Look away, Dixie: Mississippi to lose rebel emblem from flag
Look away, Dixie: Mississippi to lose rebel emblem from flag
Larry Eubanks of Star waves the current Mississippi state flag as he sits before the front of the Capitol, Saturday, June 27, 2020, in Jackson, Miss. While a supporter of the current flag, Eubanks says he would hope lawmakers would allow a proposed flag change to be decided by the registered voters. The current state flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford, left, and Sen. Sarita Simmons, D-Cleveland, embrace after Resolution 79 passed in the Senate to allow for a vote to change the Mississippi state flag Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. (Barbara Gauntt/The Clarion-Ledger via AP)
“I love this flag,” states David Flynt of Hattiesburg, while standing outside the state Capitol with other current Mississippi flag supporters in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 28, 2020. Lawmakers in both chambers are expected to debate state flag change legislation today. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Briggs Hopson, left, R-Vicksburg, is hugged by Sen. Robert Jackson, D-Marks, after the Senate voted to change the state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Hopson presented the bill to the body. Lawmakers in both chambers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Senators stand and applaud after the body passed legislation to change the state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Lawmakers in both chamber voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, is hugged by Sen. Albert Butler, back to camera, D-Port Gibson, after the Senate voted to change the state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Hopson presented the bill to the body. Mississippi lawmakers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
A Mississippi state flag waves adjacent to a flag change supporter’s sign that welcomes the state to “the right side of history,” outside the Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 28, 2020, while lawmakers are expected to consider state flag change legislation. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Observers in the gallery applaud after the Senate voted to change the Mississippi flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Mississippi lawmakers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from the flag, triggering raucous applause and cheers more than a century after white supremacist legislators adopted the design a generation after the South lost the Civil War. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Tessa Collett of Petal, left, wants her vote to count as she supports the current flag as do other supporters standing outside the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 28, 2020. Lawmakers in both chambers are expected to debate state flag change legislation today. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Paloma Wu holds a Black Lives Matter banner while calling for a new Mississippi state flag, while current flag supporters wave the flag as both sides make their sentiments known as lawmakers are expected to debate state flag change legislation Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, speaks for legislation that would change Mississippi’s state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill to change the state flag passed. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, speaks against a bill to change the state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Lawmakers in both chambers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sens. Chad McMahan, left, R-Guntown, and Sollie Norwood, D-Jackson, applaud after the Senate approved legislation to change the state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Lawmakers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, addresses reporters after the House passed legislation to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Rep. Jason White, R-West, introduces a bill to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the Mississippi flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill passed and heads to the Senate. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sens. Sarita Simmons, D-Cleveland, center and Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, right, listen as Rep. Mark Tullos, R-Raleigh, asks a question during discussion on the bill to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill passed 92-23 and the legislation headed to the Senate for their consideration. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann addresses reporters after the Senate passed legislation to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. David Parker, R-Olive Branch, asks about the “In God We Trust” motto on legal tender and how it might be safeguarded for use on the new state flag as required by proposed legislation for changing Mississippi’s current state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill to change the state flag passed 37-14. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Chad McMahan, R-Guntown, speaks in favor of legislation to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill to change the state flag passed. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, right, confers with Sen. Juan Barnett, D-Heidelberg, after the Senate voted to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Hopson presented the bill to the body. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
File-This June 25, 2020, file photo shows a Mississippi state flag flying outside the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Mississippi will surrender the Confederate battle emblem from its state flag, more than a century after white supremacist legislators embedded it there a generation after the South lost the Civil War. Mississippi’s House and Senate voted in succession Sunday, June 28, 2020, to retire the flag, with broad bipartisan support. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
File-This June 27, 2020, file photo shows Don Hartness of Ellisville, Miss., walking around the Capitol carrying the current Mississippi state flag and the American flag in Jackson, Miss. Mississippi will surrender the Confederate battle emblem from its state flag, more than a century after white supremacist legislators embedded it there a generation after the South lost the Civil War. Mississippi’s House and Senate voted in succession Sunday, June 28, 2020, to retire the flag, with broad bipartisan support. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
House Rules Committee Chairman Jerry Turner, R-Baldwyn ,explains why he supports the bill to change the Mississippi state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill passed and goes on to the Senate. The current flag has in the canton portion a Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
“I love this flag,” states David Flynt of Hattiesburg, while standing outside the state Capitol with other current Mississippi flag supporters in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 28, 2020. Lawmakers in both chambers are expected to debate state flag change legislation today. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Members of the Mississippi Senate gallery rise 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. Members of both the House and Senate are now expected to pass a bill that removes the current flag and establishes a path forward to getting a new one. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Republican Sen. Briggs Hopson, of Vicksburg, center, is congratulated by Senators David Jordan, D-Greenwood, left, and Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, for successfully navigating a resolution to suspend the rules and vote to change the state flag Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The resolution passed and now the House and Senate are expected to pass a bill that removes the current flag and establishes a path forward to getting a new one. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Republican Sen. Briggs Hopson, of Vicksburg, is congratulated for successfully navigating a resolution to suspend the rules and vote to change the state flag Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The resolution passed and now the House and Senate are expected to pass a bill that removes the current flag and establishes a path forward to getting a new one. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Republican Sen. Briggs Hopson, of Vicksburg, right, is congratulated by Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, for successfully navigating a resolution to suspend the rules and vote to change the state flag Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The resolution passed and now the House and Senate are expected to pass a bill that removes the current flag and establishes a path forward to getting a new one. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Larry Eubanks of Star waves the current Mississippi state flag as he sits before the front of the Capitol, Saturday, June 27, 2020, in Jackson, Miss. While a supporter of the current flag, Eubanks says he would hope lawmakers would allow a proposed flag change to be decided by the registered voters. The current state flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Larry Eubanks of Star waves the current Mississippi state flag as he sits before the front of the Capitol, Saturday, June 27, 2020, in Jackson, Miss. While a supporter of the current flag, Eubanks says he would hope lawmakers would allow a proposed flag change to be decided by the registered voters. The current state flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford, left, and Sen. Sarita Simmons, D-Cleveland, embrace after Resolution 79 passed in the Senate to allow for a vote to change the Mississippi state flag Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. (Barbara Gauntt/The Clarion-Ledger via AP)
Sen. Nicole Boyd, R-Oxford, left, and Sen. Sarita Simmons, D-Cleveland, embrace after Resolution 79 passed in the Senate to allow for a vote to change the Mississippi state flag Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. (Barbara Gauntt/The Clarion-Ledger via AP)
“I love this flag,” states David Flynt of Hattiesburg, while standing outside the state Capitol with other current Mississippi flag supporters in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 28, 2020. Lawmakers in both chambers are expected to debate state flag change legislation today. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
“I love this flag,” states David Flynt of Hattiesburg, while standing outside the state Capitol with other current Mississippi flag supporters in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 28, 2020. Lawmakers in both chambers are expected to debate state flag change legislation today. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Briggs Hopson, left, R-Vicksburg, is hugged by Sen. Robert Jackson, D-Marks, after the Senate voted to change the state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Hopson presented the bill to the body. Lawmakers in both chambers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Briggs Hopson, left, R-Vicksburg, is hugged by Sen. Robert Jackson, D-Marks, after the Senate voted to change the state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Hopson presented the bill to the body. Lawmakers in both chambers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Senators stand and applaud after the body passed legislation to change the state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Lawmakers in both chamber voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Senators stand and applaud after the body passed legislation to change the state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Lawmakers in both chamber voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, is hugged by Sen. Albert Butler, back to camera, D-Port Gibson, after the Senate voted to change the state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Hopson presented the bill to the body. Mississippi lawmakers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, is hugged by Sen. Albert Butler, back to camera, D-Port Gibson, after the Senate voted to change the state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Hopson presented the bill to the body. Mississippi lawmakers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
A Mississippi state flag waves adjacent to a flag change supporter’s sign that welcomes the state to “the right side of history,” outside the Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 28, 2020, while lawmakers are expected to consider state flag change legislation. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
A Mississippi state flag waves adjacent to a flag change supporter’s sign that welcomes the state to “the right side of history,” outside the Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 28, 2020, while lawmakers are expected to consider state flag change legislation. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Observers in the gallery applaud after the Senate voted to change the Mississippi flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Mississippi lawmakers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from the flag, triggering raucous applause and cheers more than a century after white supremacist legislators adopted the design a generation after the South lost the Civil War. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Observers in the gallery applaud after the Senate voted to change the Mississippi flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Mississippi lawmakers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from the flag, triggering raucous applause and cheers more than a century after white supremacist legislators adopted the design a generation after the South lost the Civil War. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Tessa Collett of Petal, left, wants her vote to count as she supports the current flag as do other supporters standing outside the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 28, 2020. Lawmakers in both chambers are expected to debate state flag change legislation today. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Tessa Collett of Petal, left, wants her vote to count as she supports the current flag as do other supporters standing outside the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 28, 2020. Lawmakers in both chambers are expected to debate state flag change legislation today. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Paloma Wu holds a Black Lives Matter banner while calling for a new Mississippi state flag, while current flag supporters wave the flag as both sides make their sentiments known as lawmakers are expected to debate state flag change legislation Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Paloma Wu holds a Black Lives Matter banner while calling for a new Mississippi state flag, while current flag supporters wave the flag as both sides make their sentiments known as lawmakers are expected to debate state flag change legislation Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, speaks for legislation that would change Mississippi’s state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill to change the state flag passed. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, speaks for legislation that would change Mississippi’s state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill to change the state flag passed. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, speaks against a bill to change the state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Lawmakers in both chambers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, speaks against a bill to change the state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Lawmakers in both chambers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sens. Chad McMahan, left, R-Guntown, and Sollie Norwood, D-Jackson, applaud after the Senate approved legislation to change the state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Lawmakers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sens. Chad McMahan, left, R-Guntown, and Sollie Norwood, D-Jackson, applaud after the Senate approved legislation to change the state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Lawmakers voted to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, addresses reporters after the House passed legislation to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, addresses reporters after the House passed legislation to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Rep. Jason White, R-West, introduces a bill to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the Mississippi flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill passed and heads to the Senate. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Rep. Jason White, R-West, introduces a bill to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the Mississippi flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill passed and heads to the Senate. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sens. Sarita Simmons, D-Cleveland, center and Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, right, listen as Rep. Mark Tullos, R-Raleigh, asks a question during discussion on the bill to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill passed 92-23 and the legislation headed to the Senate for their consideration. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sens. Sarita Simmons, D-Cleveland, center and Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, right, listen as Rep. Mark Tullos, R-Raleigh, asks a question during discussion on the bill to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill passed 92-23 and the legislation headed to the Senate for their consideration. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann addresses reporters after the Senate passed legislation to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann addresses reporters after the Senate passed legislation to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. David Parker, R-Olive Branch, asks about the “In God We Trust” motto on legal tender and how it might be safeguarded for use on the new state flag as required by proposed legislation for changing Mississippi’s current state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill to change the state flag passed 37-14. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. David Parker, R-Olive Branch, asks about the “In God We Trust” motto on legal tender and how it might be safeguarded for use on the new state flag as required by proposed legislation for changing Mississippi’s current state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill to change the state flag passed 37-14. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Chad McMahan, R-Guntown, speaks in favor of legislation to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill to change the state flag passed. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Chad McMahan, R-Guntown, speaks in favor of legislation to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020 at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill to change the state flag passed. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, right, confers with Sen. Juan Barnett, D-Heidelberg, after the Senate voted to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Hopson presented the bill to the body. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Sen. Briggs Hopson, R-Vicksburg, right, confers with Sen. Juan Barnett, D-Heidelberg, after the Senate voted to change the Mississippi state flag Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Hopson presented the bill to the body. Both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature passed the bill to take down the state flag, which contains the Confederate battle emblem. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
File-This June 25, 2020, file photo shows a Mississippi state flag flying outside the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Mississippi will surrender the Confederate battle emblem from its state flag, more than a century after white supremacist legislators embedded it there a generation after the South lost the Civil War. Mississippi’s House and Senate voted in succession Sunday, June 28, 2020, to retire the flag, with broad bipartisan support. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
File-This June 25, 2020, file photo shows a Mississippi state flag flying outside the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Mississippi will surrender the Confederate battle emblem from its state flag, more than a century after white supremacist legislators embedded it there a generation after the South lost the Civil War. Mississippi’s House and Senate voted in succession Sunday, June 28, 2020, to retire the flag, with broad bipartisan support. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
File-This June 27, 2020, file photo shows Don Hartness of Ellisville, Miss., walking around the Capitol carrying the current Mississippi state flag and the American flag in Jackson, Miss. Mississippi will surrender the Confederate battle emblem from its state flag, more than a century after white supremacist legislators embedded it there a generation after the South lost the Civil War. Mississippi’s House and Senate voted in succession Sunday, June 28, 2020, to retire the flag, with broad bipartisan support. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
File-This June 27, 2020, file photo shows Don Hartness of Ellisville, Miss., walking around the Capitol carrying the current Mississippi state flag and the American flag in Jackson, Miss. Mississippi will surrender the Confederate battle emblem from its state flag, more than a century after white supremacist legislators embedded it there a generation after the South lost the Civil War. Mississippi’s House and Senate voted in succession Sunday, June 28, 2020, to retire the flag, with broad bipartisan support. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
House Rules Committee Chairman Jerry Turner, R-Baldwyn ,explains why he supports the bill to change the Mississippi state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill passed and goes on to the Senate. The current flag has in the canton portion a Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
House Rules Committee Chairman Jerry Turner, R-Baldwyn ,explains why he supports the bill to change the Mississippi state flag, Sunday, June 28, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The bill passed and goes on to the Senate. The current flag has in the canton portion a Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
“I love this flag,” states David Flynt of Hattiesburg, while standing outside the state Capitol with other current Mississippi flag supporters in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 28, 2020. Lawmakers in both chambers are expected to debate state flag change legislation today. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
“I love this flag,” states David Flynt of Hattiesburg, while standing outside the state Capitol with other current Mississippi flag supporters in Jackson, Miss., Sunday, June 28, 2020. Lawmakers in both chambers are expected to debate state flag change legislation today. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Members of the Mississippi Senate gallery rise 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. Members of both the House and Senate are now expected to pass a bill that removes the current flag and establishes a path forward to getting a new one. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Members of the Mississippi Senate gallery rise 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. Members of both the House and Senate are now expected to pass a bill that removes the current flag and establishes a path forward to getting a new one. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Republican Sen. Briggs Hopson, of Vicksburg, center, is congratulated by Senators David Jordan, D-Greenwood, left, and Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, for successfully navigating a resolution to suspend the rules and vote to change the state flag Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The resolution passed and now the House and Senate are expected to pass a bill that removes the current flag and establishes a path forward to getting a new one. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Republican Sen. Briggs Hopson, of Vicksburg, center, is congratulated by Senators David Jordan, D-Greenwood, left, and Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, for successfully navigating a resolution to suspend the rules and vote to change the state flag Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The resolution passed and now the House and Senate are expected to pass a bill that removes the current flag and establishes a path forward to getting a new one. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Republican Sen. Briggs Hopson, of Vicksburg, is congratulated for successfully navigating a resolution to suspend the rules and vote to change the state flag Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The resolution passed and now the House and Senate are expected to pass a bill that removes the current flag and establishes a path forward to getting a new one. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Republican Sen. Briggs Hopson, of Vicksburg, is congratulated for successfully navigating a resolution to suspend the rules and vote to change the state flag Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The resolution passed and now the House and Senate are expected to pass a bill that removes the current flag and establishes a path forward to getting a new one. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Republican Sen. Briggs Hopson, of Vicksburg, right, is congratulated by Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, for successfully navigating a resolution to suspend the rules and vote to change the state flag Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The resolution passed and now the House and Senate are expected to pass a bill that removes the current flag and establishes a path forward to getting a new one. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Republican Sen. Briggs Hopson, of Vicksburg, right, is congratulated by Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, for successfully navigating a resolution to suspend the rules and vote to change the state flag Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. The resolution passed and now the House and Senate are expected to pass a bill that removes the current flag and establishes a path forward to getting a new one. Gov. Tate Reeves has already said he would sign whatever flag bill the Legislature decides on. The current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi lawmakers voted Sunday to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag, more than a century after white supremacist legislators adopted the design a generation after the South lost the Civil War.
Spectators cheered and applauded after the historic votes in the House and Senate.
Each chamber had broad bipartisan support for the landmark decision. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag will lose its official status as soon as he acts. That could happen “in coming days,” said his spokeswoman, Renae Eze.
Mississippi has a 38% Black population — and the last state flag with the emblem that’s widely seen as racist. The state faced mounting pressure to change its flag as weeks of international protests against racial injustice in the United States have led to the toppling or removal of Confederate statues and monuments.
After an emotional day Sunday, legislators hugged each other — even those on opposing sides.
Democratic Rep. Robert Johnson of Natchez choked back tears as he told reporters that he has seen white colleagues develop more empathy about how the Confederate symbol is painful to him and other African Americans.
“They began to understand and feel the same thing that I’ve been feeling for 61 years of my life,” Johnson said.
A commission will design a new flag that cannot include the Confederate symbol and that must have the words “In God We Trust.” Voters will be asked to approve the new design in the Nov. 3 election. If they reject it, the commission will set a different design using the same guidelines, and that would be sent to voters later.
Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn, who is white, has pushed for five years to change the flag, saying the Confederate symbol is offensive. The House passed the bill 91-23 Sunday afternoon. Within hours, the Senate followed suit, 37-14.
“How sweet it is to celebrate this on the Lord’s day,” Gunn said. “Many prayed to Him to bring us to this day. He has answered.”
An increasing number of cities and all Mississippi’s public universities have taken down the state flag in recent years. But until now, efforts to redesign the flag sputtered in the Republican-dominated Legislature.
That dynamic shifted as an extraordinary and diverse coalition of political, business, religious groups and sports leaders pushed for change.
At a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion in early June, thousands cheered as an organizer said the state needs to divorce itself from all Confederate symbols.
Religious groups — including the large and influential Mississippi Baptist Convention — said erasing the rebel emblem from the state flag is a moral imperative.
Business groups said the banner hinders economic development in one of the poorest states in the nation.
In a sports-crazy culture, the biggest blow might have happened when college sports leagues said Mississippi could lose postseason events if it continued flying the Confederate-themed flag. Nearly four dozen of Mississippi’s university athletic directors and coaches came to the Capitol to lobby for change.
Many people who wanted to keep the emblem on the Mississippi flag said they see it as a symbol of heritage.
Legislators put the Confederate emblem on the upper left corner of Mississippi flag in 1894, as whites were squelching political power that African Americans had gained after the Civil War.
The battle emblem is a red field topped by a blue X with 13 white stars. The Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups have waved the rebel flag for decades. Georgia put the battle emblem prominently on its state flag in 1956, during a backlash to the civil rights movement. That state removed the symbol from its banner in 2001.
The Mississippi Supreme Court found in 2000 that when the state updated its laws in 1906, portions dealing with the flag were not included. That meant the banner lacked official status. The Democratic governor in 2000, Ronnie Musgrove, appointed a commission to decide the flag’s future. It held hearings across the state that grew ugly as people shouted at each other about the flag.
Legislators then opted not to set a flag design themselves. They put the issue on a 2001 statewide ballot, and people voted to keep the flag.
Former Mississippi Gov. 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. Winter said Sunday that removing the Confederate symbol from the banner is “long overdue.”
“The battle for a better Mississippi does not end with the removal of the flag, and we should work in concert to make other positive changes in the interest of all of our people,” said Winter, a Democrat who was governor from 1980 until 1984.
Democratic state Sen. Derrick Simmons of Greenville, who is African American, said the state deserves a flag to make all people proud.
“Today is a history-making day in the state of Mississippi,” Simmons told colleagues. “Let’s vote today for the Mississippi of tomorrow.”
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Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus.