Senate Panel Oks Flag Amendment

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved a constitutional amendment to allow the states to make it a crime to desecrate the American flag.

But the committee’s chairman, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, left open the possibility that the language might be changed to clear up ambiguities and help win more votes.

The measure, approved overwhelmingly by the House in June, now goes to the full Senate. Hatch said the measure faced an uphill struggle but predicted it would garner the 67 votes necessary to send a constitutional amendment to the states for ratification.