COLUMBIA (AP) - The Boone County Commission has voted to move a war memorial that includes a religious symbol from the county courthouse to a private cemetery, despite strong objections from some area residents.
After months of controversy, the commission voted 3-0 on Tuesday to move the Operation Desert Storm memorial, which includes a small ichthus, also called a "Jesus fish," to the Columbia Cemetery. The commission also voted to adopt a policy on placement of memorials on county property.
The county will replace the memorial with a new one that will not have the religious symbol.
The memorial includes the names of two Boone County men who died in Desert Storm and is one of several memorials to veterans of different wars on the Courthouse Plaza.
The controversy began in 2014 when the Americans United for Separation of Church and State threatened to take legal action against governments that allow religious symbols on public land. The commission ordered the symbol covered last summer, drawing criticism from several people - including the parents of the two soldiers honored on the memorial.
A legal review from Columbia attorney Dan Simon concluded a memorial with the religious symbol violates the Missouri and U.S. constitutions.
Following Tuesday's vote, opponents of moving the memorial told commissioners they would pay a political price for the vote.
"I'm sure everyone in this room is going to work very hard to make sure there's a new commission," Columbia resident Roger Fries told commissioners. Terms of the two of the commissioners will be up for election in November 2016.
The three commissioners said they did not mean any disrespect to the parents of the two soldiers, Patrick Connor and Steven Farnen.
Commissioner Janet Thompson said relocating the memorial and replacing it with a new one upholds the Missouri and U.S. Constitution while also honoring all veterans.
The families of Farnen and Connor wrote the commission last week that they agreed to have the ichthus covered if the memorial could stay on the courthouse lawn.
During the public comment Thursday after the vote was taken, Farnen's parents, Hugh and Gladys Farnen of Centralia, said the commission didn't consider their opinion.
"I hate the idea," Farnen said of having the ichthus remain covered. "But we were willing to compromise.
"It looks like y'all don't want to do anything that breaks from what y'all want."
Connor's parents, of Marcellus, New York, have also strongly criticized the commission's handling of the issue.