Mississippi House and Senate Vote to Remove Confederate Emblem From Flag

The Mississippi House and Senate voted on Sunday to pass House Bill 1796, which calls for the removal of the current state flag with its Confederate battle emblem, and the start of the process for a redesign that will be voted on later this year, CNN reports. The bill will soon be sent to Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, who has given every indication that he plans on providing his signature. 

The state House voted 91-23 in favor of the legislation, while it was passed with a 37-14 vote in the Senate.

Once the bill is signed by Reeves, The Clarion-Ledger reports the state’s government buildings will need to remove the flag within 15 days, and a nine-member commission will be established to start on a redesign that will be up for a vote in early November. The only requirement for the flag is that it must include the words, “In God We Trust.” 

The Mississippi state flag was adopted in 1894, and stood as the final state to keep the Confederate emblem. The last time Mississippians voted on keeping the flag was in 2001 when nearly two-to-one were in support of keeping the flag as it is, because many felt like it was an homage to their ancestors who fought for the state in the Civil War.