


 The recent violence in Charlottesville, Va., has renewed calls in Tennessee to remove Confederate statues and memorials across the state. 

The Nathan Bedford Forrest bust in the state Capitol and the Forrest statue in a Memphis park are at the forefront of the public debate. Rallies in Nashville and Memphis to remove the likenesses of the Confederate general and early leader of the Ku Klux Klan join similar efforts in other parts of the country.

They all come on the heels of the violence in Virginia. White supremacists, neo-Nazis and other groups protested the planned removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. 

More: In the South, Confederate monuments often protected, hard to remove thanks to state laws

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Is it easy to take them down in Tennessee? 

No. There are two ways a historical statue can be removed from public property in Tennessee. Both are complex processes.

The first route is laid out in the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act of 2016. It requires anyone interested in renaming, removing or relocating any statues, monuments and other memorials on publicly owned land to receive a two-thirds majority vote from the Tennessee Historical Commission.

The law, sponsored by state Rep. Steve McDaniel, R-Parkers Crossroads, toughened state law. Prior to its enactment only a simple majority was required. 

An act of the Tennessee General Assembly also could remove the statues. 

► More: House passes bill making it harder to remove controversial statues

What is the Tennessee Historical Commission?

It's an independent state agency focused on Tennessee history and historic preservation.

It's the Tennessee Historical Commission's board that has the power to remove the statues or keep them in place. Under the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act of 2016, a two-thirds vote is required.  

The board has 29 members, including 24 appointed by the governor. They serve five-year terms. The board also includes five nonvoting members, including the governor and the state historian.  

What's the governor have to say about it? 

Gov. Bill Haslam opposes the recognition of Nathan Bedford Forrest in the state Capitol. He said that in 2015 amid calls to pull down the bust and remove other of Confederate symbols.

He reiterated that following Monday's protest of the bust, but pointed to the channels in place for removal. Haslam signed the Heritage Protection Act into law.

► More: Tennessee Gov. Haslam: Nathan Bedford Forrest shouldn't be honored at capitol


How many Confederate monuments are in public spaces in Tennessee?

While the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust in the state Capitol and the Forrest statue in the Memphis park draw much of the attention, they're far from the only Confederate monuments across the state. 

► More: Nathan Bedford Forrest statue in Memphis draws protesters overnight

In 2013, the Tennessee Wars Commission had a survey conducted of all war and war-related monuments in the public domain in the state and found 70 purely Confederate monuments, said Tim Hyder, director of programs for the Tennessee Wars Commission.

► More: Why Knoxville doesn't have Confederate monuments

Twelve are in cemeteries, Hyder said, 37 are in or around county courthouses and 21 are in other public spaces. The range greatly in size and scope. 

Jessica Bliss contributed to this report. 

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