In response to charges he is

backing away from his earlier position, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Sharpsburg)

is reiterating his opposition to changing the Georgia state flag.

"That's the same position

I've always had," he said.

Late last week, The Citizen

obtained copies of e-mails from the Sons of Confederate Veterans who said

the felt "betrayed" after learning that Westmoreland had cut

a deal with Georgia Chamber of Commerce officials to change the flag if

they would help him with upcoming reapportionment.

"That's a lie from the

pits of hell," he said.

Westmoreland was sad to hear

that the group felt he was abandoning them.

""They're taking

the bait, and I wish they wouldn't," he said.

He maintained that he has always

been opposed to changing the flag and would stick to his guns on the issue.

In other matters, Westmoreland

said that House Bill 30, which he cosponsored and would have amended language

concerning the State Ethics Commission, is dead.

"What we're trying to

do is change the language and it was misinterpreted. We're drawing up

a new piece of legislation," he said.

The thrust of the new bill

will be to forbid ethics officials from commenting on a case before it

is heard. After the case is settled, state ethics officials would be free

to offer their opinion on the matter.

"We want to prevent any

misleading information getting out before the case is heard," he

said.

The original bill contained

language that some people interpreted as muzzling the Ethics Commission,

but Westmoreland maintained that was never the case.

"We're just trying to

help the commission," he said.

Westmoreland is also cosponsor

of a bill that will eliminate sales tax on the first 200 therms of natural

gas purchases until 2002.