COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Gov. Jim Hodges has announced that the Confederate battle flag should be removed from the Capitol dome, his boldest statement yet on the issue and one that drew immediate criticism for its lack of specifics.
In his State of the State address Wednesday, Hodges said it was time to resolve the dispute that has led a national civil rights group to boycott South Carolina amid charges of racial insensitivity."Let's resolve this issue," the Democrat said to applause Wednesday night. "We must move the flag from the dome to a place of historical significance on the Statehouse grounds. The debate over the Confederate flag has claimed too much of our time and energy."
GOP leaders appeared lukewarm about the proposal.
"I think we all expected him to come out with a specific plan," said Republican House Speaker David Wilkins of Greenville. "We didn't get that. We didn't get anything new."