History Made: Gov. Reeves signs bill officially changing state flag

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - History was made Tuesday as Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed House Bill 1796 into law.

The bill officially removed the Mississippi state flag and called for the creation of a commission to design a new one.

Reeves hosted a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion and addressed the state before signing the bill.

“Tonight, I am signing a law to turn a page in Mississippi by retiring the flag that we have flown since 1894,” Reeves said. “This was a hard conversation for Mississippi, but family conversations can often be hard.”

To the governor, this was not a political moment but a “solemn occasion” to lead Mississippians together and to move on. Reeves said the people of the state must now lean of faith, put their differences behind them and unite for the greater good.

“We may not always agree,” Reeves said. “But as members of the Mississippi family, we do know the bonds we all share: God’s grace, Mississippi grit, a foundation in our history and a hope in our future.”

As he signed the bill into law, Gov. Reeves was joined by government leaders as well as Reena Evers, daughter of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers.

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