AG regrets his vote for state monuments law

The Senate voted unanimously for the Historical Artifacts Management and Patriotism Act, which gives the state Historical Commission authority over moving Confederate statues while also severely limiting that authority.

"In retrospect, if I could do it again, I would have voted differently," Stein said, noting that he paid more attention to flag protection provisions in the law when it was debated.

"I think the law needs to be revisited," he said. "It's wrong for Raleigh to tell every community in this state who they must memorialize in their public space."

"To honor someone like a Gen. (Robert E.) Lee who took up arms against the United States of America, the American flag, in order to preserve slavery, that's wrong," Stein countered.

Public sentiment has evolved since many Confederate statues went up in the early 1900s, he said.

"It was about exuding white supremacy. It was not about honoring people who had long since died," he said.

The commission is set to meet Sept. 22 to consider Cooper's request and others.

Although the commission is in charge of managing monuments and other "objects of remembrance" under the 2015 law, the law prohibits permanent removal and states that any relocation be to "a site of similar prominence, honor, visibility, availability, and access that are within the boundaries of the jurisdiction from which it was relocated."

"The Historical Commission has to approve it, but there are only very limited circumstances by which local governments can seek to have a monument removed. That was wrong," Stein said.