State Legislature getting close to support for Mississippi flag vote

The State Senate is close to having needed flag votes.

TEAM COVERAGE TONIGHT.WE SPOKE ONE-ON-ONE WITH HOUSESPEAKER PHILIP GUNN.HE SAYS THE DEBATE OVER THESTATE FLAG NEEDS TO BE QUICKLYRESOLVED.WE’RE WORKING TO GET THERE.HOW SOON DO YOU THINK YOU’LLHAVE THE VOTES YOU NEED?WE’RE WORKING TO GET THERE HOUSESPEAKER.PHILIP.GUNN SAYS, HE’S OPTIMISTIC.HE WILL SOON HAVE THE VOTES HENEEDS TO TAKE AN HISTORIC VOTETO CHANGE MISSISSIPPI’SCONTROVERSIAL FLAG, WHICHFEATURES THE CONFEDERATE BATTLEEMBLEM WORKING TO GET TWO VOTESIS OBVIOUSLY A BIG DEAL.I THINK THAT TIME IS RIGHT.I THINK PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THATHISTORY IS IN THE BALANCE AND ITHINK MISSISSIPPI’S GOING TO BEJUDGED BY WHAT HAPPENS HERE.THE SPEAKER HAS TO CONVINCEENOUGH OF HIS FELLOW REPUBLICANSTO JOIN DEMOCRATS GUN BELIEVESCHANGING THE FLAG COULD CHANGETHE STATE’S IMAGE IN THE EYES OFTHE NATION AND WORLD.WE’RE GOING TO BE JUDGED BY THISAGAIN FAIRLY UNFAIRLY, RIGHT ORWRONG.THAT’S JUST A REALITY.SO I THINK WHAT HAPPENS HERE ISVE IS VERY IMPORTANT AND WE’REWORKING HARD AS WE CAN TOCONVINCE ME FOR THAT AND LETTHEM REALIZE THAT THIS IS A VERYIMPORTANT MOMENT IN HISTORY OFOUR STATE SPEAKER.GUNN WAS THE FIRST REPUBLICANSTATE LEADER TO CALL FOR THEREMOVAL OF THE FLAG FIVE YEARSAGO CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN BEENCONSISTENT IN MY POSITION FORQUITE SOME TIME.NOW, I JUST THINK IT IS IS ITPORTRAYS A BETTER IMAGE OFMISSISSIPPI AND WE CAN DO BETTERWE CAN FIND SOMETHING THATUNIFIES ALL OUR PEOPLE LAWMAKERSRETURN TO THE CAPITAL FRIDAYMORNING, BUT THA THAT CRITICALVOTE ON THE FLAG MAY HAPPENUNTIL THIS WEEKEND REPORTINGFROM THE STATE CAP