TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Mayor Andrew Gillum is again calling on Governor Rick Scott to remove the Confederate monument that sits in front of the old Florida Capitol building.
Gillum made a short speech and spoke with media in front of the monument Saturday. This is something Gillum's been pushing for as Confederate monuments come down across the country in the wake of last weekend's violent, deadly white supremacist protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.
According to the Florida Department of Management Services, no changes can be made to the old Capitol museum or the monuments outside without legislative approval. That means Scott does not have the authority to simply remove the monument. However, nothing prevents him from using his position and power to recommend what action lawmakers should take.
"We deserve a leader who understands that there's a huge segment of the population of this state who find monuments like this and the confederate flag and the vestiges of slavery to be deeply painful," said Gillum.
Earlier this week, Scott responded to a question about what should be done with state and federal confederate statues saying it should be dealt with on a local level.
