The Mississippi House and Senate voted to remove a Confederate emblem from the state flag and to replace the flag with a new design.
Both chambers voted on Sunday to take the symbol off of the flag, which was adopted in 1894. The legislation outlines a process for the current flag to be removed and a nine-person commission to design a new one by mid-September. Residents would then have the opportunity to vote in favor of or against the new design when they head to the polls in November.
The state’s House voted on Saturday to begin the legislative process of changing the flag, followed by the Senate. Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, indicated his willingness to sign the bill when it reaches his desk.
“The legislature has been deadlocked for days as it considers a new state flag. The argument over the 1894 flag has become as divisive as the flag itself and it’s time to end it. If they send me a bill this weekend, I will sign it,” he wrote on Facebook.
In recent weeks, statues of Confederate leaders have been removed by local governments and protesters, and Congress has taken down portraits honoring House speakers who were part of the Confederacy. The push comes amid renewed national attention on and worldwide protests over systemic racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd in police custody last month.
