/State flag commission to meet with or without governor’s appointees

State flag commission to meet with or without governor’s appointees

Reeves was appointed House Speaker Philip Gunn, and Lt. Governor. Delbert Hosemann was charged with appointing three members to each of the nine-member commissions that will determine the new design. Gunn and Hosemann met their July 15 deadline for announcing the appointees. However, Reeves has yet to make his announcements. Gunn and Hosemann announced Tuesday that their six appointed members to the commission would meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Two Mississippi Museums. It is unclear if Reeves’ appointees would be announced at the meeting and by then. The law requires that the Legislature’s two preside officers call the first meeting. The historic legislation to take down the state flag, which was 126 years old and the last to feature the Confederate battlecross in its design, was passed by lawmakers in June. Reeves signed the legislation to modify the flag into law on Monday. He did not make public his choices, though he said that he had chosen two of the three appointees. Reeves stated that the pandemic was taking up much of his time. Reeves stated, “I will get that done as soon as possible.” Reeves must appoint one member from each of the Mississippi Economic Councils, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and Mississippi Arts Commission. Reeves highlighted this restriction recently by highlighting that Gunn and Hosemann were not subject to any restrictions. The commission only has a short time frame to complete its work. The commission must choose a design by Sept. 14 but it may need to complete its work earlier in order to print the design on the election ballot. The design will then be presented to voters for an up- or down vote in November. The commission will rework the design and submit it to voters if they reject it. The law requires that the design must not include the Confederate battle emblem but must also include the phrase “In God We Trust”. The Department of Archives and History has already announced that it will accept submissions from the public. Submissions are due by August 13.