AUSTIN, Texas — A movement to erect statues honoring the late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at state capitol buildings across the nation is finding easy purchase in Texas, where Republican lawmakers are already promising action the next time they meet.
North Texas GOP Rep. Jeff Leach was the first to signal, vowing to dedicate his first bill of the next regular legislative session to placing one on the lush grounds around the Pink Dome in downtown Austin. Lawmakers are set to convene next in January 2027.
“Charlie Kirk isn’t just a conservative activist — he is a civil rights icon. And he should be honored and recognized accordingly,” Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Allen, posted on X.com.
As Congressional Republicans push House Speaker Mike Johnson to support a Kirk statue at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Kirk billboards go up along Georgia highways, and universities push to have monuments erected, Leach and his allies are building grassroots support for statues in Austin.
“Generations of future Texans should know who Charlie was, what Charlie stood for and how — with the courage of his convictions, genuine kindness and an unabashed patriotism and pride in America — Charlie changed the course of our Nation’s history,” Leach wrote.
Freshman Rep. Joanne Shofner, R-Nacogdoches, agreed: “He was a Christian Martyr.”
Kirk critics clapped back with accusations of wasting tax dollars and glorifying a divisive figure.
“Pathetic, performative exploitation,” Matt Angle, founder of the Lone Star Project, which supports Democrats, posted on X.com.
Similar movements in Alabama and Illinois have begun to percolate as well. Kirk was shot to death during a public appearance on the Utah Valley University campus last week
The measure is likely to stall in the Democrat-controlled Illinois statehouse, but Texas has a solid GOP majority — and 22 monuments already erected on the lawn of the 22-acre Texas Capitol grounds.
A statue of Kirk at the Texas Capitol would join those dedicated to Confederate soldiers and Texas cowboys, the Alamo and pioneer women, Texas children and the Ten Commandments, peace officers, African-American and Tejano history, and both World Wars.
“Generations of future Texans should know who Charlie was, what Charlie stood for and how — with the courage of his convictions, genuine kindness and an unabashed patriotism and pride in America — Charlie changed the course of our Nation’s history,” Leach said in his statement.
The enthusiasm doesn’t stop at honoring him on capitol campuses. A push is on to place a monument on the Utah Valley University site where Kirk was shot. Someone placed flowers and photos as a tribute to Kirk next to the statue of Sul Ross on the Texas A&M University campus, according to the student newspaper The Battalion.
Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, professed “100% support” for Leach’s idea — and promised to take it further by filing legislation erecting Kirk statues on the grounds of Texas university campuses.
“Free speech will be celebrated on Texas University Campuses. Civil discourse is how Charlie sparked a fire in the next generation! Now, it’s on us!” Schatzline wrote on social media. “On 2nd thought… let’s do ALL campuses! May the next generation FIGHT for free speech & see revival on their campuses! It’s on us!”
https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/09/15/charlie-kirk-monuments/
