ATLANTA -- A state senator from Metro Atlanta called Gov. Sonny Perdue a "racist" today during an emotionally charged speech from the floor of the Senate as it prepares to act on a controversial plan to change Georgia's state flag.

Sen. Mary Squires (D-Norcross), who is white, made a tearful speech from the floor of the Senate while referring to a discussion she had with her 9-year-old son about the effort to change the Georgia flag. During the conversation, her son asked if Perdue hated black people because of his effort to have a voter referendum on the state flag.

After the speech, Squires, accompanied by Regina Thomas (D-Savannah), marched into Perdue's office and waited there before spending several minutes with him discussing the matter.

After the meeting, Squires said the governor defended his position.

"The governor told me he is not wrong," she said. "And that I don't know him and that essentially he is not concerned about the children of this state and what the children of this state see coming from his office and coming from this legislature."

Perdue disagreed with Squires.

"The characterization about my care and concern about children certainly is not accurate and very misplaced," said Perdue, who along with his wife, Mary, have cared for foster children. "Mary and I have demonstrated that in a very caring and loving way over a number of years."

The dispute on Thursday illustrates the emotional charge generated by the flag issue, which is now being considered by the Senate after the House voted last Tuesday to change the state flag and set up a possible referendum on the Confederate battle emblem.

If the Senate also approves the bill, Georgia would take down the current flag, which was changed in 2001 to shrink the rebel cross. The replacement flag would feature the state seal on a blue field in the top left corner, with three red-and-white stripes and the words "In God We Trust" to the right.

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The new design is similar to the national flag of the Confederacy, rather than the more familiar battle flag.

If voters reject the three-stripe flag next year, a statewide referendum on restoring an old flag with its Confederate symbol would be held.

Black lawmakers in the House launched more than six hours of debate to block the bill because they oppose any chance for a public vote on the symbol.

The bill eventually passed 111-67 with just about 20 minutes before midnight, when the bill would have died for the year.

Lawmakers considered the flag switch and referendum at the urging of Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican who booted an incumbent governor last year in part because Perdue promised a vote on the state banner.

While most blacks consider the rebel cross a painful symbol of oppression, many whites were miffed that the flag was so quickly changed in 2001. Then-Gov. Roy Barnes ramrodded a new flag through the Legislature in less than a week, with no public hearings.