Mississippi’s governor signs bill that drops Confederate-themed state flag

JACKSON, Mississippi— Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has signed a landmark bill that retires the last state flag bearing the Confederate battle emblem.

The Republican governor signed the bill Tuesday afternoon, just two days after legislators passed it.

Amid international protests over racial injustice, Mississippi was under increasing pressure to lose a symbol that many see as racist. The state had used the flag since 1894.

Mississippi will not have a flag for a while. A commission will design a new one that cannot have the Confederate symbol and must have the phrase, “In God We Trust.” Voters will be asked to approve the new design.