Bill Text: IL HR0604 | 2015-2016 | 99th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Calls upon the South Carolina General Assembly to take statutory action to remove any examples of the "Battle Flag of the Confederacy" from the grounds of the South Carolina State House, including the Confederate Monument.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 40-10)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-03 - Rule 19(b) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HR0604 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2015-HR0604-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives have learned, with deep sadness, of the deaths | ||||||
4 | on June 17, 2015 of the Rev. Senator Clementa C. Pinckney, | ||||||
5 | Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, DePayne Middleton | ||||||
6 | Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel L. Simmons, Sr., Sharonda | ||||||
7 | Singleton, and Myra Thompson, the 9 people who were murdered | ||||||
8 | while engaged in a session of Christian Bible studies at the | ||||||
9 | Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, | ||||||
10 | South Carolina; and
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11 | WHEREAS, These 9 community and church leaders are deeply | ||||||
12 | mourned by their families and friends; as a result of this | ||||||
13 | tragedy, their skills at work and life have become familiar to | ||||||
14 | their South Carolina neighbors and the people of the United | ||||||
15 | States; and
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16 | WHEREAS, As State legislators, we are especially aware of | ||||||
17 | the hard work and statesmanship of the late Rev. Senator | ||||||
18 | Clementa C. Pinckney, as he was a leader for his state on | ||||||
19 | lawmaking efforts concerning issues, such as body cameras for | ||||||
20 | police officers, which we know are exceptionally complex and | ||||||
21 | demand courageous, careful handling; and
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22 | WHEREAS, Events connected with this tragedy have raised |
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1 | questions about the so-called "Battle Flag of the Confederacy" | ||||||
2 | as a suitable element in public displays of honor; although | ||||||
3 | this flag was raised for reasons familiar to everyone, many | ||||||
4 | feel that this flag has become offensive and should no longer | ||||||
5 | be a symbol on state property; and
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6 | WHEREAS, A slightly different version of the "Battle Flag" | ||||||
7 | currently flies, by South Carolina statute, on the grounds of | ||||||
8 | the South Carolina State House in Columbia, South Carolina, as | ||||||
9 | an element of a monument honoring fallen South Carolina | ||||||
10 | soldiers; and
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11 | WHEREAS, The members of this body affirm the right and duty | ||||||
12 | of the people of South Carolina to pay tribute to the heritage | ||||||
13 | of their state, including the heritage of the American Civil | ||||||
14 | War; and
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15 | WHEREAS, At times like this we are reminded of the words of | ||||||
16 | Abraham Lincoln, who said that it is the work of all of us | ||||||
17 | "with malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness | ||||||
18 | in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on | ||||||
19 | to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's | ||||||
20 | wounds..."; and
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21 | WHEREAS, The members of this body suggest that the correct | ||||||
22 | flag for the people of South Carolina to fly when honoring |
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1 | their heritage is the flag of the United States of America; | ||||||
2 | South Carolina is one of the 13 original states and there is a | ||||||
3 | stripe and a star on this flag for them, and 13 stripes and 50 | ||||||
4 | stars to stand for one united people; therefore, be it
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5 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
6 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
7 | call upon the South Carolina General Assembly to take statutory | ||||||
8 | action to remove any examples of the "Battle Flag of the | ||||||
9 | Confederacy" from the grounds of the South Carolina State | ||||||
10 | House, including the Confederate Monument; and be it further
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11 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
12 | delivered to South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Henry | ||||||
13 | McMaster, President of the South Carolina Senate, and Jay | ||||||
14 | Lucas, Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives.
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