it is and so that we can learn from it and move forward.”
Alabama State University hosted a ‘critique the confederacy’ day today to debate the issue.
“To sort of disspell or sort of debunk some of the myths regarding the confederate government,” says Department of History Acting Chair Derryn Moten. “Not to cast dispersions but to really talk about why the confederate government formed, what is was interested in protecting.”
Archivist Howard Robinson was a featured speaker.
“The confederate constitution was very specific about encoding or embedding slavery as a permanent part of the Confederate States of America.”
Senator Del Marsh says he’s looking at other state holidays to cut as well.
