Controversy Over Confederate Monument Removal

As tensions over standing confederate monuments all over the state escalates, WAAY 31 is looking for answers from city leaders on what they plan to do for their own towns.

Change and social reform.

Today -- no one would tell us if madison county and the state of alabama are negotiating how to remove a confederate monument outside the courthouse.

The state already fined birmingham and mobile for moving monuments.

Today, we tried asking attorney general steve marshall what that means for madison county's push to remove a statue a lot of people consider racist.

Waay 31's casey albritton found - it's a question everyone involved is avoiding.

I repeatedly called and emailed attorney general steve marshall's office today.

I sent xx emails and called times.

But eight hours later, i still haven't received any response.

Madison county commissioners are waiting to learn what they can and can't do with this monument outside the county courthouse.

They unanimously voted to remove it but want to ask the state how to do so legally to avoid a 25 thousand dollar fine.

So far, attorney general steve marshall refused to answer that question but fined birmingham and mobile for breaking a 2017 law that bans removing monuments more than 40 years old.

In one email, i asked marshall why he told us last week there are no exceptions to the law when it states the availability of a waiver from a state committee?

I also asked since all the state can do is issue a one-time fine of 25 thousand dollars, if the penalty is just a form of extortion to make alabama money?

Last week, commissioners said they want to avoid the fine and plan to ask a state committee for approval to remove the statue at a meeting in montgomery next month.

A group called the tennessee valley progressive alliance said it already raised more than 30 thousand dollars to pay any fine for removing the statue.

Thanks casey.

We'll be sure to let you know if the attorney general's office answers