The South Carolina Senate has voted 37-3 to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds. Next the proposal to remove the flag must pass through the state House and governor.
CBS News reports Gov. Nikki Haley has already expressed her opinion that the flag should be removed.
Some Republicans have suggested replacing the Confederate flag with the U.S. flag, the South Carolina flag, or another flag that may have been used by the Confederate army that does not have an association with racism.
Haley and many Democrats argue that a flag connected to the Confederacy would not be appropriate.
The shooting of nine black church members at the Emanuel AME Church on June 17 sparked a debate about the Confederate flag, which many people believe to be a symbol of white supremacism. In response to the debate, major retailers including Wal-Mart, Target, Sears, eBay, Amazon and Etsy have removed Confederate flag products from their stock.
Publication date: July 7, 2015