The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the bill that would designate April as Confederate History and Heritage Month will not be going before the Georgia State Senate. An excerpt from the AJC reads:Senate Bill 283 passed a key Senate committee a few days after Republican leaders in the House initially gave a lukewarm response to a request by the state NAACP for the General Assembly and Perdue to apologize for slavery.
State Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway) said he planned to file a resolution calling for recognition and reconciliation of the state's role in slavery, and he gained the support of Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah).
"I'm a good team player," Mullis said. "I was prepared to ask for SB 283, but I saw that leadership determined it was unavailable." Mullis said he is scheduled to meet with Williams this week, and looks forward to working with him to see if they can work on proposals that recognize slavery and the Confederacy.
plez sez: My my my... how the worm has turned! Last week, Sen. Mullis was pretty adamant about not tying slavery to his Confederate Month bill. I guess the Senate leadership must have gotten to him about the error of his ways.
I've already stated my opposition to this bill and the addition of a line about slavery isn't going to do much to change my stance. But with the legislative session winding down, I'm pretty sure it won't see the light of day this time around; I guess ole Sonny Perdue will just have issue his perfunctory recognition of Confederate History Month without the law.
Oh yeah... you read that right: the governor will issue a proclamation for Confederate History Month in April just like he's always done! Senate Bill 283 was just going to be the state law in case some wayward governor decided not to do it! Now do you see why I oppose it?
I wonder if someone in the Georgia State Senate read my blog and decided to let this bill die in committee? *smile*
Thanks for following up on this. I hope it does just die in committee. And who knows? You can never tell who might be reading your blog. : )
ReplyDeletewell, i live in georgia and my daughter has to grow up here, and i don't mind history, but it needs to have a balanced perspective. i deplore how some continue to want to glorify something that was in no way glorious!
ReplyDeletesomething tells me (by looking at my sitemeter visits) that there might be something to your last statement... but it's all good.