COLUMBUS – Today, Senator Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati) gave sponsor testimony on Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which urges the removal of the Confederate flag or other similar flags from government property, issuances, and merchandise. 

“To those who say the Confederate flag is about heritage, I say you are entitled to your personal point of view. But your personal feelings should not be affixed to property that I pay taxes to help maintain,” said Senator Thomas. “In my opinion, there is no honor, respect, dignity, or heritage in a symbol representing bigotry, hatred, and racism.”

The resolution urges:

• the powers of the governments that continue to make issuances containing the Confederate flag to discontinue this practice;


• the powers of the governments that fly the Confederate flag or any flag containing imagery of the rebel flag on public property to remove those flags in question;


• the powers of governments that have official state flags that contain imagery derived from the rebel flag to commence in the process of redesigning the official state flag immediately;


• Ohio retailers to remove from inventory any rebel flag merchandise.

“Looking back at the start of the Civil War, there were a few rebellious, misguided leaders representing 13 Southern States under the banner of the Confederate flag, a symbol of bigotry and hatred. These misguided leaders chose war against the United States rather than relinquish their right to own slaves and maintain a free labor force,” said Senator Thomas. “Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost due to financial greed, and in the end those misguided leaders surrendered. The United States remained one country under one flag.” 

Senate Concurrent Resolution 7 received its first hearing today in the Senate Government and Oversight Committee. It was introduced by Senator Thomas and Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) in July of 2015.