SC lawmaker: Remove rebel emblem from Mississippi flag

JACKSON, Mississippi — A South Carolina lawmaker is joining other black leaders in calling for Mississippi to change the last state flag that includes the Confederate battle emblem.

Democratic Rep. Justin Bamberg spoke Tuesday to more than 200 people for a change-the-flag rally outside the Mississippi Capitol. He says Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant can look to a Republican colleague — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — for courage on dealing with the issue.

Haley and South Carolina lawmakers removed a Confederate battle flag from the Statehouse lawn in Columbia last summer after nine black worshippers were massacred at a church in Charleston. The white man charged in the attack had previously posed for photos with a rebel flag.

A federal lawsuit filed last week seeks to force Mississippi to change its banner.