Lawmaker thinks General Hooker sign should be removed from State House entrance

A Massachusetts lawmaker says it’s time to rename the State House’s busiest entrance.

The General Hooker entrance is one of two public entrances to the State House, located behind a large statue of the Civil War General Joseph Hooker.

Some visitors and tourists have been known to joke about the word’s other meaning.

State Rep. Michelle DuBois raised the issue responding to a critic on Twitter.

“I’ve seen teenboys tease teengirls about being ‘General Hookers’ waiting in like at the entrance,” she said in a Tweet. “Sign is out of context and either (General)’s first name should be added or change the entrance name.”

Gov. Baker said Hooker was a war hero, but if state lawmakers really want to change it, they can.

“The name over the building itself obviously carries with it a connotation that if the Legislature and others think is an appropriate thing to change that is certainly something we’d be willing to talk about,” Baker said.

As the economy struggled in 2009, 25 Investigates reported how the General Hooker sign was replaced outside the State House.

The state spent $15,000 on the new sign as it slashed jobs and services.

In fact, Boston 25 News discovered more than $400,000 dished out for new signs around the State House.

Then Gov. Deval Patrick told Boston 25 news he didn’t know about the expenses until he found out about it in the report.

He then put a stop to it.

Cox Media Group