Bill 503

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                       503
Type of Legislation:               Joint Resolution JR
Introducing Body:                  Senate
Introduced Date:                   19970306
Primary Sponsor:                   Glover
All Sponsors:                      Glover, Ford, Jackson,
                                   Patterson, Land, Williams, Matthews
                                   and Anderson 
Drafted Document Number:           res1320.mwg
Residing Body:                     Senate
Current Committee:                 Judiciary Committee 11 SJ
Subject:                           Circle of Flags created on
                                   State House grounds, removal of
                                   Confederate Flag, Buildings,
                                   Flags

Body    Date      Action Description                       Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  _______________________________________  _______ ____________
Senate  19970306  Introduced, read first time,             11 SJ
                  referred to Committee

TO CREATE THE CIRCLE OF FLAGS ON THE STATE HOUSE GROUNDS, A DISPLAY WHICH CONSISTS OF ELEVEN FLAGS OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND A FLAG DISPLAYING AN INSIGNIA OF SIGNIFICANCE TO THE NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO BE APPROVED BY THE NATIVE AMERICAN COUNCIL TO THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE CONFEDERATE FLAG SHALL BE REMOVED FROM ATOP THE STATE HOUSE, FROM THE FRONT GROUND FLOOR FOYER OF THE STATE HOUSE, AND FROM THE CHAMBERS OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. (A) There is hereby established on the State House grounds, adjacent to the Capitol Building, The Circle of Flags. The Circle of Flags shall be constructed such that it is a self-guided walking tour.

(B) The beginning point and centerpiece of The Circle of Flags shall be a display housing:

(1) the Stars and Stripes, the current United States Flag, with its fifty stars;

(2) the Palmetto State Flag, created by General Moultrie and flown continuously as our state banner since January 28, 1861; and

(3) the Stars and Bars, first officially flown outside the Confederate Capitol Building on March 4, 1861.

(C) The second display in The Circle of Flags shall have:

(1) the Union Jack, which flew over this State while it was a British colony; and

(2) the flag flown by General Moultrie and his troops at Fort Moultrie in the first decisive victory of the Revolutionary War involving land and naval forces.

(D) The third display in The Circle of Flags shall include the original United States Flag created by Betsy Ross with its thirteen stars and thirteen stripes. This flag is considered the first officially adopted flag of this country.

(E) The fourth display in The Circle of Flags shall contain two flags from the Civil War:

(1) the Confederate Battle Flag; and

(2) Big Red, the flag flown by cadets from the Citadel as they fired on Fort Sumter.

(F) The fifth and closing display in The Circle of Flags shall include:

(1) the flag of the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment (African Descent), redesignated as the 33rd United States Colored Troops; and

(2) the flag of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.

These groups, consisting of soldiers of African descent, served on the Union side during the Civil War and participated in several battles in South Carolina.

(G) The sixth display in The Circle of Flags shall include the flag of the Universal Negro Improvement Association adopted in July 1918, herein defined as the `Black Liberation Flag.'

(H) The seventh and closing display in The Circle of Flags shall include a flag displaying an insignia of significance to the native American people to be approved by the Native American Council.

(I) Each display in The Circle of Flags shall house a pedestal with information about each flag explaining the flag's origin and significance and its role in South Carolina's past.

(J) The purpose of The Circle of Flags is to ensure that each of the flags included therein assumes its proper place with respect to the history of South Carolina.

SECTION 2. The Circle of Flags shall be constructed on the State House grounds adjacent to the Capitol Building in conjunction with the planned refurbishing of the State House and completed by the time the State House refurbishing is finished and shall be paid for from funds provided in Section 17, General Services, State House Renovations for Fiscal year 1994-95, in the General Appropriation Act. After the renovations are complete, only the United States Flag and the South Carolina State Flag shall fly atop the State House.

SECTION 3. The Confederate Flag shall be removed from atop the State House, from the front ground floor foyer of the State House, and from the chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.