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After years of controversy and protest, a controversial statue has been removed from the grounds of the Tennessee Capitol Building, per WKRN.
On Friday (July 23), crews removed three busts from the Capitol, including the monument to Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general and early leader of the Ku Klux Klan. The bust was installed in 1978, where it immediately sparked protests that eventually led to its relocation in 2010 from outside the House of Representatives to the main corridor between the House and Senate Chambers, according to News Channel 5.
State lawmakers voted earlier this year to remove the bust, but it wasn't until the State Building Commission and Gov. Bill Lee's vote on Thursday (July 22) that confirmed it would be relocated, along with busts of U.S. admirals David Farragut and Albert Greaves. All three will be moved to the Tennessee State Museum.
"After more than a year in the making, this process has finally come to a close," said Gov. Lee. "I thank the members of the Capitol Commission, Historical Commission and State Building Commission for providing thoughtful input and ensuring confidence in the process. The State Museum provides the full historical context for these figures as we remember our state's rich and complex past."
He continued, "It's most important to me that we followed the process ... I think that we'll have the result that's best for Tennessee."
Only two lawmakers voted no during Thursday's vote: Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton.
"Trying to judge past generations' actions based on today's values and the evolution of societies is not an exercise I am wiling to do because I think it is counterproductive," Sexton said in a statement, adding that it's more productive to learn from the past and "not repeat the imperfections."
The cost to remove the 3,000-pound busts totaled around $17,000 and is being covered by the state museum.