Alabama Lawmakers At Stalemate Over Confederate Statues

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – The Alabama Senate is at a standstill debating a bill that bars changes from being made to historic or Confederate monuments in the state.

African-American lawmakers argued Thursday that the measure is offensive to black Alabamans.

The bill forbids changes to public monuments that have stood for more than 50 years.

Tuscaloosa Republican Sen. Gerald Allen is sponsoring the legislation. He says that it is intended to preserve history.

The Monuments Preservation Act comes amid regional debate about the appropriateness of monuments, street names and buildings with visible links to slavery.

The debate lasted for more than two hours Thursday.