The Oklahoma Senate easily passed a bill Tuesday to prevent any changes to military monuments on public property.
The bill prohibits any changes to monuments to conflicts from World War I to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sen. Frank Simpson’s bill would prohibit removal of any Confederate flags that may be part of those displays.
"The display of the Confederate flag in the proper context can be a learning experience for everyone, and to deny that from public display just because we may personally disagree with it, I think that does our culture and does our children and our country a disservice," Simpson said.
Simpson said he had concerns after hearing Confederate flags may be removed from Gettysburg. Sen. Kevin Matthews thought senators' time could be better spent.
"Is there somebody that's trying to remove a symbol here in Oklahoma City? In Muskogee, Okla.? In Enid?" Matthews said. "Can you give me the reason we need to pass this bill because we're having such a conflict that's more important than this $1.4 billion deficit we're facing?"
Simpson could not offer an example of someone trying to have a Confederate flag removed in Oklahoma.
The bill also prohibits renaming buildings, parks and other things named after military figures or events.
