Tennessee Senate could vote on resolution to move Polk’s body

March 27, 2017

Collins Parker,

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The Tennessee state Senate could decide as early as Monday on whether to approve a resolution that would allow the body of former President James K. Polk to be exhumed and moved to a fourth resting place.

Polk and his wife, Sarah, are currently buried on the grounds of the state Capitol.

The resolution would allow the bodies to be exhumed and moved about 50 miles south to Columbia to the grounds of the James K. Polk Home and Museum.

The proposal has riled some folks in Tennessee, who think the move desecrates the body of the nation’s 11th president. Others believe the move would more appropriately honor the president who played a central role in helping expand the U.S. across the continent.