By james art 
Virginia has taken another decisive step in her ongoing reading with her past on the Confederation as the Chamber of Delegates in bilateral, approved legislation on the state of tax status by organizations linked to the Confederation.
House Bill 1699Who passed with 53-42 votes on Friday, directs groups such as the Virginia Department of the United Daughters of the Confederation (UDC), terminating their properties and tax privileges.
For del. Alex Askeu, D-Virginia Beach, the sponsor of the bill, the measure is about justice and priorities in a country that is still struggling with how to honor its history without glorifying a heritage rooted in oppression.
“Tax exemption is a privilege, not a right,” Askeu said during a press conference in the State Capitol in Richmond last week, emphasizing that the legislation is not related to the deletion of history but to deal with fiscal liability and justice.
The bill is specifically targeted at several groups, including UDC, the Confederation Memorial Literary Society and Stonewall Jackson Memorial, Inc. If they have been adopted by the Senate and signed in the law, these organizations will have to pay taxes on their properties, bringing in line with the Democrats, “broader efforts to revalist Virginia for symbols and institutions of the Confederation.
“According to the administration and the Ministry of Taxation, my bill would have a positive effect on state and local revenue,” Askeu said. “And I will say it again: this legislation does not dispute the right of confederate organizations to exist. It’s not about free speech, not the removal of monuments. But it is about justice and financial and fiscal priorities of Virginia. “
The Askew bill is an updated effort after a single proposal was imposed on the veto last year by governor Glen Youngkin. The earlier measure, sponsored by Senator Angeria Williams Graves, D-Norfolk, successfully passed both palaces at the General Assembly in 2024, before being blocked by the governor.
Youngkin justified this move by arguing the legislation unfairly separated specific groups and set a dangerous precedent. In his VetoHe called the current property tax exemption inconsistently and outdated, noting that some organizations with exceptions, such as UDC and Ocean View Democractic and Social Club, have accessories or names that are politically or socially controversial.
“Narrowly targeting specific organizations to obtain or lose such tax exemptions sets an inappropriate precedent,” Youngkin said.
He argues a broader reform, which will give local authorities more autonomy to determine tax exemption on the basis of their specific tax base and needs. The governor also criticizes the change in the legislative process, which now allows a simple majority to cancel the release, saying that it undermines justice in the tax system.
However, Askeu said during a press conference that groups like UDC should be treated differently because they immortalized the story “The Lost Cause”, which he argues romantically and darkens the true cause of the Civil War.
“Let us be very clear about what we do. Organizations such as the United Daughters of the Confederation have encouraged the lost cause, “Askeu said. “Why do the community supporting the groups that rewrite history to darken the true cause of the Civil War? War is fighting to maintain the institution of slavery, the original sin of America? “
History or oppression?
The debate on the memory of the Confederation has divided Virginia’s policy for decades, and this year is not different. While the Democrats’ legislation for limiting state support for Confederation -related groups, Republicans have introduced bills to strengthen the protection of Confederation monuments.
HB 1884Introduced this year by Del Ren Williams, R-Patrick, aims to limit the ability of local authorities to remove or change war memorials, including those who mark the figures of the Confederation.
Williams described his proposal as an answer to what he described as a selective deletion of the story. In an interview last week, he said his concern extends beyond the removal of statues to the efforts to “re -contextualize everything” and exclude certain parts of the past.
“It seems that there is a vengeful type of mentality,” Williams said.
“The word” vindictive “comes to mind because it is still a story, but we choose which story we want to remember.” He claims that preserving all aspects of history, even difficult, is essential and adds: “I think that we must remember the whole story and so that is associated with it. “
While Williams considers the preservation of monuments and the historical context as a necessary recognition of all aspects of history, Askeu sees such efforts as perpetuating a false story that continues to glorify the cause rooted in oppression.
“It breaks down my heart that this year, 2025, we still have the same debate,” Askeu said at a press conference.
“Domestic Republicans have introduced a bill to protect the confederate monuments when there are actually remembrances on the history of the Confederation everywhere we look. You meet him right here in our Capitol, you can see that he is visiting historic sites in the community, including buildings that have once been used at universities as Confederate hospitals. ”
Control over the historical role, tax status
Founded in 1894 to support civil war veterans and their families, the UDC, the National Service with 12,000 members, including 1700 in Virginia, is headquartered in Richmond. The group operates from a historic building visited by about 500 people a year and hires four employees living in the Richmond area.
Although UDC is described as a historical and educational organization, it collides widespread criticism Because of his role in the construction of confederate monuments to the south and the promotion of the revisionist story about the Civil War, which she calls the “war between states.”
According to his 2022. Tax documentsUDC reported $ 10.4 million net assets and an annual income of $ 157,988, with Virginia’s branch alone holding assets of $ 2.1 million and generating $ 147,897 income.
After the Aske’s account cleared The Chamber Financing Committee on Monday with a vote with 12-10 parties, passing without discussion or opposition, UDC President Julie Hardaui, who resides in South Carolina, turned to Mercury by email the next day, claiming that she tried to try to tried to try to evaluate your opposition to the bill practically, but “was denied this opportunity.”
Committee Chairman Vivian Watts, D-Fairfax, denied the request, stating: “He was on the public pack Testimonies. And I did not receive information that someone registered for a virtual comment. “
In statement On the UDC Hardaway website, he condemned Askew’s proposal as discriminatory and unconstitutional. She claims that the bill is unjustly directed Article X, Section 6 of the Constitution of Virginia, which provides exceptions to property used for historical and cultural purposes.
“This is a discrimination of the point of view,” said Hardaway, noting that the status of exemption from UDC taxes provided in 1950 for the property provided by the State is aligned with these constitutional defenses. She warned that passing the bill could set a precedent for other historical organizations to lose their exceptions and open the door for legal challenges.
“For these reasons, UDC is strongly opposed to the Virginia House 1699 bill and believes that Confederation organizations have been aimed at a bill aimed at organizations, the party in power is considered unworthy,” Hardaway said.
Exposure to hidden confederate ties
But Senator Lamont Bagbby, D-Henrico, chairman of Virginia’s legislative cause, has signaled that Democrats are preparing a sheet of new legislative efforts aimed at dealing with the inheritance of Confederation-related organizations as UDC.
“We have a number of legislative acts, as well as packages we plan to implement in the coming days and weeks, as we are here to make sure that Virginia’s votes are heard, especially black Virginia,” Bagby said, adding that the proposals will focus on questions of justice and history.
He emphasized the importance of learning from the past, not to erase it.
“When we turn the page, we don’t want to tear these pages and forget about it. We want to move forward, but we also want to be able to think and understand the past, “he said.
Home Chairman Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, suggested that organizations aimed at Askew’s proposal are just the tip of the iceberg in much greater effort.
Scott noted during a press conference last week that while groups like UDC are prominent and known, legislators are committed to identifying others who can work under less visible names or structures.
“There are so many of these organizations in Virginia. This is the former capital of the Confederation, “Scott said. “We have more monuments and roads called the Confederation than any other country in the Union.” He liken the efforts to “catch rocketballs”, recognizing the challenge of identifying any group bound by the Confederation Heritage.
Scott encouraged the Virginians to assist in the discovery of less well-known organizations that can hide under different names or tax-exempt enterprises.
“We have the ones we can catch but if you have any you want to add to the list, do not hesitate to send them to [Askew]S We’ll find them, ”he said.
He also accused some groups of deliberately dimming their relationships with the history of the Confederation.
“They have done a very good job of camulaering the whole idea around the war between countries,” Scott said. “If you have someone who has hidden under any different names or in any different way, let us know because we want them all.”
Askeu remains unwavering in his desire to undress the tax exemption from Confederation Organizations, even when he acknowledges the steep challenges forward.
He said he was surprised when he imposed Youngkin Williams Graves last year and expressed little hope that the governor would support his version this time.
“I do not expect the governor to change his mind or accept this bill this year,” Askeu said. “But I promise you that when his term is over, we will return this bill. We will work with the next administration to ensure that our story is said true, not rewritten to serve the interests of those who seek to glorify the Confederates. “
Askeu emphasized the importance of attracting MPs on this issue, creating it as a moral test for Virginia’s leadership. He called on those who run for a public office to take a clear position whether they support or oppose such measures.
“Virginia deserves to know where their leaders are. Those who run for a public office here this year must clarify their resistance. No ambiguity, without avoiding these questions, “he said.
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