Senate approves plan to remove Confederate general statue

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Senate approved a plan on Thursday to replace a statue of Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith at the U.S. Capitol.

Each state is allowed two statues in the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall. Florida has long been represented by statues of Smith and John Gorrie, but supporters of the bill said Smith is not the best person to represent the state.

Senators voted 33-7 to approve SB 310 that would start a process to replace the Smith statue. The process would allow a committee to recommend three prominent Floridians as potential replacements. The Legislature would pick one whose statue would be place in the hall.

A House version of the bill has been approved by three committees and is ready for the House floor.