Mississippi lawmakers vote to remove Confederate symbol from state flag

Jackson: Lawmakers in the Mississippi Senate voted 37-14 Sunday to remove the Confederate battle standard — often seen as a symbol of the United States’ dark racial legacy — from the state flag.

Democratic senator John Horhn said changing the flag would not solve the effects of the country’s racist past.

“It is a big step, however, in the journey we are on to recognize everybody’s God-given humanity and self-worth,” he said.

The bill, which the House of Representatives had passed with a 91-23 majority vote earlier in the day, calls for a nine-member commission that would design a new flag that does not use the Confederate standard and does include the phrase “In God, We Trust.”