JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – Gov. Mike Parson has vetoed a resolution that would remove a statue of former U.S. Senator Thomas Hart Benton from Washington, D.C., because it accidentally confuses Benton with his great-great-nephew.
The measure was vetoed Friday. Benton is one of two statues currently representing Missouri in the National Statuary Hall collection, and lawmakers voted this year to replace Benton’s likeness with one of former President Harry Truman.
But the proposal delivered to governor instead describes Benton’s distant relative, also named Thomas Hart Benton, who was a famous painter.
Parson wrote that he had no problem replacing Benton with Truman, but the clerical error led him to reject the resolution.
Lawmakers have until the Truman statue is ready in May 2019 to resolve the issue.
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