South Carolina lawmaker pledges to introduce a bill to take down the Confederate flag
South Carolina state Rep. Doug Brannon (R) plans to sponsor a bill to remove the Confederate flag flying outside the state Capitol — even if it costs him his chance at re-election. In interview with MSNBC's Chris Hayes on Friday, Brannon cited his friend Clementa Pinckney's death as his impetus for finally introducing legislation he "should have filed […] five years ago."
"I had a friend die Wednesday night for no reason other than he was a black man. Sen. Pinckney was an incredible human being," Brannon said. "I don't want to talk politics but I'm going to introduce the bill for that reason."
Brannon plans to introduce the bill as early as he can, which will likely be in December. At this point, even amid growing criticism and protests, the Confederate flag cannot be removed from statehouse grounds without a change to South Carolina state law, as the flag is currently protected by the 2000 South Carolina Heritage Act.
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