Florida could remove the birthdays of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis from a list of legal holidays under a bill that has cleared its first committee.
A Senate panel on Tuesday voted to remove the Lee and Davis birthdays as well as Confederate Memorial Day from the list of holidays contained in state law.
The holidays aren't widely celebrated, but Sen. Lauren Book, a South Florida Democrat, argued that the state needed to reevaluate its recognition of those connected to the Confederacy.
Several people testified against the bill, saying it was a form of "cultural genocide" and that the state should not go after their "heroes."
It's unclear if the bill will pass this year since a companion measure has not been heard in the Florida House.
