Confederate Monuments May Return in Louisiana Parks

LOUISIANA - A new bill currently moving through the Louisiana Legislature could change where some of Louisiana's previously removed Confederate monuments and statues end up.

Lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow Confederate monuments taken down from public spaces over the past two decades to be relocated and displayed inside Louisiana state parks. The proposal has already passed the Louisiana House and is now headed to the Senate for consideration.

Here's what you need to know...

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

What The Louisiana Confederate Monument Bill Would Do

The proposed legislation, House Bill 1215, would require the Louisiana Office of State Parks to officially take possession of some historical Confederate statues or monuments removed from public display after August 1, 2006.

According to WAFB, under Louisiana House Bill 1215 -

Removed monuments would be relocated to a public space managed by the state park system.
The monuments could not be displayed in the same parish where they originally stood
Historical signage and context would be required alongside the monuments.
Information would explain both why the monuments were erected and why they were removed from.

(Photo by Michael DeMocker/Getty Images)

Over the past few decades it has been debated, not only in Louisiana but across the South, whether the Confederate monuments represented historical remembrance, political messaging, or represented a painful time in our country of slavery and racial injustice.

Some Louisiana cities, including Lafayette, Shreveport, and New Orleans, have removed Confederate-related statues in recent years.

Louisiana Leaders Say Context Matters

Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said the proposal is intended to preserve history while also giving visitors more complete historical context.

Nungesser reportedly said in a recent interview according to WAFB -

I’m hoping this is something that can bring people together and is not a divide. It’s history. Telling the story, both good and bad, is not a bad thing. We are not going to use state dollars to move the statues.

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What Happens Next For Louisiana?

Louisiana House Bill 1215 has already cleared the Louisiana House and now moves to the Louisiana Senate. If approved there and signed into law, Louisiana state parks could eventually become home to several Confederate monuments that were removed from public spaces around Louisiana years ago.

10 on 10: The 10 Best Places to Eat on I-10 in South Louisiana

Part of the fun of traveling is stopping for a great bite to eat. Here in Acadiana, great places to eat is kind what we're famous for.

Whether you're a traveler in need of stopping to stretch your legs and get some great food, or you're a local that's in the know, I-10 through Acadiana is chocked full of amazing local restaurants.

Picking the best of anything when it comes to food in Louisiana is a pretty impossible task, but using Google reviews and a little geography, we've compiled the list of "The 10 Best Places to Eat on I-10 in South Louisiana".

Gallery Credit: Michael Scott