ST. PAUL -- Minnesota lawmakers want to do some redecorating of state Capitol monuments.
A bipartisan House proposal suggests the engraving on a Capitol Mall statue of Christopher Columbus should be edited.
It now reads, "Discoverer of America." The proposal says it should be rewritten to read, "Landed in America."
Bemidji Rep. John Persell, the chief sponsor of the Columbus bill, said he has long thought about the issue.
In a statement, the DFLer said: "There are so many school kids that come here to learn about their state, and I want to make sure that we're factually representing our own heritage and history through the monuments and memorials they find here. My bill would change the words 'Discovered America' to 'Landed in America,' because that's what happened. I'm certain Mr. Columbus was a brave and interesting explorer, but he didn't discover America, he arrived. The Native American folks I have spoken with around the communities I represent and across the state agree that 'landed' is more historically accurate."
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Columbus' exploration of the Americas didn't bring him to the North American mainland.
Persell's proposal does not mention any edits for the other America discoverer who is enshrined near the Capitol's leafy glade: Leif Erikson.
Another proposal, from Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, would add a bust of the late U.S. Sen. Rod Grams to the Capitol Mall.
Grams, who worked as a KMSP-TV news anchor and served in the U.S. House as well as the Senate, died in 2013.
