U.S. Supreme Court asks Governor to Defend Keeping State Flag

JACKSON, Miss. (AP)- The U.S. Supreme Court is asking attorneys for Governor Phil Bryant to file arguments defending the Confederate battle emblem on the state flag.

The court on Tuesday set a Sept. 28 deadline for the filing. Carlos Moore, an African-American attorney in Mississippi, filed suit in 2016 seeking to have the flag declared an unconstitutional relic of slavery.

A federal district judge and an appeals court ruled against Moore, but his attorneys asked the Supreme Court in June to consider the case during the term that begins in October.

Moore said it’s a good sign for him that justices are requesting arguments from Republican Gov. Phil Bryant.

Mississippi has the last state flag featuring the Confederate battle emblem, and while critics say the symbol is racist, supporters say it represents history.