Mississippi was closer to changing its state flag on Saturday when more than two-thirds of the state Legislature voted to suspend the rules to allow a vote on removing the Confederate battle emblem from its design.
For the first time, Governor Tate Reeves, a Republican, said he would sign a bill to change the flag. He previously said he would not veto the bill, and said voters should decide whether to change the flag.
“The discussion about the 1894 flag has become as divisive as the flag itself and it is time to end it,” he said in a statement posted on Twitter. “If they send me an invoice this weekend, I will sign it.”
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“For economic prosperity and for a better future for my children and yours, we must find a way to unite. To heal our wounds, to forgive, to resolve that the page has been turned, to trust each other. With God’s help, we can, “he added.
Don Hartness of Ellisville walks around the Capitol carrying the current Mississippi state flag and the American flag on Saturday, June 27, 2020, in Jackson, Miss. (Associated Press)
The flag, which has been controversial for years, is being re-examined for its links to racism as the United States examines historical symbols, including statues and building names, amid protests for racial equality.
Supporters of a change include Bertram Hayes-Davis, a descendant of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
“The battle flag is a historical symbol of conflict and should be properly displayed in museums as such,” Hayes-Davis, 66, told Newsweek last week. “But it is not something that I think requires a public display.”
“The battle flag is a historical symbol of conflict and should be properly displayed in museums as such. But it is not something that I think requires a public display.”
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The debate on the bill can start on Sunday and lawmakers could vote to remove the emblem at that time.
“The eyes of the state, the nation, and indeed the world are in this House,” state Rep. Jason White, Republican pro tempore speaker, said in the state House on Saturday. “I know there are many good people who … believe this flag is a symbol of our southern pride and heritage, but for most people across our nation and the world, they see that flag and think it represents hatred and oppression “
Members of the Mississippi Senate gallery stand up and applaud after the body passed a resolution that would suspend the rules to allow lawmakers to change the state flag, Saturday, June 27, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. . (Associated Press)
Under the bill, a flag committee would create a new design that includes “In God We Trust” potentially as part of the state’s official seal, according to FOX 40 in Jackson, Mississippi.
Mississippi State Senator Sarita Simmons, a Democrat from Cleveland, left, hugs Republican Senator Brice Wiggins, of Pascagoula, center, and Jeremy England, of Vancleave, after the body passed a resolution that would allow lawmakers to change the state flag on Saturday, June 27, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Jackson, Miss. (Associated Press)
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State Representative Chris Brown, Republican, said he believes both the current and proposed design should appear on the ballot for voters.
“I don’t think we can move forward together if we say, ‘You can have any flag you want except … this one,'” Brown said. “If we put the current flag on the ballot with another good design, the people of Mississippi will change it … Let’s not steal their joy.”
Larry Eubanks of Star waves the current Mississippi state flag as he sits across from the Capitol on Saturday, June 27, 2020, in Jackson, Miss. (Associated Press)
In 2001, the last time the Confederate symbol was removed from the flag was on the ballot, voters decided to keep it.
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Although the suspension of the rules required a two-thirds vote, the approval of the law only needs a majority.
“I never would have thought I’d see the flag drop in my life,” said Democratic State Senator Barbara Blackmon, who is African American.
The House voted 84-35 and the Senate 36-14 on Saturday, according to FOX 40.
Robert Gearty of The Associated Press and Fox News contributed to this report.
