Mississippi lawmakers are drafting a resolution to remove Confederate imagery from their state flag amid social unrest following the death of George Floyd.
The Mississippi state flag is the last state in the union with the Confederate battle emblem still emblazoned on its flag, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers is working on a resolution to change that, according to Fox News.
Mississippians voted by a 2-1 margin to keep the flag in 2001, and the state’s governor, Tate Reeves, says he doesn’t plan on taking any action to override that vote.
“If and when Mississippians decide that they want to change the flag, and I think at some point they will, it ought to be the people of Mississippi,” Reeves said.
The resolution calls for an alternate design created by artist Laurin Stennis, which is currently an authorized vehicle tag.
Here’s Laurin Stennis’s new state flag design. 19 stars surround the 20th, because we were 20th state in 1817. #MSBicentennial #thetimeisnow pic.twitter.com/6m4cL5Hc6O
— Andy Taggart (@Andy_Taggart) October 28, 2017
Dozens of bills to change the flag are proposed in the state each year, but they all have died in committee, according to Mississippi Today.
Confederate imagery has been a prominent issue following the death of Floyd, and Confederate memorials have been the target of vandalism in several places across the country. Some states are making efforts to remove the statues altogether.
An Army spokesperson recently confirmed that the military branch is open to renaming bases named after Confederate leaders.
