House bill would separate MLK and Robert E. Lee holiday

A House bill would separate the state holiday for slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

The bill by Rep. Kabir Karriem, D-Columbus, would keep the third Monday of January as the state holiday for King's birthday. It would move Lee's holiday to the fourth Monday of January.

"It's always the right time to do the right thing and I think separating the holidays is long overdue," Karriem said. "Both men had impacts on history, but I don't think it serves the public well in this country to honor both men on the same day."

Karriem said King was a martyr for progress in this country and deserves to have his own day. Alabama and Mississippi are the only remaining states with a dual holiday for King and Lee, Karriem said.

Read more: http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/04/house-bill-would-separate-mlk-and-robert-e-lee-holiday/1003439001/