NJ lawmakers vote to replace Civil War general's statue with women’s suffrage leader

NEW JERSEY - Major General Philip Kearny’s statue stands right outside Kearny’s post office in New Jersey. Kearny lived part of his life in the town after fighting in the Mexican-American war and died fighting for the Union in the Civil War. 

A statue just like it has stood for 132 years at the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall, one of the two New Jersey (and every state) is allowed. 

However, State Senators say they want to replace the statue of Kearny with one of Alice Paul, a New Jersey native and an advocate for women’s suffrage.

The bill was introduced by Democratic Senators Nilsa Cruz Perez, Linda Greenstein and Dawn Addiego, and was passed on Monday.

The decision has drawn mixed feelings from residents, some who say that he should remain honored for his statue, while others say that it’s time for a change.

It was in 2000 when the law was changed to allow the statues to be replaced. Moreover the process of replacing the statue still has a ways to go, as the New Jersey General Assembly must also vote on the matter.