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Mississippi legislature votes to replace state flag that includes Confederate elements

Gov. Tate Reeves says he will sign bill
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Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Rogelio V. Solis/AP
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)
Mississippi legislature votes to replace state flag that includes Confederate elements
Posted at 4:11 PM, Jun 28, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-28 19:11:42-04

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi legislators have voted to remove a Confederate battle emblem from their state flag.

Mississippi’s House and Senate voted Sunday to retire the flag adopted in 1894. It's the last state flag that includes a Confederate symbol that many people condemn as racist.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill.

The change comes amid widespread protests over racial injustice. Mississippi has a 38% Black population.

A commission would design a new flag that cannot include the Confederate symbol but must have the words “In God We Trust.”

Voters will be asked to approve the new design in the Nov. 3 election.

Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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