Confederate plaque removed from Texas Capitol

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A lawmaker says a Confederate plaque in the Texas Capitol that rejects slavery as the underlying cause of the Civil War has been removed. State Rep. Eric Johnson on Sunday tweeted a photo of the blank wall where the plaque was once displayed.

Johnson, a Dallas Democrat, has long pushed the state to remove the plaque, which was made by the Children of the Confederacy and was first hung in the Capitol in 1959.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other state leaders agreed to remove the plaque Friday after years of resistance by top Republicans.

Abbott said in October that the Capitol should not have "substantially inaccurate historical statements" on permanent display. He and other members of a preservation board voted Friday to remove the plaque.

---

Black lawmaker renews call against Texas Confederate plaque

News