NC bill to shield memorials advances amid Confederate debate

By JOHN MORITZ
Associated Press

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — A bill banning the removal of public “objects of remembrance” is moving forward in the North Carolina General Assembly.

That’s despite objections by opponents who say it will protect Confederate memorials.

The bill was approved by a House committee Wednesday. Some Democrats said it protects Confederate relics that are offensive to many North Carolinians, especially minorities.

The bill passed in the Senate in April, almost two months before a deadly shooting at a historically African-American church in South Carolina.

The shooting has set off a debate about Confederate symbols and memorials across Southern states.

Since the shooting, a Confederate flag flying on the grounds of South Carolina’s Capitol has been taken down.

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