The magnolia centered banner chosen Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020 by the Mississippi State Flag Commission flies outside the Old State Capitol Museum in downtown Jackson, Miss. Slight modifications were made to the original design, including making the text bolder and the red and gold bars thicker. State legislature. [3], On June 9, 2020 lawmakers gathered votes and started drafting legislation to change the state flag. a cascade of calls from inside and outside Mississippi. Mississippi will fly a new state flag with a magnolia and the phrase “In God We Trust,” with voters approving the design on the November 3 ballot. [18] The deadline was moved to August 1st to allow time for the commission to complete the selection process. “This has taught us a lesson,” Robert L. Johnson III, the House Democratic leader, told reporters, noting the legislation had bipartisan support that bridged racial and geographic lines. A nine-person commission has been appointed to develop a single new design by September, and Mississippi voters will approve or reject that design on … Election 2020 Mississippi Flag FILE - This Sept. 2, 2020 file photo shows the magnolia centered banner chosen by the Mississippi State Flag Commission displayed outside the Old State Capitol Museum in downtown Jackson, Miss. [6] Hosemann was joined by Attorney General Lynn Fitch, State Auditor Shad White, Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson and Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney. The flag, the only state banner left in the country with the overt Confederate symbol, served for many as an inescapable sign of Mississippi’s racial scars and of the consequences of that history in defining perceptions of the state. “I’m glad to see this happen in my lifetime, in my son’s lifetime — in my grandmother’s lifetime,” added Ms. Lambright-Haines, an N.A.A.C.P. Let Mississippi Vote may say that their main concern is giving a voice back to the people of Mississippi. Mississippi lawmakers vote to remove Confederate battle emblem from its flag Mississippi's state flag will lose its official status as soon as GOP Gov. Mississippi has been without a flag since late June, when legislators surrendered the last state banner in the U.S. that included the Confederate battle emblem Tate Reeves signed the bill into law. The state Senate easily passed House Bill 1 on Wednesday following an overwhelming state House vote a day earlier to cement the voter-approved flag into state code. Tate Reeves of Mississippi signed into law the measure replacing the state flag. The new flag features a red, gold and blue design with a magnolia at its center. Supporters of the Confederate-themed Mississippi flag are starting an initiative that seeks to put four flag designs on the statewide ballot for another vote — the 1894 flag, the magnolia flag, one designed by a Jackson artist as an alternative to the 1894 flag … JACKSON, Miss. [24][25][26], The final two flags were the "Great River Flag" designed by Micah Whitson and the "The New Magnolia" designed by Rocky Vaughan, Sue Anna Joe, Kara Giles and Dominique Pugh. It would be a sharp contrast from the last time the flag was opened to a statewide ballot, in 2001, when voters overwhelmingly decided to keep the flag. Should the referendum result in a "no" vote for the proposed design, the commission would reconvene and propose different designs. Lawmakers passed a bill in June that immediately removed the state flag, and Gov. The ballot measure presented voters with two potential state flags. Mississippi has been without a flag since late June, when legislators surrendered the last state banner in the U.S. that included the Confederate battle emblem In a tearful reflection after the state Senate vote, Moore said that he was glad his 9-year-old daughter does not have to come of age in a Mississippi under the symbol that the state flag represents. Former Mississippi Gov. The argument for changing the flag was a moral one for some. The commission has steadily narrowed the number of design options. The group reached their goal of 5000 volunteers and have sent wording for their referendum to the Mississippi Attorney General's Office for approval. They contended that Mississippi, as one of the poorest states, could not afford to have barriers turning away outside investment. Yet the calls for a change resonated more widely because of economic concerns raised by business leaders and moderate Republicans. [13][14], Under the terms of House Bill 1796, a body known as the Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag was constituted to suggest a design for a new state flag no later than September 14, 2020. William Winter, who is now 97, served on then-President Bill Clinton's national advisory board on race in the 1990s and was chairman of the Mississippi flag commission in 2000. Mississippi would remain without an official state flag until a new one is adopted through this process. Mississippi lawmakers have voted to retire the state flag, the last to feature the Confederate battle emblem. (WJTV)- The Mississippi House of Representatives voted Sunday to remove the current state flag which carries the Confederate battle emblem. [15] In accordance with the rules imposed by House Bill 1796, designs would only be accepted if they contained the words "In God We Trust" and not include the Confederate battle flag. “Whether we like it or not, the Confederate emblem on our state flag is viewed by many as a symbol of hate — there’s no getting around that fact,” Jason White, a Republican state representative, said on the floor of the House on Saturday. The 2020 Mississippi flag referendum was a legislatively referred state statute appearing on the November 3, 2020 general election ballot in Mississippi.. The commission consisted of nine members, three of which were appointed by the Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives, three members appointed by the Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi, and three by the Governor. In late June, Mississippi legislators voted to retire the last state flag to include the Confederate battle emblem — a red field topped by a blue X with white stars. These proposals, depicting various elements including a representation of the Mississippi River, magnolias, and stars composed of diamonds significant to the Choctaw nation, had either red, white, and blue or green and white color schemes. Whether legislators will change Mississippi's flag to remove its Confederate battle emblem appears to hinge on the decisions of a few Republican senators. (Mississippi Legislature/YouTube) Entries were to be submitted by email or by post and be received by the commission by August 13, 2020 to be considered. Mississippi began grappling with the flag once again this spring as a result of the death of George Floyd in the custody of the Minneapolis police, which rapidly evolved into a sprawling expression of fury and exasperation over the countless manifestations of the nation’s tangled racial history. Here's what that means. “This was a long time coming,” Nsombi Lambright-Haines said after applause broke out in the Capitol and a crowd huddled inside tossed aside coronavirus precautions for a brief second and embraced one other. Mississippi legislators in late June retired a 126-year-old state flag that was the last in the U.S. to include the Confederate battle emblem. [21], At an August 14 meeting, the commission announced that they had selected nine proposals. He initially said that any decision to change the flag ought to be made directly by voters. Mississippi flag comes down after vote to remove Confederate emblem – video Mississippi lawmakers have faced increasing pressure to change the flag, which features the … The legislation would mandate the “prompt, dignified and respectful” removal within 15 days of the bill going into effect. Many lawmakers said removing the flag had an air of inevitability, as Mississippi increasingly looked like a conspicuous holdout as activists pushed to minimize and contextualize the remnants of the Confederacy that have long been on prominent display. JACKSON, Miss. Tate Reeves, a Republican, who has said he will sign it. [33][34][35] Americans United for Separation of Church and State declared the state's actions as trading "a white nationalist symbol for a Christian nationalist one". [27][28], On September 2, the commission voted 8–1 to put the New Magnolia flag on the November ballot. Tate Reeves, a … “Mississippi had some character decisions to make, and today, we did,” said Ms. Bennett, the executive director of Mississippi Votes, a voting rights organization. An expert says having a statewide election on a flag design is unusual, and Mississippi is having its second one in less than 20 years. [1] The referendum passed by a 73% to 27% margin on November 3, 2020. Amid a movement that has brought down monuments of Confederates, colonizers and conquistadors and stripped the names of segregationists from buildings and programs, pressure soon zeroed in on the flag. Resistance to the vote has surfaced already: The Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, in a post on its Facebook page, suggested rallying voters to impede any efforts to replace the flag. The financial threat had been underscored by recent announcements by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Southeastern Conference that Mississippi would be precluded from hosting championship events until the flag was changed. The action came after weeks of national protests following the death of George Floyd, including a protest outside the Mississippi Governor's Mansion on June 6. The effort was revived five years ago after a white supremacist killed nine African-American worshipers in a Charleston, S.C., church, prompting the removal of monuments to the Confederacy across the region as well as battle flags on statehouse grounds in Alabama and South Carolina. Tate Reeves for his signature or veto. Supporters of Mississippi state flag want to see issue brought to a vote Fans of the controversial banner also say that they see no need to make a … A Mississippi state flag at the Capitol in Jackson on Thursday. Big development", "As leaders continue to count votes to change state flag, Hosemann throws support behind legislative action", "Mississippi House and Senate vote to remove Confederate icon from state flag", "Mississippi House passes bill to take Confederate symbol off state flag", "HB1796 (As Sent to Governor) – 2020 Regular Session", "Changing the state flag: How Mississippi legislators made history in 4 hours on a rare Sunday session", "Breaking: Governor to retire Mississippi's Confederate-themed flag", "Governor to retire Mississippi's Confederate-themed flag", "State Commission Seeks Flag Design Submissions | Mississippi Department of Archives & History", State Flag Commission holds first meeting in Jackson, "State commission asks for state flag designs", "Commission Approves Process of Selecting New Flag, Chooses Meeting Dates | Mississippi Department of Archives & History", "View Submissions for the New Mississippi State Flag | Mississippi Department of Archives & History", "Commission narrows down 147 designs for Mississippi's new state flag", "Magnolias, Mississippi River among elements discussed by flag commission", "Mississippi flag could have Choctaw-inspired diamond shape", "One of these five designs could become the new Mississippi state flag", "Mississippi flag commission selects final two flag designs", "Two finalists announced for Mississippi state flag", "Could the Great River Flag be the odds on favorite for new Mississippi flag? Tate Reeves for his signature or veto. The vote occurred as protests over racial injustice were taking place across the nation and Confederate monuments were … The vote in the Mississippi House was 91 in favor of removal and 23 opposed. Scott Waller, the CEO of the Mississippi Economic Council, said he hopes people will vote from the top of the ballot to the bottom, which is where the flag referendum will be located. The debate has raged in recent weeks over the continued presence of the Confederate symbol — 13 white stars atop a blue X with a red background — on … [20] Each of the 9 commission members picked 25 flags, narrowing the list down to 147. (Several other Southern states have flags that are regarded as obliquely referencing Confederate iconography, including Alabama and Florida.). The legislation cleared a significant procedural hurdle on Saturday as a supermajority in both the House of Representatives and Senate voted to move ahead. Mississippi state Rep. Edward Blackmon Jr. (D-Madison) spoke before a vote to remove the Confederate emblem from the state flag on June 27. Mississippi to Replace State Flag Featuring Confederate War Emblem ... “Make no mistake, a vote to change the rules is a vote to change the flag,” he concluded. [15] The act stipulated that any design proposed by the commission must include the words "In God We Trust" and must not contain the Confederate battle flag. Voters were able to vote either yes to adopt the new flag or no to … JACKSON, Miss. “We’re one Mississippi moving forward.”. Voters approved Proposition A, which reaffirmed the use of the flag adopted in 1894 containing the Confederate battle cross. The vote in the Mississippi House was 91 in favor of removal and 23 opposed. The nine member committee voted to recommend a design with the state flower. In the House, the bill was passed by 91 in favor and 23 against. [2], After an earlier redesign proposal had been voted down in the 2001 Mississippi flag referendum and following the adoption of a new state flag by Georgia in 2003, the Mississippi flag remained the only U.S. state flag to include the Confederate battle flag's saltire. ", "Mississippi flag: Magnolia could replace old rebel symbol", "Mississippi governor signs law for flag without rebel emblem", "Mississippi adding 'In God We Trust' to new state flag may prompt Satanic Temple lawsuit", "Satanic Temple plans to sue Mississippi if state puts 'In God We Trust' on flag", "Some question replacing Mississippi's Confederate symbol with 'In God We Trust, "Mississippi Trades Confederate Emblem For 'In God We Trust' On State Flag", "Vexing Vexillology Mississippi axes racist flag, adds divisive motto", "Initiatives – Mississippi Initiative Process", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2020_Mississippi_flag_referendum&oldid=1001175524, November 2020 events in the United States, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 January 2021, at 15:31. Mr. Reeves, a Republican, said on Saturday that he would sign a bill, which represented the latest evolution in his thinking. Mississippi voters chose to keep the Confederate-themed flag during a 2001 election, but all of the state's public universities and several cities and counties stopped flying it in recent years. Delbert Hosemann seems to open the door to legislative action on the Mississippi state flag without a popular vote. The galleries in the House and Senate held sparse crowds because of coronavirus precautions, but the people who were there and waiting in the Capitol corridors erupted into applause as soon as the Senate tally was announced. Chris McDaniel, a Republican state senator who has been one of the most ardent critics of the legislation, argued that changing the flag represented a dangerous precedent for erasing history. [39][40][41], Please vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on whether the following design shall be the official Mississippi State Flag, Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag, Flag of Mississippi § Proposals to change the 1894 flag, 2020 Initiative 65 (Medical marijuana legalization), North American Vexillological Association, national protests following the death of George Floyd, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Tuesday after the first Monday in November, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials, "Mississippi Ballot Measure 3, State Flag Referendum (2020)", "Mississippi votes in favor of adopting new flag", "Historic Protests for Black Lives Sweep Mississippi Over Weekend", "Senate Democrats file resolution to change state flag after earlier action by House members", "Breaking: Lt. Gov. Who has been involved in efforts to take down the flag ought to be made directly by.... 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