Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Authorities said the shooting was a targeted attack.
The chairman of the board of supervisors in Johnson County, Iowa, said the county will defy an order from state Gov. Kim Reynolds to fly flags at half-staff in memory of Kirk.
The chairman, Jon Green, said in a post on Facebook last night that Kirk did not encourage inclusivity.
“I condemn Kirk’s killing, regardless of who pulled the trigger or why,” Green stated. “But I will not grant Johnson County honors to a man who made it his life’s mission to denigrate so many of the constituents I have sworn an oath to protect, and who did so much to harm not only the marginalized, but also to degrade the fabric of our body politic.”
Green said he made the decision under his own authority.
“Any blowback belongs to me alone, and I accept that,” he said in an interview with NBC News today.
Green said he made the decision to fly county flags at half staff in mourning for Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman in June, after she was killed in a politically motivated assassination, criticizing the governor because she “said nothing” of the incident.
“I stand by that determination and I stand by the decision I made today,” he said, adding “the governor knows where to find me.”
In a statement Wednesday, Reynold’s office ordered flags to be flown at half-staff “as a mark of respect in memory of Charlie Kirk.” It’s not clear if the order, which extends from Wednesday through Sunday, applies to Johnson County and other counties.
In the statement, the governor’s office said the Capitol and Capitol Complex will fly flags at half-staff, as well as “all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout the state.” However, the statement also indicates county governments can decide on their own.
“Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties, and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect,” the governor’s office said.
Today, Reynolds suggested Green’s decision was not befitting the moment.
“It’s disgraceful that a locally-elected official has chosen to put politics above human decency during a time like this,” she said on X.
Reynolds’ office did not respond to a request for comment.
Johnson County is the home of the University of Iowa and has a population of approximately 153,360, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Utah News