House Panel: Move the Museum to House the Confederate Flag

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Legislators on a House budget-writing panel say the museum that will house the Confederate flag taken off Statehouse grounds last summer needs to relocate to attract more visitors.

Panel members said Wednesday most people don’t know the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum is “hidden” in the back of the State Museum building.

The state’s military museum is seeking more than $3 million to expand exhibit space and $550,000 for the flag display itself.

Charleston Rep. Chip Limehouse suggests splitting the museum’s exhibits and sending Civil War-related artifacts to the North Charleston museum that houses the H.L. Hunley submarine.

Columbia Rep. Chip Huggins says he would prefer the military museum stay in the capital city, but it should move to wherever it can get the greatest exposure.