NEWBERRY — At 2:15 a.m. Thursday, the S.C. House of Representatives voted 94-20 to remove the Confederate Flag from its current location.
“Today, as the Senate did before them, the House of Representatives has served the State of South Carolina and her people with great dignity. I’m grateful for their service and their compassion. It is a new day in South Carolina, a day we can all be proud of, a day that truly brings us all together as we continue to heal, as one people and one state,” Gov. Nikki Haley said.
The bill states that the Confederate Flag will be moved from its location, next to the Confederate Soldier Monument, and be transported to the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum for appropriate display.
This bill was passed by the S.C. Senate on June 7 with a 37-3 vote. Both Rep. Walt McLeod and Sen. Ronnie Cromer voted yes on the bill.
“I strongly support this bill, so I voted yes. I think it is time to move on to something else, though the Civil War was over, but there was still a symbol,” McLeod said. “Major industries in the state are looking toward the future, and we need to look toward a better South Carolina for all residents and visitors to enjoy.”
McLeod said those who voted against removing the flag felt strongly that the flag symbolized their heritage and should not be completely removed. However, he said that while there was extensive debate on the topic, the debate was cordial and respectful.
“Something that was said during the debate, which I feels helped the matter, was that Robert E. Lee agreed to furl the flag at Appomattox. He then asked the soldiers to go home and not fly the flag anymore,” he said.
During the debate, Rep. Jenny Horne of Summerville gave a speech that McLeod called impassioned. McLeod feels that her speech may have swayed votes to take down the flag.
“She spoke with such passion and conviction. She said that the House respects the victims of the Charleston massacre and to remove the symbol that caused the shooter to kill those nine people,” McLeod said.
The Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum is located at 301 Gervais St. in Columbia. The new location is one mile away from the Statehouse, which is at 1100 Gervais St. Although the location of the Relic Room has changed over the years, McLeod said the flag’s original home was in that room.
“When I was younger, that is where the flag was. When I was in the Navy in 1960-61 the Relic Room was in a building on the corner of Sumter Street, now it is located someone where else of course,” McLeod said.
The passing of this bill has received attention from many in the state. Matt Moore, chairman of the South Carolina GOP, believes that bringing down the flag will begin the healing process.
“Today was a pivotal moment in South Carolina’s history. For too long, the Confederate battle flag on our Statehouse grounds had divided South Carolina. Those divisions began to heal tonight,” he said. “We can’t change the past or bring back those who were so needlessly killed just three weeks ago. But we are charting a course for a new century in South Carolina that honors our heritage without doing it at the expense of so many.”
Efforts to reach Sen. Ronnie Cromer for comment were unsuccessful.