COLUMBIA, S.C.—Governor Nikkie Haley and the NAACP are joining calls to remove a long-standing piece of history from the grounds at the state Capitol.

"Today we are here, without ill will, to say it's time to remove the [Confederate battle] flag from Capitol grounds,” she said Monday.

Politicians and civil rights groups from across the country asked for the flag to be removed after last week's church shooting by a white supremacist in Charleston, South Carolina.

The alleged killer, 21 year-old Dylann Storm Roof is awaiting trial in jail in Charleston with a $1 million bond.

The Confederate flag originally sparked criticism this week after Governor Haley ordered flags at half-staff to honor the nine victims of the shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church.

That did not include to Confederate flag, because only the South Carolina legislature has power over that flag.

Rev. Nelson Rivers of the National Action Network said, “The Confederate battle flag is a symbol of the worst of South Carolina's past, and should be moved to a place of historical significance, and no longer in front of the Capitol of all citizens of this great state.”

Some here say they don't mind.

Some are even proud of the military history they claim it represents.

“No matter what flag, Vietnam, Korean War, whatever flag. It’s a flag. If it's a war flag and they want to fly it, fly it!” said Columbia resident Mike Benjamin.

But the flag's origin here is sometimes forgotten.

“Confederate flags became something that states in the South embraced around the time of the Civil Rights movement,” said Levine Museum of the New South Tom Hanchett.

Hanchett says that's exactly what happened when the flag went up in Columbia in 1962.

“Senator Strom Thurmond spoke at the raising of the flag over the state house in Columbia, and he said in part, ‘Social equality among diverse races is the surest method for the destruction of free government.’"

After complaints from South Carolina businesses, the flag was taken off the dome in 2000 and placed by a nearby Confederate memorial.

Now there's new pressure to kill it altogether.

“My hope is that by removing a symbol that divides us, we can move forward as a state in harmony, and we can honor the nine blessed souls, who are now in heaven,” Governor Haley said.

Eden June is from Charleston. She says she's fine watching this relic fade into history.

“It's fine if it's in the books. But let it go for the justice of our people,” she said.

But there's no guarantee the flag will come down.

South Carolina's legislature is the only body with the power to remove the flag.

They have a special budget session coming up-- but they have to get a two-thirds vote to even consider other issues.

We reached out to the Assembly speaker's office to see if removing the flag could come up.

He did not responded to our calls and e-mails at press time.

But Governor Haley says she'll use executive powers to call them back if they don't.