"Now, every child who walks into their capitol feels welcome. Today we took a step forward for the betterment of every single Kentuckian.”

Clemson to strip name of John C Calhoun from honors college
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Beshear’s Republican predecessor, Matt Bevin, opposed attempts to remove the statue as a “sanitisation of history”. But on Saturday Jason Nemes, a Republican state representative, told the Courier-Journal: “Today is a symbol we are moving ahead. It’s a recognition of the sins of our past.

“We honor our history, the good and the bad, but … I think it’s a wonderful thing that we don’t want to celebrate Jeff Davis anymore.”

On Friday, the Kentucky Historic Properties Advisory Commission voted to move the Davis statue to the site where the Confederate leader was born. From the capitol, state representative Derrick Graham, an African American Democrat, tweeted: “He’s gone, y’all. Glory, Hallelujah!”