South Carolina Senate Passes Bill Protecting Monuments and Banning QR Codes
The South Carolina Senate has approved a controversial bill that significantly strengthens protections for nearly all historic statues, monuments, street names, and building titles across the state. Passed with a 31-7 vote, the legislation prohibits local governments from removing or altering these historical markers without explicit approval from the state General Assembly. A notable provision of the bill bans the addition of QR codes to statues, a measure aimed at preventing citizens from scanning codes to access modern contextual information about controversial historical figures, such as Confederate soldiers or segregationists. Supporters of the QR codes argued they provided necessary historical perspective, but lawmakers rejected this approach. This move contrasts with trends in other Southern states like Virginia, where legislators are reducing benefits for Confederate groups and removing statues. The bill reinforces existing laws protecting Confederate monuments and extends safeguards to memorials from the American Revolution to the Persian Gulf War, centralizing control over historical narratives at the state level rather than allowing local discretion.
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South Carolina Senate Passes Bill Protecting Monuments and Banning QR Codes
The South Carolina Senate has approved a controversial bill that significantly strengthens protections for nearly all historic statues, monuments, street names, and building titles across the state. Passed with a 31-7 vote, the legislation prohibits local governments from removing or altering these historical markers without explicit approval from the state General Assembly. A notable provision of the bill bans the addition of QR codes to statues, a measure aimed at preventing citizens from scanning codes to access modern contextual information about controversial historical figures, such as Confederate soldiers or segregationists. Supporters of the QR codes argued they provided necessary historical perspective, but lawmakers rejected this approach. This move contrasts with trends in other Southern states like Virginia, where legislators are reducing benefits for Confederate groups and removing statues. The bill reinforces existing laws protecting Confederate monuments and extends safeguards to memorials from the American Revolution to the Persian Gulf War, centralizing control over historical narratives at the state level rather than allowing local discretion.
AP News