MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama lawmakers are considering a controversial bill that would sharply increase the financial penalties for removing Confederate monuments from public property, reigniting debate over how the state should address its legacy of racial injustice.
The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, would raise the current one-time $25,000 fine for removing or altering monuments that are at least 40 years old to a recurring $5,000 daily penalty. Municipalities or counties that take down a statue could face fines of $1.8 million per year, a dramatic escalation from the existing law.
Allen’s bill does not specifically mention Confederate monuments but would apply to any memorial or statue that has stood for at least four decades. In practice, the law has been used primarily to protect Confederate statues and memorials, which have become flashpoints in recent years as cities across the South reconsider their public displays of Confederate symbols.
The bill has advanced through committee but faces opposition from Democratic lawmakers, who have called for repealing Alabama’s 2017 Memorial Preservation Act rather than increasing penalties. Critics argue the law prevents local governments from responding to their communities and perpetuates the public honoring of figures associated with slavery and white supremacy.
Supporters of the bill say it is necessary to protect Alabama’s history and prevent what they describe as “erasing the past.” Allen has been a vocal proponent of the original law and has repeatedly sought to strengthen it in response to efforts by cities like Birmingham and Mobile to remove Confederate monuments.
The proposed legislation would also change the process for seeking waivers to alter or remove monuments. Under current law, if the state’s committee does not respond to a waiver request within 90 days, the request is automatically approved. Allen’s bill would instead automatically deny any request not acted on within that time frame.
The bill’s future remains uncertain as lawmakers continue to debate the role of Confederate symbols in public spaces and the state’s responsibility to confront its history.