Renewed fight over state flag

Recent protests have renewed conversations about changing the state flag.

STATE FLAG IS WAVING THROUGH THEBREEZEOF RENEWED CONTROVERSY... JUSTDAYS AFTER A BIG RALLY INJACKSON...WHERE THAT FLAG FLIESON CAPITOLSTREET... AS PROTESTERS HERE IN JACKSONRALLIED INFRONT OF THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION,ALONG WITH CALLS FOR AN END TOPOLICEBRUTALITY, AND CALLS FOREQUALITY, WERECITIZENS CALLING FOR CHANGES TOOUR STATESYMBOL...THE ONLY STATE FLAG IN OUR 50STATES THABEARS A CONFEDERATE SYMBOL...GOVERNOR TATE REEVES SAYS HE ISNOT PLANNING TO TAKE INDIVIDUALACTION TOTAKE IT DOWN...TATE REEVES"THE PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI MADEADECISION IN 2001...UH, ANOVERWHELMING DECISION TOMAINTAIN THE FLAG" THAT DECISIONWAS NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO...MANY FEEL THE FLAG IS PART OF APAST THAT HASYET BEEN DEALT WITH...ARTIST LAURIN STENNIS DESIGNEDAN ALTERNATEFLAG THAT HAD GAINEDPOPULARITY...IT'S NOW SEEN ON AN AUTHORIZEDVEHICLETAG...I THINK THAT THE CHANGE WILLBRING ABOUT A FLAG AND ASYMBOL THAT IS EVOCATIVE...RATHER THAN PROVOCATIVE.

ANDI THINK THAT'S SOIMPORTANT...ANDTHAT'S THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW THESTATE FLAG IS DOING IT'S JOB THEGOVERNOR IS CALLING FOR AREFERENDUM...IF AND WHEN MISSISSIPPIANSDECIDE THAT THEY WANT TO CHANGETHE FLAG...AND I THINK AT SOMEPOINT THEY WILL...IT AUGHT TOBE THE PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPISTATE SENATOR JOHN HORHN SAYSTHAT'S NOTNECESSARY...THE GOVERNOR CAN CHANGE THE FLAGTOMORROW IF HE WANTED TO.THE LEGISLATURE CAN CHANGE THEFLAG TOMORROW IF IT WANTED TOTHERE A LOT OF LEGISLATORS THATWANNA SEE THIS THING CHANGED,BUT THE LEADERSHIP IS AFRAIDTHE STENNIS FLAG LICENCE TAG MAYHAVEBEEN THE FIRST STEP TOWARDCHANGE...IT PASSED THE HOUSE AND THESENATE UNANIMOUSLY, ANDWAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR THATGOVERNOR WAS PHIL BRYANT...IF GOVERNOR REEVES WON'T CHANGEIT,SENATOR HORHN SAYS A REFERENDUMCOULD BEON THE BALLOT THIS YEAR, BUT THELEGISLATURE WOULD HAVE TOSUSPEND RULESTHAT MAKE BILLS SUBJECT TODEADLINE...ALL WE'D HAVE TO DO IS HAVE AH,2/3RDS OF OURBODY AGREE TO DO THE SUSPENSIONOF THERULES BY THE WAY, IT WAS THE STATELEGISLATURE THAT ADOPTED THECURRENT FLAG IN 1894...SENATOR HORHN SAYS HISTORY WILLJUDGE MISSISSIPPI AT THECROSSROADS WERE INRIGHT NOW...HE SAYS IT WILL TAKE A COALITIONOF BLACK ANDWHITE, REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATTO GET AFLAG WE ALL CAN AGREE ON... TROYJOHNSON, 16 WAPT NEWS AT 10...A SOCIAL MEDIA POST FROMVICKSBURG'S