Columbia, SC (WLTX) - The debate over the Confederate flag's future at the State House picks up speed this week, as the General Assembly is expected to take up the issue on Monday.
Back on June 23, both the House and the Senate approved a resolution to allow this special debate to take place. That vote happened a day after Governor Nikki Haley, U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, and other top lawmakers called on the legislature to remove the flag.
Currently, the banner flies at the Confederate monument on the front lawn of the capitol grounds, where's it's been since a 2000 legislative compromise moved it from the top of the State House dome to its current location.
The flag became a topic of debate again following the June 17 massacre of parishioners inside Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. One of those killed was Clementa Pinckney, the pastor of the church who was also a state senator.
Police believe the shooting was a hate crime, and several online photos of the suspect showed him posing with a Confederate flag.
Since then, multiple rallies have been held at the capitol either calling for the flag's removal or for the banner to keep flying, and the controversy is drawing people to the State House.
"I brought my kids to Columbia just so that they can see the Confederate flag," said Teresa, one of those who visited the grounds. "Just in case if they take it down, or if they leave it up, at least it's a historical thing that they can see,"
Teresa's family has lived in Rock Hill, South Carolina for years. Sunday was the first time they took a picture with the Confederate flag.
"Something for the kids to see," she said. "At least they can say I remember going to see it."
Taking down the flag requires a two-thirds supermajority in both the House and the Senate. A survey conducted by the Charleston Post and Courier suggested there is enough support in each chamber to reach that high margin. However, some lawmakers plan to fight the effort to remove the flag, including Sen. Lee Bright, who suggests the question of the flag's future should be put to a popular vote by the public.
In the Senate, a bill already has been introduced that would move the flag to the Confederate relic room, a museum just down the road from the State House.
State Senator Darrell Jackson said things could move quickly once debate begins.
"By the end of the day on Monday we could have resolved that and perhaps by Tuesday or Wednesday the Governor will have signed the legislation and by the end of the week the flag can be down for good," said Senator Jackson.
Jackson was a part of the 2000 compromise that put the flag at the monument. Now, he'd like to see the issue resolved once and for all.
"Hopefully the fight about the Confederate flag at the capitol will be over," he said.
The legislators are not the only ones preparing for the debate.
"We have stickers that we're going to give out that says Amazing Grace. We're going to have prayer for the legislature who has a lot of tough decisions to make this week," said Bob Johnson.
Johnson is the Chairman of Columbia Race Relations, which is organizing a day long prayer at the State House.
"Our meeting is totally non-political; no political agenda at all. We hope that people will come and celebrate the fact that those nine people did not die in vain," said Johnson.
The legislative session is scheduled to start at 10 am Monday.
