Georgia’s state flag has had a pledge of allegiance since 1935, but most Peach State residents would be hard pressed to recite it.
But come January, state senators should study up. When the state’s upper chamber gavels to session, each senator will be asked to give a pledge to a flag that has a bit of a controversial past.
It’s a measure meant to gin up state pride, said Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, who introduced the rule change during a closed-door Republican caucus meeting last week. In caucus meetings, the majority party sets rules and divvies up power in the chamber.
“During last week’s caucus meeting, I proposed that our chamber deliver a pledge of allegiance to the state flag, in addition to the U.S. flag, before we begin the Senate’s daily business,” Mullis told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We are the state Senate, and we should honor one of our most important state symbols.”
But in Georgia, any mention of the flag stirs emotion. Though Georgia has had three state banners over the last decade, the pledge has never changed.