BALTIMORE _ Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Tuesday that he supports removing a statue of former Chief Justice Roger B. Taney _ who authored an infamous decision that upheld slavery in 1857 _ from the grounds of the State House in Annapolis.
"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 in a statement. "With that in mind, 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's statement comes one day after House Speaker Michael E. Busch said he thinks it's time to take down the statue.
Hogan and Busch hold two seats on the four-member State House Trust, which oversees the use of the property. Another member, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, said Monday that he would prefer the statue remain, but that he would not stand in the way of removing it if that was the wish of the governor.
The fourth member of the trust is Charles L. Edson, chair of the Maryland Historical Trust's board of trustees.
Taney, a Marylander who was the fifth chief justice of the Supreme Court, authored the 1857 Dred Scott decision that affirmed slavery and denied citizenship to black people.
A statue of Taney sits on the front lawn of the State House.
