GOP Gov. Hogan wants statue removed of Dred Scott decision author

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Many Confederate monuments and flags have recently been removed from public places in the South. Where are those Civil War symbols now

Maryland’s Republican governor is seeking the removal from state capital grounds of a statue of the author of the infamous Dred Scott decision upholding slavery.

Gov. Larry Hogan announced his stance on the statue of former Supreme Court Justice Roger B. Taney in a statement Tuesday afternoon, joining the push in multiple states and cities to remove symbols tied to the Confederacy.

“I believe removing the Justice Roger B. Taney statue from the State House grounds is the right thing to do, and we will ask the State House Trust to take that action immediately," Hogan said in the statement.

Taney wrote the 1857 Dred Scott opinion, which held that people of African descent could not be U.S. citizens and slaves could not sue for their freedom.

Efforts to remove Confederate statues in cities across the country have been reignited in the wake of the deadly clashes between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville last weekend.

CHARLOTTESVILLE VIOLENCE FUELS NEW PUSH TO REMOVE CONFEDERATE STATUES, SYMBOLS

Taney, who served as chief justice of the Supreme Court from 1836 to 1864, was from Maryland. His statue stands in Annapolis outside the State House.

“While we cannot hide from our history – nor should we – the time has come to make clear the difference between properly acknowledging our past and glorifying the darkest chapters of our history,” Hogan said.

Fox News’ Alex Pappas, Barnini Chakraborty and Wes Barrett contributed to this report.