"By a vote of 85 yeas and 34 nays the resolution passes," says House Speaker Philip Gunn.
Cheers erupted from onlookers in the House chamber following a majority vote to suspend the rules, so lawmakers can begin negotiating a bill to change the state flag. Speaker Pro Tempore, Jason White of West said the eyes of the nation and the world are on Mississippi. He tells his colleagues
“This is not about erasing history. It’s about making it. It’s about making history. History is not something that we only inherit. It’s also about making history and it moves on and time marches on and you’re here in this place today for that very reason,” said White.
House Republican Jerry Guice of Oceans Springs says he supports changing the flag. But he says he told his constituents that they would be able to vote the flag up or down on a referendum.
“So I’m here on behalf of the people that had to get out there and campaign hard and give them an opportunity to keep their word to not vote to change our flag until the people had an opportunity to vote on it themselves. It’s obvious we’re here today and there’s votes to do to the contrary. But I’m a man who keeps to his word,” said Guice.
House Democrat Edward Blackmon of Canton talked about the failed 2001 referendum to change the flag and the hatred and strife that erupted. He says now is the time.
“When you walk into this building everyday and you look at that podium I would guess that a lot of you don’t even see that flag in the right corner up there. There’s some of us who notice it every time we walk in here. And it’s not a good feeling. It oughta be something that we all feel a sense of pride that when we see it we know that that is about us, not just some of us,” said Blackmon.
The resolution calls for a commission to design a flag that will be on the November ballot. The design must include “In God We Trust” and it cannot have the confederate emblem.
