MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2001 Regular Session

To: Elections

By: Senator(s) Johnson (19th), White (29th), King

AN ACT TO ADOPT THE MISSISSIPPI STATE FLAG AND COAT-OF-ARMS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) The Mississippi State Flag shall have the following design: with width two-thirds (2/3) of its length; with the union square, in width two-thirds (2/3) of the width of the flag; the ground of the union to be red and a broad blue saltier thereon, bordered with white and emblazoned with thirteen (13) mullets or five-pointed stars, corresponding with the number of the original States of the Union; the field to be divided into three (3) bars of equal width, the upper one blue, the center one white, and the lower one, extending the whole length of the flag, red (the national colors); the staff surmounted with a spear-head and a battle axe below; and the flag to be fringed with gold and the staff gilded with gold.

(2) The Mississippi Coat-of-Arms shall have the following design: a shield, blue in color, with an eagle upon it with extended pinions, holding in the right talon a palm branch and bundle of arrows in the left, with the word "Mississippi" above the eagle; the lettering on the shield and the eagle to be in gold; below the shield two (2) branches of the cotton stalk, saltier wise, and a scroll below extending upward and on each side three-fourths (3/4) of the length of the shield; upon the scroll, which is to be red, the motto to be printed in gold letters upon white spaces, the motto to be "Virtute et Armis."

(3) The Governor of the State is authorized and empowered to procure a Mississippi State Flag of proper dimensions, which shall be preserved in the Office of the Adjutant General of the State, and also to procure a steel plate and one (1) metal electrotype plate for printing and engraving the Coat-of-Arms, which plates shall be preserved in the Office of the Secretary of State.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.