South Carolina Senate begins debate over removal of Confederate flag

Senate Debate Begins Over Removal Of Confederate Flag From Statehouse

The fact that this is even a “debate”…

Via ABCNews

The depth of support for bringing down the Confederate flag gets its first test in the South Carolina Legislature this week as lawmakers return to Columbia to come up with a specific plan.

The General Assembly returns Monday to discuss Gov. Nikki Haley’s budget vetoes and what to do with the rebel flag that has flown over some part of the Statehouse for more than 50 years.

Several bills have been filed, but details such as when to bring down the flag, whether to put another flag in its place and what kind of ceremony should mark the removal are not specified.

And if South Carolina takes any lesson from the 2000 debate that brought the Confederate flag off the Statehouse dome to its current location at a nearby monument to Confederate soldiers, it is that minor details can trip things up.

The Senate will debate the flag bill first, and Sen. Larry Martin expects several amendments discussing whether to keep the flagpole and put a different flag on it. Suggestions have included the U.S. flag, the South Carolina flag and a flag that may have been flown by Confederate troops but doesn’t have the same connections as the red banner with the blue cross and white stars.

“We’re going to be about as thorough listening to folks as we can be,” said Martin, a Republican, after walking out of the governor’s office Monday morning. “But we need to get to a vote today.”

Looks like we might find out today the fate of the symbol of hate. Stay tuned to BOSSIP we’ll have more news soon as it breaks.

Image via AP