Headlines
Ballot Initiative Seeks to Keep Confederate Emblem on Mississippi Flag
The Associated Press reports that organizers of a new ballot initiative are seeking to keep the Confederate battle emblem on the Mississippi flag.
The initiative, known as Initiative 54, would keep the current design by actually writing it into the Mississippi constitution. Allegedly, the initiative states that its purpose is to recognize that the Mississippi state flag is and shall continue to be the flag adopted by the Legislature of 1894.
Should the flag proposal come to a statewide vote, November 2018 is most likely when voters will see it on the ballot.
According to reports, flag amendment sponsors want the title of the initiative to refer to the state’s current flag as the “1854 flag” in hopes that the specific title will help voters associate the flag with the design that bears the Confederate emblem. They claim that referring to the design as the “current flag” may cause confusion.
Initiative supporter Greg Stewart told the Associated Press that he fears legislators might elect to remove the Confederate emblem from the state flag before the initiative comes up for a vote, making the term “current flag” inaccurate.
“If you said ‘1854,’ then people would know what you’re talking about,” he told the Associated Press.
Stewart’s concern follows the announcement of a title written by the staff of Attorney General Jim Hood, which refers to the design as the “current flag.”
Going to a vote
After formulating a ballot title, sponsors of Initiative 54 will have one year to gather at least 107,216 signatures from Mississippi registered voters. Then, the Legislature will have the option of proposing an alternative plan concerning the same subject
The initiative could make it to the 2016 ballot if enough signatures are submitted 90 days before the legislative session.
HottyToddy.com staff report
| Mon, Nov 4 |  | vs Long Island University | W, 90-60 |
| Fri, Nov 8 |  | vs Grambling | W, 66-64 |
| Tue, Nov 12 |  | vs South Alabama | W, 64-54 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Colorado State | W, 84-69 |
| Thu, Nov 21 |  | vs Oral Roberts | L, 100-68 |
| Thu, Nov 28 |  | vs BYU | W, 96-85 OT |
| Fri, Nov 29 |  | vs 13 Purdue | L, 80-78 |
| Tue, Dec 3 |  | @ Louisville | W, 86-63 |
| Sat, Dec 7 |  | vs Lindenwood | W, 86-53 |
| Sat, Dec 14 |  | vs Southern Miss | W, 77-46 |
| Tue, Dec 17 |  | vs Southern | W, 74-61 |
| Sat, Dec 21 |  | vs Queens University | W, 80-62 |
| Sat, Dec 28 |  | @ Memphis | L, 87-70 |
| Sat, Jan 4 |  | vs Georgia | W, 63-51 |
| Wed, Jan 8 |  | @ 23 Arkansas | W, 73-66 |
| Sat, Jan 11 |  | vs LSU | W, 77-65 |
| Tue, Jan 14 |  | @ 5 Alabama | W, 74-64 |
| Sat, Jan 18 |  | @ 17 Mississippi State | L, 81-84 |
| Wed, Jan 22 |  | vs 13 Texas A&M | L, 62-63 |
| Sat, Jan 25 |  | @ Missouri | L, 83-75 |
| Wed, Jan 29 |  | vs Texas | W, 72-69 |
| Sat, Feb 1 |  | vs 2 Auburn | L, 92-82 |
| Tue, Feb 4 |  | vs 10 Kentucky | W, 98-84 |
| Sat, Feb 8 | | @ LSU | 7:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 12 |  | @ South Carolina | 6:00 PM SECN |
| Sat, Feb 15 | | vs 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Feb 22 |  | @ Vanderbilt | 2:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 26 | | @ 2 Auburn | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 1 |  | vs 12 Oklahoma | 1:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Mar 5 |  | vs 1 Tennessee | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 8 |  | @ 6 Florida | 5:00 PM SECN |
Waite Ligon
August 28, 2015 at 7:35 pm
107,216 signatures will not be a problem. Believe me. Don’t try to change history like Obama does with the stroke of a pen.
Jarrod
August 29, 2015 at 2:46 am
We received over 30,000 signatures is 3 days to start this campaign to keep the 1854 flag. 107,000 votes is child’s play. The current racial agenda will NOT hinder the voice of Mississippi being heard again, as it was in 2001, when over 70% of Mississippians voted to keep the flag. While others bend, bow, and break, to this nation’s inaccurate, racially motivated agenda, we will continue to stand proud, in defense of our heritage.
Mark
August 29, 2015 at 1:11 pm
As someone who was born in Mississippi and was able to read the road signs well enough to get out I think I can safely say that finding 107,000 people who want to be sure that the rest of the world knows Mississippi is still racist won’t be a problem.
ej
August 30, 2015 at 10:42 pm
Isn’t it sad that some are actually against the people voting?
ej
August 30, 2015 at 10:44 pm
I guess the obvious question is that if Mark was able to “get out”‘ why is he commenting on MS issues or care what happens here. Glad you got out, now butt out.