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General Assembly to reconvene Thursday
Posted at: Wednesday, March 3, 2004, 04:39 PM
The House and Senate are in recess today for committee meetings and constituent work. The 2004 General Assembly resumes Thursday with Day 29 of the 40-day legislative session.
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Flag flap ‘finally over,’ says lawmaker
Posted at: Wednesday, March 3, 2004, 12:42 PM
Boosters of Georgia’s current red, white and blue flag, which sailed to an easy referendum victory Tuesday night, declared a two-decade fight over the appropriate use of Confederate imagery on the state flag over.
Confederate history enthusiasts who want to restore a banner dominated by the Rebel “X,” said they have not yet begun to fight.
“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning,” said William Lathem, spokesman of the Southern Heritage Political Action Committee at a rally on the steps of the state Capitol Wednesday morning.
Members of this group, which fought unsuccessfully to include a flag dominated by the Confederate battle emblem in Tuesday’s referendum, said they will now take their fight to the summer and fall elections, where they will attempt to unseat lawmakers they blame for lowering a flag that had flown over Georgia from 1956- 2001.
But supporters of the current flag, which is modeled after a Confederate flag that did not include the Rebel battle emblem, said Tuesday’s vote has put an end to this fight. With 96 percent of the vote counted Wednesday, almost 80 percent of those casting votes chose the current flag over the temporary blue and gold banner that flew over Georgia from 2001 until last year.
“This is a great victory for Georgia,” said state Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta). “The long debate over our state flag is finally over.”
Gov. Sonny Perdue, who had pushed for a referendum, hailed the outcome while noting that he proposed including the 1956 flag.
“While I recommended that an additional choice be available to the people, the Legislature came to a different conclusion and I respected their decision.
“I believe the people chose a beautiful banner, which reflects our history and heritage and I will be proud to see it continue to fly over Georgia.”
— Ben Smith, Staff writer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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