State Reps. George Flaggs and Alex Monsour said they will not support any name change at Mississippi University for Women, but Sen. Briggs Hopson III said he’ll wait to see if the question is asked before deciding on an answer.

A rebranding effort in the works for about three years started a new phase last week when MUW president Claudia Limbert announced her choice of Reneau University for the Columbus school. That request must be approved by a majority of the 12-member state College Board before a recommendation is forwarded to the Legislature during the 2010 session.

Flaggs told the Vicksburg Kiwanis Club a number of “the most highly respected women in this community and local alumnae have drilled me on this” and the choice is easy.

“I don’t think the mission deters anyone from going to the school,” Flaggs said, adding the university established in 1885 possesses built-in recognition due to its nickname, “The W.”

“There’s been more recognition from that name than any university in the state,” Flaggs said.

Reached later, the two other lawmakers from Vicksburg offered their views. Monsour said all calls he has taken on the name change “have basically been hostile” to the idea. Hopson said he will wait for the College Board to weigh in before taking a stance. “I think it’s premature because we don’t have a recommendation yet,” Hopson said.

Flaggs, a Democrat, is a senior in the Vicksburg delegation. Monsour and Hopson are Republicans in their first terms.

If approved, Reneau University would honor Sallie Eola Reneau, who advocated creation of a public female college in a letter to Gov. John J. McRae in 1856. The school opening in 1885.

Enrollment stood at 2,365 for the fall 2008 semester, according to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. Men made up 16 percent of that total. Supporters of the name change argue enrollment could reach 4,500 if the gender reference was dropped, which could translate into more funding. Critics say the university is highly marketable already.

Flaggs, who chairs the House Banking and Financial Services Committee, also said he’ll support a tax hike on smokeless tobacco during the next session. This week, the State Tax Commission reported $36.8 million had flowed into state coffers following this year’s 50-cent increase in cigarette excise taxes to 68 cents per pack. Federal tax hikes on smokeless tobacco products also took effect this year.

Most of that revenue went to shore up the state fund used to send rebates to counties to replace revenue counties lose through a legislative tax credit on car tags. The funds, Flaggs said, “will carry us at least through January or February,” coincident with the legislative session.

“Car tags are so political it’s like the health care reform nationwide,” he said. “You can rest assured if we don’t fund anything else, we’re gonna fund the car tag fund.”

Flaggs said the state was uniquely positioned to weather the national economic downturn because of its demographics and mandates for balanced budgets on the legislative level, referencing California’s economic woes as a comparison. Flaggs played down the impact of recent protests of government in other states that have spread to Vicksburg.

“As chairman of banking and finance, I’ve learned Mississippi is on a leading edge as it relates to government. I don’t think there’ll be any ‘tea parties’ with us.”

On local issues, Flaggs praised the recent sit-down lunch between Vicksburg and Warren County elected officials and others.

Flaggs said he’d encourage leaders of both local governments to sit down more often and come up with a five-year economic development plan of financial incentives from the state, though he didn’t specify what they could be.

“I believe I’m in a position where if they give us a five-year plan that represents some economic development, rather than continuing to see things go to the north or east or the Coast, I’d be able to pass it in the Legislature,” Flaggs said.

Flaggs, 56, was first elected in 1988 and represents central and north Vicksburg. He also sits on the Appropriations, Executive Contingent Fund, Fees and Salary, Gaming, Investigate State Offices, Budget, Medicaid, and Public Health and Human Services committees.

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com