Plaque honoring the Confederacy hangs outside state Rep. Eric Johnson’s office.

State Sen. Pat Fallon, R-Prosper, filed legislation to block cities from removing monuments or renaming schools or streets honoring “historical figures.” Dallas ISD has changed the names of several schools and is considering several others named after Confederate figures and Dallas removed a monument honoring a Confederate general from Oak Lawn Park.

“If a school district or campus has operated under its current name for at least 20 years, the name may be changed only by approval of a majority of the voters of the school district voting at an election held for that purpose,” the bill states.

So to save taxpayers the money it would cost to change a few signs on school property, the law would require an expensive election.

No “permanent monument, memorial, or other designation, including a statue, portrait, plaque, seal, symbol, building name, bridge name, park name, area name, school name, or street name” could be changed or removed either.

Much of this was prompted by the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue from Lee Park, because what we do in a Dallas park is the concern of voters in Prosper.

Also affected would be a plaque outside the offices of state Reps. Eric Johnson and Rafael Anchia in the Texas state Capitol. That sign states that slavery wasn’t the cause of the period of great unpleasantness between the states. No, states rights was the issue.

Well, in the name of historic accuracy, we agree that states rights was the issue. And what was the states right that is being referred to on the plaque? The right to own people. Slavery.

Now, in the Dallas Morning News, Fallon makes it clear he’s not a racist. No, he was born in Massachusetts surrounded by statues celebrating the victory of the North over the South. Hmmm … I grew up in the North as well. You know one thing the northern states never spent a lot of taxpayer money on? Gloating over the victory over the south.

So, once again, Republicans, who believe in local control, of course, have started the new session on the Legislature butting into the business of local governments.

But so far no bathroom bills.

Rest assured, those are coming, because where you pee is as important to Austin lawmakers as what the name of a school is down the street from your house.

— David Taffet