SC Heritage Act expansion limits monument changes. Here's what to know

South Carolina lawmakers passed an expansion of the 2000 Heritage Act that would prevent local governments from adding plaques, signs or QR codes to monuments without General Assembly approval. Some preservationists say the change restricts how the state’s complex history can be told, while supporters argue additions can distort the original meaning of memorials.

FULL STORY: Who tells SC’s history? Heritage Act update etches monuments, memorials in stone

Here are key takeaways:

• The legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Danny Verdin, R-Laurens, blocks monuments on state or local land from being moved, removed or altered — including with new plaques or QR codes — unless both chambers of the General Assembly approve through a joint resolution.
• Opponents of the new law said QR codes and plaques can help tell a more complete version of South Carolina’s history. Brett Barry of the American Heritage Association countered added information can become “editorial” and disrespect the original memorial
• Opponents cite the Strom Thurmond statue at the State House, which was amended in 2005 to add daughter Essie Mae Washington-Williams after his death when it was confirmed she was his child with a Black household maid. State Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine, D-Richland, said such corrections would be harder under the new law.
• Thelaw’s new preamble states that interpretations closest in time to an event are most accurate, but some, including Suzanne Brooks of Historic Columbia, argue historical interpretation is “an evidence-based evolving process.”
• Despite the debate, lawmakers have shown bipartisan support for a new State House monument to Robert Smalls, who will be the first individual Black South Carolinian honored on the grounds.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.