No wonder a number of moderate white legislators joined the coalition in supporting the plan.

Yet some other white legislators seemed moved.

They were subject to discriminatory laws passed by white legislators, including racial segregation of public facilities.

The move raised the possibility of a battle between black and white legislators over how to draft a new plan.

Two white legislators in the 140-member General Assembly opposed the bill, while all 13 black members voted against it.

As a result, talk of a boycott has been muted in the hope that white legislators would not feel pressured.

They said the vote partly reflected resentment by some white legislators after several black lawmakers withdrew their support for a new state lottery.

Both black independent and white liberal legislators refused to back the bill, fearing to challenge Daley's stronghold on the police force.

But an equally vocal group of white legislators said the current flag should simply be adopted by the Legislature.

Several white legislators made it clear that whenever the issue came up, they would not support any commission to redesign the flag.