Confederate President's Name To Be Removed From Route 1

RICHMOND, VA — The Virginia Senate passed a bill Thursday that calls for the removal of the name of Jefferson Davis from any section of Route 1 named after the president of the Confederacy.

The bill, H.B. 2075, passed the Senate by a vote of 30-9 Thursday afternoon. The same bill passed in the House of Delegates in early February. The bill, sponsored by Del. Joshua Cole (D-Stafford), now goes to Gov. Ralph Northam for his signature. Northam is expected to sign the bill.

The portions of Route 1 named after Jefferson Davis will be renamed Emancipation Highway. The bill is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2022. Only the portions of Route 1 named Jefferson Davis Highway as of next January will be renamed Emancipation Highway.

Jefferson Davis was president of the Confederacy during the Civil War from 1861-1865. He previously was in the U.S. Senate and the House, representing Mississippi.

Among the nine senators to vote against the bill was Sen. Amanda Chase (R-Colonial Heights), the front-runner for the Republican nomination for governor.

Portions of Jefferson Davis Highway have already been renamed as Richmond Highway in some jurisdictions.

In December, the Republican-led Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ask the Commonwealth Transportation Board to change the name of Jefferson Davis Highway to Richmond Highway.

Fredericksburg has also asked permission for the name change, while Arlington County, Alexandria, Fairfax County and Prince William County have already renamed it Richmond Highway.