Following the lead of his colleagues in South Carolina and Virginia, this morning Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley ordered the removal of the four confederate flags flying at the state’s Capitol in Montgomery.

The flags were taken down from the state house at about 8:20 this morning, according to al.com. Bentley told the website that the flags were removed in response to last week’s deadly shooting at a historic black church in Charleston.

“Yes, partially this is about that,” he told AL.com. “This is the right thing to do. We are facing some major issues in this state regarding the budget and other matters that we need to deal with. This had the potential to become a major distraction as we go forward. I have taxes to raise, we have work to do. And it was my decision that the flag needed to come down.”

Of course, racist protestors have already gathered outside the Capitol with their own flags.

Contact the author at taylor@gawker.com.