Chuck Lindell Austin American-Statesman
AUSTIN, Texas — With attention focused on a Texas House hearing about competing bills — one to remove Confederate monuments from the Capitol and two to prohibit historical monuments from removal — it was Republican opposition to a relatively low-key bill that drew sparks Monday.
Democratic state Sen. Borris Miles of Houston presented a resolution pressing federal officials to finally take action on a bill passed 30 years ago to rename areas of Texas containing the word “Negro” — many changed from the N-word in a futile bid to cleanse the sites of racial offense.
No senators on the State Affairs Committee questioned Miles about the bill, a reliable sign of support.
Then a representative of the Republican Party of Texas urged the committee to defeat Senate Concurrent Resolution 29, and senators in both parties reacted swiftly.
David Wylie, speaking on behalf of the Republican Party of Texas as a member of its executive committee, said renaming the locations could put Texas on a “slippery slope” toward removing or changing monuments, markers and place names of historical significance — changes the majority of Republicans opposed when asked to vote on the subject during last year’s Republican primary and at the state GOP convention.
“SCR 29 will help tear away those things that have been named for people, events and simply the history of what Texas is,” Wylie said.
“Changing the name of things is something that is more socially acceptable at the moment (but) only serves to lessen the importance of the name in the first place. We need monuments and markers to remain as they are in place and in name,” he said.
Wylie is one of 64 members of the State Republican Executive Committee, the governing board of the state party, with members elected during the party’s convention.
The committee chairman, a fellow Republican, tried in vain to get Wylie to walk back opposition to Miles’ resolution.
“We voted on monuments (at the state convention); we did not talk about places with this word in their name,” said state Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Mineola Republican. “This only applies to those geographic locations that had the N-word in their title.”
But Wylie said that in the 30 years since the Legislature acted to change the names of Negro Lake, Negro Head Mountain and similar locations, nearby communities have had time to act on their own behalf.
“If those communities have not stood up to get these name changes applied, then in my opinion these are important to them,” Wylie said. “This is perhaps just the first level, and it’s a slippery slope. Once we deal with these, then there are many others perhaps to go with it.”
Hughes disagreed. “I don’t think there is anything in the record that suggests the local communities have come out and said we like these names.”
Sen. Judith Zaffirini, a Laredo Democrat, also tried to draw a distinction between replacing offensive names and opposition to removing monuments, but Wylie resisted.
“I definitely don’t want to get into being in the position of saying I like those things, but if we were to review all of the names, as was said earlier, in Texas and say that we can only have neutral names that don’t have to do with anybody, then we begin to get to the place where it does impact the markers and monuments of Texas,” Wylie said.
Democratic state Sen. Beverly Powell of Burleson took exception to his testimony.
“Do you believe people should have to be subject to that kind of discriminatory name every day because it’s a slippery slope on monuments and markers?” she said.
Miles, who is Black, asked the committee members to consider what it must mean to him and his son, both born and raised in Texas, to contemplate visiting a place called Negro Head Mountain.
“We’re just as much a part of the fabric of Texas as anyone else,” Miles said. “Again, no monuments, no statues, just names of locations (in the bill). I strongly urge and ask that you support SCR 29 and that we bring some kind of reconciliation, in some kind of way, to the citizens of the state of Texas.”
Miles’ resolution asks the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to approve new names for the locations.
In 1991, the Legislature passed a bill requiring any location containing the word Negro to be renamed. At the time, 19 such place names were identified, but 17 remain unchanged because the federal board rejected the proposed changes in 1998, saying Texas did not provide the required documentation showing local support for the new names.
Texas has resubmitted its application to change the 17 names, and Miles’ resolution urges the federal board to approve new names during its summer meeting.
Since the Legislature first acted in 1991, another 11 offensive place names have been discovered in Texas. Miles said. His resolution also encourages state officials to seek out advocates to formally propose new names for those sites.
In the meantime, a House committee was expecting to hear hours of late testimony on several controversial bills, including a Democratic measure to rid the Capitol grounds of monuments to Confederate forces and soldiers, as well as paintings of Confederate leaders in the Senate and House chambers.
Supporters of House Bill 1186 say removal is appropriate for monuments that glorify traitors, secessionists and white supremacists.
The House Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee also was scheduled to hear testimony on two Republican bills to protect monuments.
HB 2713 would ban the removal, relocation or alteration of any monument or memorial that “honors an event or person of historic significance” and has been in place for at least 40 years. Changing or removing a monument that is 20 to 40 years old would need approval from a supermajority of the Texas House and Senate.
HB 4538 would prohibit cities and counties from removing or altering monuments, statues and paintings, or changing the names on buildings or streets, that have been in place at least 40 years unless approved by a majority of voters in an election.
Supporters say the monuments are part of history and important to remembering the past, both the good and the bad. Removal would deprive future generations of those lessons, they say.
The Texas Senate passed a bill in 2019 to make it more difficult, if not impossible, to remove or alter Confederate monuments and other historic memorials, but the measure died in the House.
