Outrage over racially charged remarks made by a Mississippi legislator are leading to calls for his immediate resignation. There are also calls for an investigation.
Mississippi's Black Legislative Caucus is calling for Republican State Representative Karl Oliver of Winona, to resign. That, after the freshman legislator made comments on his Facebook page Saturday, saying Louisiana leaders should be lynched for taking down Confederate monuments. House Speaker, Republican Philip Gunn, reprimanded Oliver by stripping him of the vice chairmanship of the House Forestry Committee. Oliver took down the post Monday and issued an apology. But Sonya Williams Barnes who chairs the caucus, says that's not enough.
"This is not the demeanor of a public official. Mr. Oliver needs to resign. He needs to resign today and think about what he has said and his actions," said Williams Barnes
House Republican John Moore agrees Oliver's Facebook comments were wrong, but doesn't think he should step down.
"At the end of the day I do not think that the gentleman should resign. He done an excellent job for his constituency up there for him to be removed from office because of the use of one word. We don't want to start making that long list of words," said Moore.
Governor Phil Bryant says in a statement Representative Oliver's language was unacceptable and has no place in civil discourse. Whether he remains a representative is up to him and the voters in his district.
The ACLU of Mississippi is also calling on Governor Phil Bryant, and the Republican leadership for a preliminary investigation of the comments as a violation of the code of ethics in the state house.
