Texas state Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Allen) recently co-sponsored a house bill with 16 other lawmakers relating to the display, exhibit and restoration of The Alamo complex.
House Bill 3013 (HB 3013) has generated controversy and debate as part of the $450 million plan to renovate, as the Texas Historical Commission (THC) has fought to keep the Alamo Cenotaph in the city, while the San Antonio City Council plans to erect it 500 feet to the south in front of a historical hotel.
“Proud to vote for @KyleBiedermann HB3013 affirming our commitment to the true story of the Alamo and the heroes who fought there. Glad he accepted my amendment about the unique role of the Alamo in US History and stressing Texas’ continued commitment to the United States,” Rep. Leach said in a tweet.
According to General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush, the Alamo Cenotaph will move anytime soon.
“Cenotaph ain’t moving,” Bush said, as reported by The Hill.
More fierce debate is also rooted in one side believing that 1836 battle, where 200 Texans were killed, should remain focus. The other side of the debate argues that narrative of The Alamo should focus on slavery as an aspect of the battle.
“If they want to bring up that it was about slavery, or say that the Alamo defenders were racist, or anything like that, they need to take their rear ends over the state border and get the hell out of Texas,” President of the This is Freedom Texas Force, Brandon Burkhart told the Washington Post.
Texas public schools began teaching about the importance that slavery played in the Battle of The Alamo beginning in 2018. According to The Hill, public schools are now teaching that the battle, and the Texas Revolution, were, in part, a fight to preserve the state’s right to enslave people.
Other issues surrounding the project include the Tap Pilam Coahuitecan Nation, which is fighting for a say in the historical restoration of The Alamo because of how many of their people died during the battle.
The THC recognizes that “there were hundreds of individuals buried in and around Mission San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo) during the Spanish-colonial era,” and the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation is fighting to be heard in plans to renovate and redevelop the area, The Hill reported.
The restoration of The Alamo, a project that began in 2015 on the crumbling structure, currently has no projection completion date.
