Although they were invited, no other officials from the state attended the meeting. Numerous mainline religious groups, including the Episcopalians, United Methodists, and Roman Catholics had already endorsed changing the flag. Even though the Pentecostals were present at Tuesday’s meeting, they have not yet publicly supported changing the flag. The pressure from top business leaders in the state, collegiate athletic associations, and others for the flag to be changed is increasing. Legislators continue to work behind closed doors to get the votes to change it. Hosemann and Gunn decided to seek input from the religious community, as these efforts have failed so far this week. Hosemann and Gunn did not comment on Tuesday’s meeting of religious leaders. Rep. Scott Bounds (R-Philadelphia), stated that historically the Baptists have had an influence on legislation. It is difficult to predict if they will in this area. The Baptist Convention, which has 500,000 members, has had an influence on many social issues such as restricting abortions. However, it has had less influence in recent times in other areas. The Legislature passed a lottery, increased casino gambling, and relaxed liquor laws, despite objections from Baptist leaders. Senator Daniel Sparks (R-Belmont) said he didn’t know if the Baptist support to change the flag would have an effect. Sparks stated that it was difficult to predict what would move the needle until we know what the proposal is. Sparks stated that he could not vote for anything else than an election. He also said that he had made a promise last year when he was campaigning that he would only vote for a vote by the people if efforts were made to change the flag. Senator Joel Carter, R.Gulfport, stated that he doesn’t believe the Baptist group’s position has changed the minds of many senators. He said, “But it’s still early.” Carter stated that many members believe there shouldn’t be a vote in the current environment of protests sparked by recent protests which saw many Confederate statutes and emblems being removed. Carter said that the state should have an open discussion about the issue, and not just a reaction._x000D