In a press conference today, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) called for the removal of the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds, saying the killings of nine church-goers at Emanuel AME in Charleston last week mandated a change in the state’s heart.
The Post and Courier reported that in a bi-partisan gathering inside the Statehouse, Haley said the state “stared evil in the eye” last week when a lone gunman entered the church and opened fire.
“The events of the past week call on us to look at this in a different way,” Haley said, adding that now is the time “to remove the flag from the capitol grounds.”
Haley was flanked by members of the Legislature, Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, the heads of both major political parties in the state and U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, and U.S. Reps. Jim Clyburn and Mark Sanford.
The flag wasn’t lowered to half-staff after the shooting along with the other flags at the Statehouse after nine people were killed at a historic African American church Wednesday because doing so is under the authority of the state’s General Assembly — and so is taking it down.
NBC News reported that the General Assembly’s session ended on June 4, but lawmakers are meeting Tuesday to pass a budget compromise, at which point they can vote on extending the session to debate the Confederate flag. A decision to continue the session would take two-thirds of the vote, as would passing legislation to take down the flag.
If they don’t, Haley said she would use her authority to call them back into session to debate on the flag.
