Mississippi
Confederate symbols removal pushed by Mississippi Democrats in State Capitol, Washington DC
Republican committee chairs give little response on moving bills forward
Ever since Lexington’s District 47 Rep. Bryant Clark had been coming to the Mississippi State Capitol as a child and later as a lawmaker, symbols of the old Confederacy had loomed on flag poles, hallway corners and the very ceiling of the building.
Clark, whose father Robert was the first Black state legislator elected in the 20th century, told the Clarion Ledger some of those symbols went unnoticed to him and several others until this year.
Other vestiges were also placed by the state nearly 100 years ago in Washington, D.C.’s Statuary Hall, displaying Confederate figures Jefferson Davis and James Z. George. The Kentucky-born Davis, a former U.S. Senator representing Mississippi, was most famous as the President of the Confederate States of America. George was a Confederate politician and military officer and the namesake of Mississippi’s George County.
Now, Clark and several other legislators have filed bills to either replace a painting of two generals raising a Confederate battle flag with the state’s current flag of a magnolia flower or remove it entirely. Other bills filed by State Senators Derrick Simmons and David Blount, both Democrats serving Greenville and Jackson respectively, would aim to replace the two statues in Washington, D.C.
“I’ve been here 21 years and quite honestly, I had never seen that until Sen. Bradford Blackmon had brought it to my attention,” Clark said. “All citizens have embraced the (new) flag, and I think it would be the ideal symbol to replace the Confederate picture with the Mississippi flag.”
Another legacy lawmaker, Blackmon, D-Lexington, who replaced his father Edward Blackmon this year in the Senate, said he filed a bill to replace the painting in the Capitol’s rotunda ceiling, which also displays other religious and historical images. He too had never noticed the painting.That bill, SB 2217, would direct the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to remove the painting and create a commission consisting of governor appointments, the director of the MDAH, a member of the Mississippi Arts Commission and several lawmakers, to decide what should replace it.“Coming off a few years removed from taking down the state flag with the battle emblem inside of it, there’s a lot more representations of Mississippi that can go up there, and that’s what led me to draft a bill,” said Blackmon.
Blount and Simmons both said they would vote for Blackmon’s bill, but they are heavily focused on lobbying to create a commission of their own to replace Davis and George with more modern representations of Mississippi.
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“There are a number of changes that need to be made in Mississippi,” Blount said. “It’s a problem.”
Senate President Pro Tem. Dean Kirby, R- Pearl, who chairs the Rules Committee where both Senate bills were sent, told the Clarion Ledger he has spoken with Blackmon, and he will consider bringing his bill forward.
“It’s definitely something I will discuss with my committee,” Kirby said.
Since Kirby took over the Rules Committee in 2020, no bills regarding the removal of Confederate paintings or statues or the establishing of commissions to discuss them have made it out of his committee.
According to MDAH records, when the current State Capitol was built in the early 1900s, the original ceiling did not include depictions of the confederate battle flag. The building was later renovated and restored in the 1980s, a project that cost the state $19 million, according to MDAH records.
In 2021, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, signed legislation to replace the state’s former flag, which also depicted the stars and bars of the Army of Northern Virginia battle flag flown during the Civil War, with one showing a magnolia flower.
The traditional Confederate battle flag never flew over Mississippi as a state flag during the Civil War. Mississippi’s flag in that era featured a magnolia tree as its dominant symbol.
Over in the in the Mississippi House of Representatives, Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, told the Clarion Ledger he is sponsoring a bill to replace the two statues as well, but instead of creating a commission to oversee the replacement, he is asking the legislature to approve placing famous civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and Hiram Revels, the first Black man in the United States Senate.
“Those two Confederate leaders, I don’t think are appropriate representations of the state of Mississippi, and I think we ought to have some statues of people who represent how we move forward,” Johnson said.
However, these pieces of legislation may be falling on deaf ears.
Johnson said he had spoken with first year House Speaker Jason White, R-West, about his bill and that White responded positively toward the idea.
Friday morning, White’s Communications Officer Taylor Spillman said he had no such meeting. White declined to comment on whether he would support removing the painting in the rotunda or replacing Davis and George in Washington D.C.
“We are focusing on education and Medicaid right now,” Spillman said.
Johnson’ bill, House Concurrent Resolution 12, was sent to the Rules Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Fred Shanks, R-Brandon.
When asked to speak on the bills introduced by Johnson and Clark, who also serves as his vice chair, Shanks declined to comment.
Sen. Walter Michel, R-Ridgeland, who vice chairs the Senate Rules Committee, said he would not vote to replace the paintings in the Capitol building.
“I’m not interested in moving that,” Michel said. “I like it, it looks good. It’s a beautiful painting up on top of the ceiling of the rotunda so I’m not interested in moving that bill.”
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Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
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Staff
A wood products manufacturer is set to create new jobs as part of a major expansion.
Carpenter Pole and Piling is investing nearly $5 million into its Wiggins, Mississippi, operation.
The expansion will add 10 new positions and support long-term growth in the region.
“Carpenter Pole and Piling is a true Mississippi success story, and we’re proud to see the company continue investing right here at home,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said.
“This expansion in Stone County is creating new opportunities for hardworking Mississippians while strengthening a company that has long contributed to our state’s economy,” Reeves said. “When Mississippi businesses grow, our communities grow with them, and we remain committed to fostering a business environment where companies can thrive.”
Carpenter Pole and Piling produces utility poles and pilings for marine and foundation use.
The project includes construction of a new treatment plant, investment in a 2,600-cubic-foot autoclave and an alternative treatment option to improve production capacity.
The company is also clearing and preparing an additional 20 acres for a new pole storage yard.
Stone County is also contributing to the project.
The company expects to complete construction by September 2026.
The new roles are expected to be filled by January 2027.
Carpenter Pole and Piling specializes in the production of utility poles. It also manufactures foundation and marine pilings.
The new autoclave will increase production and add an alternative treatment option.
This story was created by business and development writer Ross Reily, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
Mississippi
CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi
Southern Miss earned its second consecutive sweep, rounding out a mostly successful weekend of college baseball for Mississippi’s major programs.
The No. 12 Golden Eagles (10-1), fresh off a mercy-rule victory over Alabama, exited a hostile Louisiana Tech environment with three straight wins versus a former conference counterpart. Christian Ostrander’s crew won 8-3 on Friday, cruised to an 11-0 run-rule victory through seven innings on Saturday, and was on the good side of a 6-2 scoreboard in Sunday’s finale.
A three-run bomb by Kyle Morrison in the top of the fourth of Friday’s game put the black and gold up 5-3, and solid pitching carried the team the rest of the way. A six-run top of the fourth of Saturday’s game, in part due to a Matthew Russo 2 RBI single, broke a scoring stalemate and fueled Southern Miss to a win in a shortened matchup. A two-run long ball by Joey Urban in the top of the ninth of Sunday’s battle gave the Golden Eagles a buffer that would not be eclipsed.
Kros Sivley (2-0) was Friday’s winning pitcher after logging a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Grayden Harris (2-0) got the win on Saturday after fanning five batters and surrendering no runs through six complete innings. Camden Sunstrom (1-0) closed out the finale with the win after striking out two batters and not giving up a hit or a run in the final two frames.
Mississippi State wins two in Texas
The No. 4 Bulldogs (11-1) had a solid weekend in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. Brian O’Connor’s club handled the weekend test with an 8-4 win over Arizona State, a 15-8 victory over Virginia Tech, and a heartbreaking 8-7 extra-innings loss to No. 1 UCLA.
Mississippi State broke a scoring hiatus on Friday with a strong bottom of the fifth. A Bryce Chance RBI single scored the game’s first run, then a Gehrig Frei homer put the Bulldogs up 4-0. Three insurance runs were added in the next offensive frame, and Mississippi State did not look back. On Saturday, an Ace Reece longball gave the maroon and white a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Virginia Tech chipped away, cutting the deficit to two runs, until a five-run top of the seventh put things out of reach.
Sunday’s finale was a battle between two teams vying for bragging rights as the nation’s best. The Bruins took an early 3-0 lead, but Mississippi State quickly countered. A two-run bomb by Reed Stallman and an RBI double by Ryder Woodson knotted things up 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to lead 5-3.
A two-out home run by UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky tied the ballgame in the top of the ninth. Mississippi State, with runners on second and third and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, could not send a runner home. A wild pitch and a 2 RBI triple scored three Bruins in the top of the 10th. Stallman hit his second home run of the day to inch the Bulldogs within one run of their foe, but it was not followed up with more scoring.
Winning pitchers for Mississippi State this weekend were Ryan McPherson (2-0) and Tomas Valincius (3-0), while Ben Davis (0-1) was tabbed with the lone loss.
Ole Miss struggles in neutral-site tournament
In its first set of tests versus power conference opponents, the Rebels (10-2) struggled mightily, dropping two of three outings in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic. Mike Bianco’s club fell to Baylor 6-5 in extra innings on Friday before bouncing back on Saturday in an 8-0 win over Ohio State and suffering a 9-2 loss to Coastal Carolina in Sunday’s finale. Ole Miss was a combined 0-18 at the plate with runners in scoring position in the two losses.
Though the weekend didn’t play to the Rebels’ advantage, a few individual performers stood out. Murray State transfer Dom Decker, who entered his junior campaign without hitting a home run, hit three balls over the outfield wall at the Houston Astros’ Daikin Park. Hunter Elliott had a career-high 11 strikeouts on Friday, while Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe collectively fanned 16 batters in Saturday’s shutout.
Next up
Southern Miss will play a pair of home midweek games, the first being against Mississippi State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the second versus Nicholls on Wednesday at 6 p.m., before hosting North Alabama over the weekend.
Mississippi State will host Lipscomb over the weekend after facing the Golden Eagles.
Ole Miss will host Memphis on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and North Alabama on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., before welcoming Evansville for a weekend series.
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