Gov. Robert Bentley says removing four Confederate flags from the state Capitol was the "right thing to do."
The governor says Alabama needs to show the world that it is different than it was in 1963.
Bentley, in an interview with The Associated Press, says he stood behind his decision last week to remove the flags. He wanted to head off what he saw as growing controversy about the Confederate banners.
He says a fight over the flags would have been a distraction in a state dealing with a budget challenges and trying to recruit industries.