ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The Georgia legislature voted last night to change the design of the state flag and nix any chance the Confederate battle emblem removed two years ago could be revived, at least for now. CNN's Brian Cabell has the flap over the flag.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We give the people of Georgia an opportunity to vote for the flag that once flew over this great state.</s>BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): After much anguish and arm-twisting, both houses of the Georgia legislature said no to the controversial Georgia state flag with the Confederate battle emblem.</s>CABELL: The legislature instead voted to adopt a new flag, modeled after previous Georgia flags, and to set up an advisory referendum next March. Voters could either approve the new flag or vote for the one which has flown here for the last two years. Neither flag is considered controversial and both seem acceptable to African- American legislators here.</s>VINCENT FORT, GEORGIA STATE SENATOR: I think it says that Georgia is more mature and the legislature is more mature than one might have thought.</s>CABELL: The state flag with the battle emblem was taken down two years ago. Many blacks considered it a symbol of hate. But a determined group of Confederate heritage supporters has battled to bring the flag back, or at least allow Georgians to vote on bringing it back.</s>MERLE BLACK, EMORY UNIVERSITY: It kinds of reaffirms the South is still refighting the Civil War, unresolved issues from the Civil War.</s>CABELL: The possibility that the battle flag might be raised here again brought with it the threat of an economic boycott by civil rights activists. As a result, most of the business and tourism community in Atlanta staunchly opposed bringing the flag back. Governor Sonny Perdue campaigned last year with the promise that he'd give Georgians an opportunity to choose their flag, including possibly the battle flag, but he announced he will sign the legislators' bill. Brian Cabell, CNN, Atlanta.
Georgia Legislature Votes to Change Design of State Flag