Wis. Assembly Declines To Take Up Black History Month Resolution
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Assembly Republicans failed to muster enough votes to take up a resolution recognizing Black History Month after refusing to mention former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the language.
The Legislature's black caucus had proposed a resolution that mentioned Kaepernick. But Majority Leader Jim Steineke said Kaepernick is a controversial figure and Republicans drafted their own resolution that excluded him.
The GOP tried to bring their resolution to the floor Tuesday but fell six votes short after every Democrat voted against it.
The black caucus chairman, David Crowley, said after the vote that black people should get to choose which leaders to honor and Republicans ignored them.
Kaepernick caused an uproar in 2016 when he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice.
Last year the Assembly passed separate Black History Month resolutions, one written by a Republican and another written by black lawmakers.
(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
