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."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.