Senate Bill 598 directs the West Virginia Department of Administration’s secretary and the General Services Division to replace the existing statue of the Honorable Robert C. Byrd in the Capitol rotunda with four separate statues: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, James Madison, and Arthur I. Boreman. The bill specifies that one statue of each figure is to be placed in a corner of the rotunda.
The measure also identifies the funding source for the project, requiring the General Services Division to use money from the special “capitol renovation and improvement fund” that had previously been created for the replacement of the Byrd statue and the creation and placement of the new statues. In effect, the bill amends state law by adding a new section to the code governing the General Services Division and by formally authorizing the statue replacement project and its funding mechanism.
Impact
SB 598 would change West Virginia law by adding §5A-4-7 to the state code, giving the Department of Administration a statutory directive to carry out the Capitol rotunda statue replacement. It would not create a new program beyond the monument project, but it would legally authorize the removal/replacement of the Robert C. Byrd statue and the installation of four historical figures in the Capitol rotunda, while tying the work to an existing special renovation fund.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears procedural and straightforward rather than contested in the available record. The bill is framed as a Capitol design and commemorative change, with no documented opposition or support statements in the supplied context. Because no committee transcripts or vote history are included, there is no evidence here of a broader political consensus or division, only the sponsor’s clear intent to proceed with the replacement.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the replacement of the Robert C. Byrd statue, which could be viewed as symbolically significant given Byrd’s long role in West Virginia politics. Another possible issue is the selection of the four replacement figures and the decision to use Capitol renovation funds for the project. However, the provided materials do not include committee testimony, amendments, or votes, so any disagreement is only inferable from the subject matter rather than documented in the record.