York Co. Chamber seeks removal of Confederate flag from Statehouse grounds

The York County Regional Chamber of Commerce has called for removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Statehouse grounds.

The chamber’s board chairman, Rick Jiran, issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying that nine people were killed at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston on June 17, the chamber seeks the “swift removal” of the flag.

“We join local and state leadership in the belief that the sovereign flags of South Carolina and the United States of America should now be the only flags displayed at the” Statehouse.

“The Chamber’s support for removal of the flag is consistent with the organization’s mission of fostering economic prosperity, in support of York County becoming a premier place—a community thriving in its quality of life, work and business—and in support of strengthening the state’s economic and global competitiveness.”

Here is the chamber’s complete statement:

York County Regional Chamber Board Chairman Rick Jiran said, “Our hearts go out to the nine families in Charleston.”

Believing the facts and circumstances of that sad event warrant action, the Chamber Board of Directors agreed to take a stand and issue the following statement:

The York County Regional Chamber of Commerce advocates the swift removal of the Confederate flag from the State House grounds. This Chamber supported removing the flag from the State House dome in 2000, and we join local and state leadership in the belief that the sovereign flags of South Carolina and the United States of America should now be the only flags displayed at the State House.

The Chamber’s support for removal of the flag is consistent with the organization’s mission of fostering economic prosperity, in support of York County becoming a premier place—a community thriving in its quality of life, work and business—and in support of strengthening the state’s economic and global competitiveness.

This story was originally published July 1, 2015 at 5:11 PM with the headline "York Co. Chamber seeks removal of Confederate flag from Statehouse grounds."