Daughters Of Confederacy: Monument Removal Could Cost $1M

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — The United Daughters of the Confederacy says a monument in front of a Louisiana courthouse that's been ordered removed is considered very fragile and could cost $1 million to be taken down safely.

The UDC told KTSB-TV they hired an expert witness who says the 116-year-old statue outside of Shreveport's Caddo Parish Courthouse could fall apart if it isn't moved carefully. They say the Mississippi Stone Guild found it would take nearly $1 million to properly move it.

On Sept. 30, a planning committee recommended setting aside half of that in city funds if the group doesn't move the monument itself by mid-November.

The Shreveport Times reports UDC spokeswoman Jackie Nichols told the commission Thursday the amount proposed isn't enough and contends the group never said it would pay for the removal.