Republican lawmakers in Ohio on Thursday voted down a potential ban on the sale and display of Confederate memorabilia at Ohio’s county fairs. The amendment to House Bill 665 would have banned the display and sale of Confederate memorabilia by vendors at local and county fairs in Ohio.
Rep. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) offered the amendment. The 56-33 vote was mostly along party lines, with Rep. Niraj Antani (R-Miamisburg) supporting the amendment.
The House voted 62-25 to pass the original bill, without the amendment. In her floor speech, Brent proclaimed, “If you don’t stand up to white supremacists, you stand with them.”
This comes after NASCAR, the Navy and the Marine Corps. have banned the display of Confederate flags in recent days.