Hours after an emotionally charged state House of Representatives passed a bill to take down the Confederate battle flag from the South Carolina Capitol grounds, Gov. Nikki Haley signed the measure into law at a ceremony in the Statehouse lobby moments ago.
Said Haley before signing the bill:
“We are a state that believes in tradition. We’re a state that believes in history. We’re a state that believes in respect. So we will bring it down with dignity and we will make sure it will be put in its rightful place. But this is a story about action. This is a story about the history of South Carolina and how the action of nine individuals laid out this long chain of events that forever showed the state of South Carolina what love and forgiveness looks like. And now I will tell you this is about our children. Because when they go back and look at their history books – while we’re still grieving and the grieving is going to last for a long time – when the emotions start to fade, the history of the actions that took place by everyone in South Carolina to get us to this moment is one that we can all be proud of.”
The Los Angeles Times adds:
State officials said the flag removal ceremony will start 10 a.m. EDT. Then, the banner, which has flown on the Capitol grounds for more than 50 years, will be taken to the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum for display.
Perhaps the most passionate speech delivered during the 13 hour debate in the House came from state Rep. Jenny Horne. Watch her fiery speech below:
Reactions to Haley’s Facebook post praising the House vote, meanwhile, have been predictably reprehensible.
