Sonny Brasfield, Executive Director, ACCA

WAAY 31 Anchors Marie Waxel and Pat Simon talk with Sonny Brasfield, Executive Director of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama, about issues involving the removal of Confederate Monuments

12th grade.

Waay 31 news is following the potential next steps when it comes to the future of the confederate monument in front of the madison county courthouse.

We've learned that several bills prefiled in the february legislative session would either do away with the 2017 monument preservation act - or allow local governments more control over those monuments.

We'll touch on that in a moment - but first - let's talk about where things currently stand.

Joining us now live via zoom is sonny brasfield - executive director of the association of county commissions of alabama.

Sonny - welcome back to the show.

Let's start with the waiver to move the monument filed by the madison county commission to the alabama committee for monument preservation.

We reported a july 9th committee meeting meeting was not held.

Does that mean that the waiver could be approved without action?

I actually read the waiver form ... and it pertains to monuments in place at least 20 years ... and less than 40 years.

But the monument we're talking about has been in place way more than 40 years.

Does that make the attempt for the waiver "null and void" in the first place?

The leadership of the county commission does not want to "break the law" lik mobile and birmingham have done in removing statues and paying fines to do so.

So where does that leave the madison county commission?

Now let's bring in legislative action.

We know that bills have been prefiled to either do away with the 2017 preservation act or give more local authority over monuments.

But they will not be heard until february.

In your opinion, is that where we will ultimately decide all of this - especially with this apparent stalemate over this issue?

.

In this day and time, do we still need a preservation law or just leave it up to local government to decide?

Sonny brasfield - executive director of the association of county commissions of alabama.

Thanks for joining us.

Pause