Mississippi Initiative 62, State Flag of 1894 Amendment (2019)
| Mississippi Initiative 62: State Flag of 1894 Amendment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 5, 2019 | |
| Topic Motto and symbols | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
The Mississippi State Flag of 1894 Amendment, Initiative 62 was not on the ballot in Mississippi as an indirect initiated constitutional amendment on November 5, 2019.
The measure sought to amend the Mississippi Constitution to recognize the flag adopted by the state legislature in 1894, as the official state flag of Mississippi. The measure would have also mandated that the official flag be flown at all state institutions and agencies.[1] As of October 1, 2017 the flag adopted by the Mississippi State Legislature in 1894 was the official state flag of Mississippi, however, it is not recognized by the state constitution.
Background
The Mississippi state flag was adopted by the state legislature in 1894. The emblem on the left side of the 1894 flag includes a rendition of the Confederate battle flag.
In 2001, the Mississippi Economic Council, or MEC, led the unsuccessful Mississippi Flag Referendum to change the state flag. Nearly two-thirds of voters rejected a new flag design without the Confederate emblem and instead chose to keep the 1894 flag.[2]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The proposed ballot title was as follows:[1]
| “ | Should the current State Flag be adopted by constitutional amendment?[3] | ” |
Ballot summary
The proposed ballot summary was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Initiative Measure No. 62 proposes to amend the Mississippi Constitution to establish the 1894 flag as the one official State Flag for the State of Mississippi, and require that the flag be flown at the principal installations of all State supported institutions, State agencies and political subdivisions.[3] |
” |
Path to the ballot
DeBorah Simpson sponsored the initiative.[1] According to Mississippi law, the number of signatures collected must be equal to at least 12 percent of the total number of votes cast for governor in the last gubernatorial general election. Based on the votes cast in the 2015 gubernatorial election, petitioners needed to collect at least 86,185 valid signatures in accordance with the state's distribution requirement in order to get the initiative on the ballot. An initiative can be circulated for one year before becoming invalid.
Petitions must be submitted to the secretary of state at least 90 days prior to the beginning of the regular legislative session, which usually begins in the first week of January, making the typical submission deadline sometime in early October. On October 12, 2018, the Mississippi Secretary of State's office confirmed to Ballotpedia that proponents had not submitted signatures before the deadline and therefore did not secure a place on the 2019 ballot.[4]
See also
- 2019 ballot measures
- Mississippi 2019 ballot measures
- Laws governing the initiative process in Mississippi
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Mississippi Secretary of State, "1894 State Flag as the official State Flag," accessed September 25, 2017
- ↑ New York Times, "Mississippi Votes by Wide Margin to Keep State Flag That Includes Confederate Emblem," April 18, 2001
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, telephone communication with Holly at the Mississippi Secretary of State's office, October 12, 2018]
