Close to a month after the Charleston, South Carolina, church shooting on June 17, the debate over the South's charged symbolism has moved to Mississippi, the only state whose flag still incorporates the Confederate battle emblem.

Mississippians seem to be starkly divided about what to do with their state banner, the Christian Science Monitor reported. Hattiesburg, a city of about 50,000 and home to the University of Southern Mississippi, has opted to remove all state flags from city buildings, while Petal, a nearby town of about 10,000, voted to do the opposite and fly the banner at all of its facilities.

The state flag, which features the Confederate cross in its canton, has been in use since 1894. In a 2001 referendum, residents rejected a proposal to replace the historic symbol with a 20-star design. But following the Charleston shooting, the Republican speaker of the state's House of Representatives called for the battle emblem to be removed from the Magnolia State's flag, according to The Associated Press.

"We must always remember our past, but that does not mean we must let it define us," said Philip Gunn, the first "top-tier Republican" in Mississippi to urge such a change.

"As a Christian, I believe our state's flag has become a point of offense that needs to be removed. We need to begin having conversations about changing Mississippi's flag."

But Gov. Phil Bryant voiced opposition to Gunn's proposal, contending he did not expect the legislature to "supersede the will of the people on this issue." The Republican, who said he had voted with the majority in the 2001 referendum, refused to call a special legislative session to address the issue, according to the Christian Science Monitor.

Henry Barbour, a GOP national committeeman from Mississippi, however, said he supported Gunn's proposal.

"How can we keep things the same?" Barbour said. "The flag didn't cause Charleston, but it represents hatred to many, especially our black brothers and sisters."