At prayer breakfast, governor says he will 'wait and see' if lawmakers take up King-Lee split

Gov. Asa Hutchinson and other state and local officials stand for the presentation of colors at an interfaith prayer breakfast to honor Martin Luther King Jr.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson and other state and local officials stand for the presentation of colors at an interfaith prayer breakfast to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Monday that he will have to “wait and see” if state lawmakers take up his effort to separate the dual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Robert E. Lee Day, though he’s “confident it’s the right thing to do.”

The governor echoed his belief King needs a holiday of his own at an interfaith prayer breakfast celebrating the civil-rights activist at Saint Mark Baptist Church in Little Rock. Hutchinson told Arkansas Online that he thinks King “deserves a day unto itself” without distraction or a “different message” that conflicts with his legacy.

No bill to separate the holidays has been filed as of yet, and Hutchinson is still in the process of finding a lawmaker to sponsor the proposal, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported.

Addressing a packed room, Hutchinson called attention to King’s humility. Even when he was his most well-known, Hutchinson said, King remained humble and could still be found in the basement of his church in Atlanta, cleaning.

“No matter your national stature, no matter your role in history, he [King] was a servant above all else,” Hutchinson said.

Sen. John Boozman, who offered a prayer at the breakfast, recalled coming of age at the height of King’s activities. He said the civil-rights leader always “preached the golden rule”: to love one’s neighbors as one loves oneself. He was a hero, Boozman said, and “we, as a country, need heroes.”

The senator said he does not have a prevailing opinion on the governor’s hope to split King’s holiday from Lee’s, as the issue is not a federal one. He added that he will support whatever the Legislature decides to do.

Dozens of state and local officials sat scattered throughout the audience Monday, listening to the two hour-long presentation of awards and speeches which punctuated by songs and scripture. In attendance was a former U.S. Rep. Ed Bethune, who advocated for King’s birthday to become a holiday during his tenure in Congress.

President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating the holiday in 1983, and it was first celebrated in 1986. Bethune said taking part in this morning’s breakfast reminds him why he voted to create a day honoring King more than three decades ago.

“It gives me the assurance it was the right thing to do,” Bethune said.

U.S. Rep. French Hill also gave an address, beginning his speech by noting the end of Barack Obama’s presidency, and said the president's accomplishments exemplify King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. He then called on Arkansans to combat hatred in their communities, saying though racial tensions remain high, people must be diligent in the “fight against the hate of racism.”

A place was set for Sen. Tom Cotton, though he was not in attendance Monday. A spokesman said the senator was never scheduled to attend the breakfast because he and his wife recently welcomed the birth of their second child in mid-December.

Read Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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