Arizona Senate Panel Bars King Holiday Plan

A Republican-dominated Arizona Senate panel, refusing to “trade heroes,” today defeated a bill to create a state holiday in honor of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to replace the one scrapped by the state’s new governor.

Arizona had a paid holiday honoring King until January when Republican Gov. Evan Mecham took office and, in a controversial move, rescinded his Democratic predecessor’s executive order establishing it. Mecham said the order was illegal.

The rejected Senate bill would have set aside the third Monday in January in honor of the slain civil rights leader and combined the holidays honoring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln into a single Presidents Day in February.

“The issue here is trading heroes and that’s unacceptable,” said Sen. John Mawhinney (R-Tucson), chairman of the Senate Government Committee.

Party-Line Vote

A 6-3 party-line vote, with Republicans in the majority, killed the bill. The full House plans to debate similar legislation.

Sen. James Sossaman (R-Higley) said he was saddened that some people accused committee members of being racist for not supporting the bill.

Senate Minority Leader Alan Stephens (D-Phoenix), however, said the state has been held up to national ridicule because of the King controversy.

More than 400 people, most of them supporters, attended an emotional three-hour hearing on the bill Wednesday.

Opponents included former Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver, now a conservative Republican. He urged lawmakers not to be intimidated by accusations of racism and defeat the bill.

He said King was a great man, but there was no reason to “clutter the calendar” honoring every great person in America.