Mississippi Today reported Tuesday that Democrats and several House Republicans met behind closed doors in order to discuss the possibility of changing the state flag. Later, Gunn, who supports changing flag, met with the group to discuss a resolution that would replace current state flag with Stennis flag. This design has been gaining momentum in recent years. This week’s closed-door meeting marks the beginning of serious legislative discussions on changing the state flag. It is the first such discussion since 2001, when Mississippians voted almost 2-to-1 to retain the flag. This also happens as thousands of black Mississippians march to protest government inequalities. It is noteworthy that the Mississippi Association of Educators, a powerful lobby in the state, has backed the legislative effort. This is significant because lawmakers who want to change the flag must get commitments from at minimum 35 Republican House members. Mississippi Today reported Wednesday that House leaders received private commitments from “about 20 Republican House members” to change the flag. Robert Johnson, the House Democratic Leader from Natchez, stated that “about 20 more” Republicans were on the fence. In recent years, the teachers association has been able to influence votes on key legislation from both sides of Congress. In an effort to not be overwhelmed by communications from teachers in public schools across the state, lawmakers regularly work to fulfill the organization’s policy requests. This week, lawmakers admitted that they have been receiving numerous calls and emails about the flag changing from Mississippians. Jones’ Thursday call for action will likely worsen that reality._x000D