South Carolina’s Confederate flag: What’s next?
COLUMBIA, S.C. (MEDIA GENERAL) – Following more than 13 hours of contentious debate Wednesday that carried into early Thursday morning, the South Carolina state House of Representatives passed a Senate bill to remove the Confederate flag from the state Capitol.So what should we expect today?
The bill now moves to the desk of Gov. Nikki Haley, who called for the state Legislature to take down the flag. No official time has been given for when she intends to sign the bill, but when she does, the flag will be taken down within 24 hours, according to the mandate.
Haley is expected to sign the bill at some point Thursday.Where will the flag go?
The bill says the Confederate flag will be taken down from its position on the state Capitol grounds and placed in the nearby Confederate Relic Room for appropriate display.
The Confederate Relic Room is part of the South Carolina Military Museum, which sits a few blocks away from the state Capitol. The museum maintains exhibits covering most American conflicts, including the state’s noted history of martial tradition.