SHORT TAKES : McCartney Plugs King Holiday
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TEMPE, Ariz. — Former Beatle Paul McCartney, playing on the 22nd anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., criticized Arizona for not having a state holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader.
The Arizona Legislature passed a bill in September for a King Day, but opponents gathered enough signatures to stall the holiday until after a referendum in November.
“I thought that was really dumb,” McCartney said at a news conference. “That was a very good opportunity to make a nation proud of one man. He was a great guy. It looked a bit silly when one state held out against it.”
Arizona is one of only three states still without an official King holiday. The others are New Hampshire and Montana.
The 47-year-old McCartney owns a ranch near Tucson.
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