Democrats and state officials say the nonprofit Minnesota Historical Society is best equipped to manage them.
Senate Republicans want to put government in charge of state-owned historical sites instead of the Minnesota Historical Society, a nonprofit that has overseen more than two dozen significant homes, forts and battlefields for the past 50 years.
The quiet push, tucked in a proposed budget bill to fund state government, would provide more transparency over how these sites are run, Republicans say. But the move blindsided state officials and comes after years of clashes between conservatives and the Historical Society over things ranging from signage at Fort Snelling to the toppling of the Christopher Columbus statue by activists last summer.
“A historical society should not be embroiled in a huge amount of controversy,” said Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, who proposed the change. “They should be keeping track of our history.” Continue reading.