Mississippi legislators were working Sunday to change the state flag by removing a Confederate battle emblem that’s broadly condemned as racist.
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi legislators were working Sunday to change the state flag by removing a Confederate battle emblem that’s broadly condemned as racist.
The House passed a bill 91-23 with broad bipartisan support, sending it to the Senate for more debate.
The flag’s supporters resisted efforts to change it for decades, but rapid developments in recent weeks have changed dynamics on this issue in the tradition-bound state.
As protests against racial injustice recently spread across the U. S., including Mississippi, leaders from business, religion, education and sports have spoken forcefully against the state flag. They have urged legislators to ditch the 126-year-old banner for one that better reflects the diversity of a state with a 38% Black population.
The bill being considered Sunday will remove the current flag from state law in the next few days — as soon as the bill is signed by Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who has said he will do so. A commission would design a new flag that cannot include the Confederate symbol and that must have the words “In God We Trust.”
The state House and Senate met Saturday and took a big step: By two-thirds margins, they suspended legislative deadlines so a flag bill could be filed.
