The Latest: Arkansas governor certain flag bill will return
Posted Mar 20, 2019 04:59:30 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Latest on efforts to remove the Confederate link from Arkansas’ state flag (all times local):
2:55 p.m.
Arkansas’ governor says he’s certain a proposal to remove the Confederate link from the state’s flag will come back up in future legislative sessions.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday that he continues to support a proposal to change the meaning of a star on the state’s flag that currently represents the Confederacy. The bill failed before a House committee for a second time Wednesday morning.
Hutchinson said he hopes that someday Arkansas will have a flag with symbolism that unites the whole state.
The bill that failed would have removed language that a blue star above Arkansas’ name on the flag represents the Confederate States of America. It would instead make that star represent the United States of America and a blue star currently representing the U.S. would represent Native American nations. The proposal would not have changed the flag’s design.
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11:50 a.m.
An Arkansas House panel has again rejected a proposal to change the meaning of a star on the state’s flag that currently represents the Confederacy, despite an endorsement from the Republican governor.
The House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee rejected the proposal by a 10-5 vote Wednesday.
The measure would not have changed the design of the flag, but would have removed language that a blue star above Arkansas’ name on the flag represents the Confederate States of America. It would instead make that star represent the United States of America and a blue star currently representing the U.S. would represent Native American nations.
The panel rejected another version of the proposal last month. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson has endorsed the change, calling it the right thing to do.
The Associated Press
