Mississippi

Folding on the flag: Gov. Tate Reeves signed a bill that will replace the state’s 126-year-old flag—which includes the Confederate battle emblem—with a new one. As Reeves endorsed the measure, he said the change was “not attempting to erase history” and urged flag supporters to “show empathy” for those who view the flag as a symbol of terror. Earlier this month, the NCAA and Southeastern Conference, or SEC, said they wouldn’t allow Mississippi to host a championship until the flag had been changed. The law creates a commission that aims to put a new design before voters in the fall. It must, by law, include the words “In God We Trust.” Dropping the flag is a major reversal after years of protests; the state’s citizens voted to keep the flag in a 2001 referendum. Foes saw it as a capitulation, with Chris McDaniel, a Republican state senator, saying the movement to remove Confederate historical symbols is “incredibly dangerous and cannot be appeased.”