A closer look at the Memorial Preservation Act

A closer look at the Memorial Preservation Act

-- i'm najahe sherman.

And i'm dan shaffer.

While the legislation does not single out confederate monuments for protection - it was passed during a nationwide push to remove them in 2017.

Waay31's megan reyna joins us live downtown with why some lawmakers say that bill never should have been signed into law.

Tonight i spoke to both a democrat and republican who both voted against the 2017 law that protects monuments like this one behind me from being removed or relocated.

While the next legislative session isn't until february -- both lawmakers are expecting it to become an item of discussion.

Ball says:"i don't think it was as well thought through, i think it was a political bill to begin with and drew a political backlash."

Daniels says:"i've always felt the decisions made at the local level, it is unfortunate that the state would take that position."

Back in 2017 -- both representatives mike ball, a republican, and anthony daniels, a democrat, voted against the monuments preservation bill.

Still, the bill passed in the house 68-29.

It eventually became law -- prohibiting counties from removing monuments more than 20 years old and instituting a 25 thousand dollar fine if they did nats:"take it down" fast forward to now -- all across north alabama and the country many people are calling for these monuments to come down.

Something representative daniels is completely in support of... especially in huntsville.

Daniels says:"if we're considered one of the most progressive cities in the state of alabama but we still have this statue that remains in front of our courthouse, it doesn't speak well to our community."

Representative ball says he didn't support the bill because it was taking away rights from local governments.

Ball says:"i wish we hadn't have passed it, i don't think its necessary and that bill thats in place has a lot of work to be done to it, if not repealed."

He believes the issue of removing monuments became too political.

Ball says:"when things shake up with the partisan divide, folks stop listening to each other and so there's not a lot of dialogue and discussion."

Ball said he hopes both sides of the aisle can put politics aside to find a common ground next year when the legislature reconvenes in montgomery.

Ball says:"hopefully folks can sit down and say, okay what are we going to do?

Let's make this better."

For daniels... he wants it repealed.

Nats however -- he says even if monuments across north alabama come down -- the fight against racial inequality is far from over.

Daniels says:"don't be merely satisfied with the cosmetics, go beyond the cosmetics of it all and deal with the system."

So far -- no monuments have been removed in north alabama.

Reporting live in hsv mr