Mo. lawmaker again pursuing slavery apology

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A St. Louis legislator says he again will file a resolution that apologizes for slavery.

Democratic House member Talbdin El-Amin (El-Ah-MEEN') says an apology would help heal wounds. The state was so divided during the Civil War that it sent soldiers to both sides.

The Republican-controlled chamber created a committee headed by El-Amin to study the issue before the 2008 session. One Republican member opposed using the word "apology" while others pushed to include language that would bar lawsuits stemming from the measure.

El-Amin says the apology is about acknowledging a wrong and shouldn't involve economic and legal considerations. Several former slave states have already approved slavery apologies.

A similar proposal by El-Amin failed to pass last year.