Governor requests review of Jefferson Davis statue, others in Captiol Rotunda

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – The South Carolina confederate flag debate is prompting questions in Kentucky about whether or not a statue of Jefferson Davis should remain in the Capitol Rotunda.  Davis was the President of the Confederacy.  He was born in Kentucky.

The following is the statement released by the Office of the Governor on Tuesday evening:

“It’s time to reconsider the statues which represent Kentucky in our state capitol, as each statue has been in place for more than a half century.  Per state law (KRS 11.026), the Historic Properties Advisory Commission determines what is displayed in the Rotunda, and I am requesting that they review these monuments in context of Kentucky’s history.

Kentucky holds a unique place in Civil War history, as our state was the birthplace of both presidents during that war.  Jefferson Davis’ statue is just a few steps away from the central Abraham Lincoln statue. While Davis’ likeness hasn’t been used in the same way as the Confederate flag, a broader discussion of the statue’s position in the Capitol is due. 

I urge the Historic Properties Advisory Commission to seek public input as well as the advice of the state’s historians on all the art in the Capitol Rotunda in order to consider the necessary historic, social and educational context of these monuments.” 

                                                                          – Governor Steve Beshear