Northam seeks $25M for 'historic justice' initiatives

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam on Friday announced a proposal to spend $25 million to transform historical sites in Virginia, including the Richmond spot where a soaring statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee became a recent focal point of protests against racism.

Nearly $11 million of the money would be used to reconstruct Richmond's Monument Avenue, a historical boulevard that was lined with the Lee statue and other Confederate monuments for more than a century.

Most of the statues were taken down in July after Mayor Levar Stoney ordered their removal amid weeks of protests following the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. At 21 feet (6 meters) tall, the bronze statue of Lee astride a horse towers over the avenue on a pedestal nearly twice as tall as the piece itself.

Northam announced plans to remove the Lee statue in June. But its removal was blocked by a lawsuit filed by a group of residents who live near the statue, which is located on state-owned land. A judge sided with Northam in October, but the statue remains standing while the residents appeal to the state Supreme Court.

Northam said the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts would use the funding to hire staff and lead an initiative to redesign Monument Avenue.

“At a time when this Commonwealth and country are grappling with how to present a more complete and honest picture of our complex history, we must work to enhance public spaces that have long been neglected and shine light on previously untold stories," Northam said in a news release.

The spending proposal is contingent on winning approval from the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. Northam plans to address his proposed “historic justice” initiatives and other components of his budget plan with the...