Georgia has interesting law regarding war memorials. Does New York have one like it?

Factual Questions
1

I recently read an article in the NY Times that mentioned a curious Georgia law regarding war veteran memorials. As a history-minded New York City resident, I’m curious to know if my state (and/or city, if that matters) has a similar law. Can someone tell me?

The Georgia law – identified as 50-3-1, subparagraph B – states that no publicly owned memorial dedicated to veterans of the United States or the Confederacy* shall be relocated, removed, concealed, etc.

  • This mention of the Confederacy is irrelevant to my inquiry, so please do not get distracted by it.

Thanks all, in advance.

2

I just spent about 20 minutes using a legal search engine to search through New York State law, New York City Code, Administrative Law, and a few other sources. None of it turns up a similar provision. I suppose this isn’t surprising. One would expect Georgia to be a bit more defensive about its monuments.

3

I don’t know the answer to the question, but I will suggest that the mention of the Confederacy may not be irrelevant, as it possibly is the only reason Georgia has its law.

What I speculate is that the law is in reaction to sentiment against Confederate memorials and their display of the Confederate Battle Flag. Naturally, a law to protect only Confederate memorials would run up against the same sentiment, whereas a law to protect both Federal and Confederate memorials has the appearance of neutrality, and its opponents could easily be labeled unpatriotic. If my guess is right, and Georgia’s law is rooted in stemming anti-Confederate action, then New York would not have a similar law, nor would any Northern or Western state.

This comes to mind because I have never heard of any kind of uproar or protest - or even mere mention - of altering Federal war memorials, but there has been controversy over Confederate ones.

4

This seems correct. The law that follows the one cited the OP is about how the confederate monument on Stone Mountain must be maintained forever to honor the Confederacy.

5

Thanks RP and Gary for all your hard work on my behalf.

I agree that Gary’s theory seems very plausible.

6

I recall not too long ago that there was a fuss about much of the Gettysburg battlefield being threatened with sale to a developer, who planned to put up a shopping mall on this ‘sacred ground’.