Mississippi flag: Gov. Reeves to sign bill taking down state flag with ceremony at mansion

[brooklynite]

Source: Clarion-Ledger

Gov. Tate Reeves will sign a bill Tuesday at 5 p.m. that mandates the removal of the state flag Mississippi, according to a press release.

Mississippi is the only state whose flag contains the Confederate battle flag. Lawmakers adopted it nearly three decades after the Civil War.

Reeves had long refused to take a position on the flag, which the Legislature adopted in 1894. Nearly two-thirds of voters reaffirmed the flag in a 2001 referendum, and Reeves has repeatedly pointed to this referendum, saying only voters can decide to take the flag down.

Lawmakers voted Sunday to retire the state flag that contains the Confederate emblem.
He softened the stance a week ago, then announced on Saturday morning that the issue had grown too divisive and that he would sign whatever flag bill lawmakers passed.

Read more: https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2020/06/30/mississippi-state-flag-gov-reeves-signs-bill-mandates-confederate-flag-removal/3279251001/

[Botany]

1. Wasn't this already done 155 years ago?

[Aristus]

4. Whoever hand-tinted that illustration did a shitty job.

He evidently thought: "Eh, the boots are already black. Why bother?"

[Maeve]

2. So what design will the new flag use?

There was one from 2001, there is the "Hospitality flag" and there is the Bicentennial design--or will they choose a new one?

[NurseJackie]

3. I like this design. But I'd read somewhere they want to include "IN GOD WE TRUST" on it...

I like this design. But I'd read somewhere they want to include "IN GOD WE TRUST" on it... ugh.

[cab67]

5. Does the number of stars signify anything?

Just curious.

I suspect it's related to Mississippi being the 20th state admitted to the union, but I could be wrong.

[NurseJackie]

6. That's correct. -- On December 10, 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state admitted to the Union.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi

On December 10, 1817, Mississippi became the 20th state admitted to the Union. By 1860, Mississippi was the nation's top cotton producing state and enslaved persons accounted for 55% of the state population.[5] Mississippi declared its secession from the Union on March 23, 1861, and was one of the seven original Confederate States. Following the Civil War, it was restored to the Union on February 23, 1870.[6]

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

7. Long overdue

[dalton99a]

8. Pdf of bill:

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2020/pdf/HB/1700-1799/HB1796SG.pdf

[Progressive Jones]

9. There's bound to be a lot of mush-mouthed moaning over this. nt