3 years later, Miss. museum site debated again

Published 2:19 pm Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Gov. Haley Barbour’s verbal support for a civil rights museum in Mississippi’s in Jackson has reignited debate over where to place an edifice in honor of the bloody struggle that played out across the South.

A committee of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus held a hearing Monday at the state Capitol to discuss possible locations for the museum.

However, a commission appointed by Barbour had decided in 2008 that the museum would be built at Tougaloo College. Other suggested sites were near downtown Jackson and Greenwood.

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Lawmakers say they’ve begun work on a bond proposal to pay for the estimated $73 million museum.

Barbour spokesman Dan Turner says the governor is discussing funding for the project with lawmakers and it’s premature to comment.