Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Wednesday that he wants the state Legislature in 2017 to separate state holidays that honor Martin Luther King Jr. and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee to better recognize King's role in the civil-rights movement in the nation.
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The state currently honors both men on the third Monday in January. This year's observances are Jan. 18.
"It's important that day be distinguished and separate, and focused on that civil-rights struggle and what [King] personally did in that effort, the great leader that he was during that cause," Hutchinson said during a news conference in the governor's office.
"So they need to be distinguished and separate," the Republican governor said. "I think that is the main purpose, and it should be done by legislative action."
He said that last year he "wasn't down there fighting in the trenches in the [regular] legislative session" in regard to legislation to honor King and Lee on separate days.
Arkansas has formally celebrated Lee's birthday since 1947. It wasn't until a deal was struck in the mid-1980s that the state recognized King's birthday. Part of that compromise was placing it on the same day that commemorates Lee.
The fight over when to honor Lee, or if it all, started early in last year's regular session.
Rep. Fred Love, D-Little Rock, and Rep. Nate Bell, an independent from Mena, both filed legislation to separate the two observances, and both met fierce resistance from residents and lawmakers alike.
After several attempts to push a version of the legislation through the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee, the measure failed in late March.
Had the legislation been approved, Lee's birthday would have been observed on the second Monday in January. The state would have continued to mark the civil-rights leader's birthday on the third Monday in January.
Much of the opposition came from members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and other Southern heritage groups, who were regularly at the Capitol whenever the bill was scheduled to be considered.
Bell, who is not running for re-election, said he didn't know if Hutchinson's support of the measure last year would have changed the bill's outcome in the session.
"I don't know what, if anything, could change the outcome in that committee. Four freshman Republicans and veteran Democrats didn't want it to come out of committee," Bell said. "I think going forward, [Hutchinson] being outspoken in support of it would certainly help any future efforts. I'm confident it's not going away. I'm confident it will get done, it's just a matter of when people want to move on past it."
Rep. Kelley Linck, R-Flippin, who voted against one of the measures in committee, said that for Hutchinson's proposal to become a reality will depend on a lot of unknowns.
"The leader of our executive branch will have some sway ... we're going to respect his opinion ... of course, the legislative [branch] is not going to do everything the executive branch wants. That's not the point," said Linck, who isn't seeking re-election this year. "It's going to depend on the makeup of that committee or which committee it goes to."
Some lawmakers voted against the measure last year because of the show of opposition at meetings. Others said they were frustrated by how much of their time the legislation was taking up.
On Wednesday, Hutchinson said he wants the Legislature to change state law after a reporter asked if he had any thoughts about how he would honor King and Lee on the holiday Jan. 18.
"I was looking at that really as a [regular] session issue for 2017, and I do hope that is addressed with clarity and with legislative change in the next General Assembly," he said. "Quite frankly, I was looking at that as the next decision point in this debate.
"As to this year, I am certainly going to be celebrating Martin Luther King's special day. I'll be attending Martin Luther King events and celebrating the great contributions that he has made to his country," Hutchinson said.
Metro on 01/07/2016