FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear( D) says the statue of Confederate president Jefferson Davis in the Kentucky Capitol rotunda needs to be removed.

What You Need To Know


  • Beshear wants Jefferson Davis statue removed from Rotunda

  • The confederate statue has been there since 1936

  • Beshear says the statue is a "symbol that divides us"

“I believe that the Jefferson Davis statue is a symbol that divides us,” Beshear said. “And even if there are those that think it’s a part of history, there should be a better place to put it in historic context.”

Beshear said his office is looking into removing the statue when asked if he has the power to remove it as Governor.

He said especially now, with racial tensions boiling up in Kentucky and America over the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and others at the hands of police officers, we have to show compassion to people who see the statue as a problem.

“Can’t we understand that is, in the very least, so hurtful to them?” Beshear said. “And doesn’t that at least justify it not sitting where it does now?”

The statue has been in the Kentucky Capitol since 1936 and even had a plaque describing Davis as a “hero” until it was removed in 2018.

Beshear spoke about the statue during his Thursday press briefing, where he also voiced support for lawmakers who decided to hold a listening session earlier in the day on race issues.

Black Lives Matter organizer Keturah Herron, Louisville Metro Council President David James, and some Democratic lawmakers want new legislation, including statewide restrictions on no-knock warrants. Beshear said he supports such a proposal.

“What occurred with the no-knock warrant and how it was served, in the case of Breonna Taylor, it demands change,” Beshear said. “And anytime a tragedy occurs, we ought to learn from it.”

James told lawmakers he expects the Louisville Metro Council to approve a ban on no-knock warrants in the city next week.

Confederate Statues