(Columbia-AP) December 1, 2005 - Governor Mark Sanford says he'll lower the flags to half staff to honor civil rights icon Rosa Parks the day the Legislature sends him a bill giving him the authority to do that.

Sanford took heat for not lowering Statehouse flags to half staff when she died, something that happened at federal buildings and capitols around the nation. Sanford says state law doesn't allow him to lower flags when the president requests that honor.

In a prepared statement, Sanford said "the state's flags absolutely should have been lowered for Rosa Parks, and they will be lowered the day I sign a bill letting me do so."

Bills allowing that have already been prefiled by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell and House Speaker Bobby Harrell, both of Charleston, and Representative Ken Clark of Swansea. All three are Republicans.

Posted 11:36pm by Graeme Moore