FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Kentucky Representative filed legislation to get rid of the Commonwealth's holidays which honor the Confederacy.
State Representative Chad Aull says not only should Kentucky remove these three holidays from our state law, he said Kentucky should do get rid of them now.
“Symbolically, we should take that step now, during Black History Month, but at a minimum, we need to do it before the General Assembly wraps up its work next month,” Aull said.
House Bill 211 would remove three holidays from Kentucky state law: Robert E. Lee Day, Confederate Memorial Day and Jefferson Davis Day.
“Just as we removed the Jefferson Davis statue from the Capitol Rotunda in 2020, we need to remove these honorary holidays dedicated to the Confederacy,” he said.
While Kentuckians no longer observe these holidays, Aull said it's important to strike these holidays from state law.
“Kentucky has taken steps before to right past wrongs like this,” he said. He recalled when the General Assembly ratified the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
"Former state Representative Mae Street Kidd led that effort because, she said, ‘I am a proud Kentuckian, and I didn’t want that blot to remain on our history.’" Aull said. "Well, I don’t want the blot of these Confederate holidays to remain on our history.”
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