Video: New Violence Leading Legislators to Ask Governor for Special Session on Flag

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi Black Caucus lawmakers want Governor Phil Bryant to hold a special session regarding the state flag.

The tragedy in Virginia over the weekend, is prompting the call for action now, rather than waiting until January.

Mississippi’s State Flag has been an ongoing debate for many years.

When protests like the ones in Virginia take place and involve hate with Confederate flags, it brings it home for some Mississippi leaders.

State leaders and voters all have different opinions on the flag.

So, when is it time to do something about it, or move on?

Here’s what these two Mississippi Representatives have to say about it.

Democratic Representative and Black Caucus member Kabir Karriem is one of the state leaders pushing for a special session to talk about the flag.

“It’s time for us to begin the conversations, you know, we can’t continue to act like it doesn’t exist. We’ve got some issues and we need to deal with it and even though Virginia is, you know, a thousand miles away, here we are again, talking about Mississippi,” says Representative Kabir Karriem, House District 41.

Karriem says if funds are there, it’s time to have a special session and end the debate over the flag once and for all.

“I cut on the TV and saw our state flag, along with some of the Confederate battle flags being handled and flown during that riot, you know, it just made me cringe.”

Republican Representative Gary Chism shares Karriem’s attitude towards the Virginia protests, but has the complete opposite view when it comes to the Mississippi flag.

“I hate that these hate groups have appropriated our flag and are using it in such a way, but that doesn’t mean that we’ve got to change ours just because some hate groups use it. I wish they wouldn’t,” says Gary Chism, House District 37.

Chism doesn’t think the Governor will call a special session to go over flag changes, but he adds, the only option he sees, is holding another statewide election.

“If that election would shut it up and I do not believe that another election would shut it up, because I do think that the current flag would win again and then, they would still be talking about changing it,” says Chism.

Governor Phil Bryant has stated many times that any changes to the flag should be up to voters.

A referendum in 2001 came out in favor of keeping the current flag.