Texas' Republican House Speaker Just Called for Removal of a Confederate Plaque From the State Capitol

AUSTIN — Joe Straus, the Republican speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, on Tuesday called for an increasingly divisive Confederate plaque to be removed from the state Capitol building.In a letter to the state board that oversees historical monuments at markers at the Texas Capitol, Straus requested the plaque be removed as soon as possible. "The plaque says that the Civil War was not an act of rebellion and was not primarily about slavery. This is not accurate, and Texans are not well-served by incorrect information about our history," Straus, R-San Antonio, wrote to the State Preservation Board. "Those of us who serve on the State Preservation Board should direct staff to identify the steps necessary to remove this plaque as soon as practicable."Straus also reiterated his calls for the "historical accuracy and context" of the Capitol's dozen or so other nods to Lost Cause to be reviewed: "We have an obligation to all the people we serve to ensure that our history is described correctly, especially when it comes to a subject as painful as slavery."  Continue reading...