Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson may move sooner than expected on a proposal to end the state's practice of commemorating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on the same day.
A spokesman said Thursday the governor is considering adding the issue to the agenda for a special session he plans this spring on highway funding. The Republican governor in January said he wanted lawmakers to take up the issue during next year's regular session.
Proposals to end the joint holiday failed multiple times before a House committee last year after opponents said the separation would belittle Southern heritage. Hutchinson has said King deserves the holiday to himself to commemorate his role in the civil rights movement.