Lawmakers and advocates are one step closer to renaming the Roanoke Federal Building after Roanoke civil rights lawyer Reuben Lawson.
The building is currently named after former Congressman and State Supreme Court Justice Richard H. Poff who voted against the civil rights acts for years.
Today Senator Marker Warner and Senator Tim Kaine introduced a bill to make Lawson’s name a permanent part of the Star City.
Former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia John Fishwick has been pushing for this for years.
“I think Reuben Lawson reflects the values of a courthouse. A courthouse should reflect the values that it’s open to anybody, that all of our citizens can go to federal court and get a fair shake, and I think what Reuben Lawson did in his career, is he fought to open up the courthouse and our schools and our communities to everyone,” he said. sp
Fishwick said they need to get the House and Senate to approve it, then the president to sign it to make it official.