This legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill calling for the removal of the state flag and Governor Tate Reeves signed House Bill 1796 into law on June 30th.
The state flag was officially retired on July 1st as it was removed from the state capitol and presented to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
There are a few moving pieces within the legislation, and how it happened will be forever a part of history.
With the passage of the bill, there are a few key dates to keep in mind:
- July 15th is the deadline for all appointments to be made to a commission that will oversee the new flag design.
- September 14th is the deadline for the recommendation for the new design for the Mississippi state flag.
- November 3rd is when a statewide special election will be held for the new state flag recommended by the commission.
As far as the design, the bill does state that the words “In God We Trust” must be included.
News Mississippi will be providing updates as the members of the commission are named and when a design is presented.
