Mississippi
Attorneys want the US Supreme Court to say Mississippi's felony voting ban is cruel and unusual
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court should overturn Mississippi’s Jim Crow-era practice of removing voting rights from people convicted of certain felonies, including nonviolent crimes such as forgery and timber theft, attorneys say in new court papers.
Most of the people affected are disenfranchised for life because the state provides few options for restoring ballot access.
“Mississippi’s harsh and unforgiving felony disenfranchisement scheme is a national outlier,” attorneys representing some who lost voting rights said in an appeal filed Wednesday. They wrote that states “have consistently moved away from lifetime felony disenfranchisement over the past few decades.”
This case is the second in recent years — and the third since the late 19th century — that asks the Supreme Court to overturn Mississippi’s disenfranchisement for some felonies. The cases use different legal arguments, and the court rejected the most recent attempt in 2023.
The new appeal asks justices to reverse a July ruling from the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which said Mississippi legislators, not the courts, must decide whether to change the laws.
Stripping away voting rights for some crimes is unconstitutional because it is cruel and unusual punishment, the appeal argues. A majority of justices rejected arguments over cruel and unusual punishment in June when they cleared the way for cities to enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outside in public places.
Attorneys who sued Mississippi over voting rights say the authors of the state’s 1890 constitution based disenfranchisement on a list of crimes they thought Black people were more likely to commit. A majority of the appeals judges wrote that the Supreme Court in 1974 reaffirmed constitutional law allowing states to disenfranchise felons.
About 38% of Mississippi residents are Black. Nearly 50,000 people were disenfranchised under the state’s felony voting ban between 1994 and 2017. More than 29,000 of them have completed their sentences, and about 58% of that group are Black, according to an expert who analyzed data for plaintiffs challenging the voting ban.
To regain voting rights in Mississippi, a person convicted of a disenfranchising crime must receive a governor’s pardon or win permission from two-thirds of the state House and Senate. In recent years, legislators have restored voting rights for only a few people.
The other recent case that went to the Supreme Court argued that authors of Mississippi’s constitution showed racist intent when they chose which felonies would cause people to lose the right to vote.
In that ruling, justices declined to reconsider a 2022 appeals court decision that said Mississippi remedied the discriminatory intent of the original provisions in the state constitution by later altering the list of disenfranchising crimes.
In 1950, Mississippi dropped burglary from the list. Murder and rape were added in 1968. The Mississippi attorney general issued an opinion in 2009 that expanded the list to 22 crimes, including timber larceny, carjacking, felony-level shoplifting and felony-level writing bad checks.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in a 2023 dissent that Mississippi’s list of disenfranchising crimes was “adopted for an illicit discriminatory purpose.”
Afroman wins Ohio trial over “Lemon Pound Cake” music video
Rapper Afroman has won a three-day-long trial in Ohio after law enforcement sued him for using real footage of police in a pair of viral music videos.
Afroman has three Mississippi shows lined up soon. The Grammy-nominee recently unveiled dates for his 2026 Freedom of Speech Tour. The first two are this week. Is one near you?
Afroman’s real name is Joseph Foreman. The 2024 presidential candidate used to live in Hattiesburg.
The rapper is best known for his hits such as “Because I Got High,” “Mississippi” and “Crazy Rap.” He was nominated for a Grammy in 2002 for Best Rap Solo Performance for “Because I Got High,” a comedy song about smoking marijuana.
Here’s what to know about his First Amendment court victory and when you can watch him in the Magnolia State.
Why is it called the Freedom of Speech tour?
In 2022, law enforcement in Adams County, Ohio, raided the rapper’s home. It was tied to allegations of kidnapping and drug trafficking. Afroman was never charged.
Months later, Afroman used video from his home security system in music videos. He has lyrics making fun of specific officers by name. Songs like “Will You Help Me Repair My Door” and “Lemon Pound Cake” have racked up millions of views and streams.
The deputies filed a lawsuit in 2023, arguing that he’d committed defamation and invasion of privacy.
He continued releasing police diss tracks. “Batteram Hymn of The Police Whistle Blower” was dropped this month.
A jury acquitted Afroman on March 18.
“I didn’t win, America won,” he told Cincinnati’s WCPO 9 News outside the courthouse.
His new album “Freedom of Speech,” includes the songs from the lawsuit. It drops on April 20. The date, 4-20, is popular and an unofficial holiday for weed smokers.
When will Afroman play in Mississippi?
He has three shows in Mississippi this spring, according to Afroman’s tour webpage and event organizers.
Afroman most recently drew attention following victory in a three‑day trial in Ohio after deputies with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office sued him for using real footage from a 2022 police raid on his home in viral music videos. The videos were “Will You Help Me Repair My Door” and “Lemon Pound Cake.”
Contributing: Edward Segarra and Taijuan Moorman
Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Have a tip? Email her at pdankins@gannett.com.
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with USA TODAY NETWORK. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
Here’s the nominees for Clarion Ledger girls Athlete of the Week for March 23-28
Here’s the five nominees for the Clarion Ledger girls Mississippi high school Athlete of the Week for March 23-28.
There were several top performers across the state in girls high school sports, but only one can be voted as the Clarion Ledger athlete of the week for March 23-28.
Fans may vote in the poll BELOW one time per hour per device. The poll closes at noon on Friday.
To nominate a future athlete of the week, email mchavez@gannett.com or message him on X, formerly Twitter, @MikeSChavez.
To submit high school scores, statistics, records, leaders and other items at any time, email mchavez@gannett.com.
Nominations
Lexie Dixon, Alcorn Central: Dixon had eight hits with two home runs and eight RBIs in Alcorn Central games against Booneville and Corinth.
Alyssa McMurtrey, Pisgah: McMurtrey had seven hits with 10 RBIs in Pisgah’s games against Morton and Quitman.
Madison Rhodes, Clinton: Rhodes had four hits with eight RBIs and a pair of stolen bases during Clinton’s games against Madison Central, Germantown and Murrah.
Abbie Robertson, Itawamba Agricultural: Robertson had two home runs and nine RBIs during Itawamba Agricultural’s wins against Amory and Pine Grove.
Addy Walker Phillips, Neshoba Central: Phillips produced six hits and six RBIs in Neshoba Central’s games against West Lauderdale and Choctaw Central.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
Think tank proposes capping Social Security benefits at $100,000
A Washington think tank proposed capping annual Social Security benefits at $100,000 for couples as a way to shrink a looming deficit in the retirement trust fund.
People who get Supplemental Security Income checks will get paid on Wednesday, April 1.
The payments sometimes go out early. It happens when the first falls on a weekend or a holiday. Checks get sent on the last weekday before the normal send date.
Social Security recipients also will get their regular checks as scheduled in April. Benefits are typically disbursed to almost 74 million people on Wednesdays later in the month. Your payment date depends on the day of the month you were born.
Here’s what you should know about the April payment schedule, when the next time SSI checks will go out early and where to find a Social Security Office near you in Mississippi.
March 2026 Social Security payment schedule
The Social Security Administration’s 2026 payment schedules are online to help beneficiaries plan their budgets.
Regular Social Security retirement benefits will be issued according to the SSA’s standard payment schedule in March:
- March 11: Birthdates between the first and 10th of the month
- March 18: Birthdates between the 11th and the 20th of the month
- March 25: Birthdates between the 21st and the 31st of the month
When will SSI checks be sent early in 2026?
The next time checks will be sent early is Friday, July 31. August 1 is a Saturday this year.
SSI checks also will be sent out early for November because the first is over a weekend.
And the first check of the new year always gets sent on New Year’s Eve because of the holiday conflict.
SSI payment schedule for 2026
Supplemental Security Income checks will be sent out on the following dates in 2026, according to the SSA calendar.
It’s usually sent on the first of the month, but they are disbursed early if the first falls on a weekend or holiday.
- Wednesday, April 1 (check for April)
- Friday, May 1 (check for May)
- Monday, June 1 (check for June)
- Wednesday, July 1 (check for July)
- Friday, July 31 (check for August)
- Tuesday, Sept. 1 (check for September)
- Thursday, Oct. 1 (check for October)
- Friday, Oct. 30 (check for November)
- Tuesday, Dec. 1 (check for December)
- Thursday, Dec. 31 (check for January 2027)
➤ Most Americans think Social Security won’t be there for them. Are they right?
Why will some people get paid 3 times in certain months?
People who get both SSI and regular Social Security will be paid three times in October and December.
The regular SSI payment will come on the first. The Social Security check will be paid on its usual date. Then the SSI funds for the following month will be sent near the end of the month because the next SSI disbursement date falls on a weekend or holiday.
See the full 2026 Social Security Payment schedule
Social Security offices in Mississippi
There are almost two dozen Social Security offices in Mississippi. To find the one nearest you, visit ssa.gov/locator.
- Brookhaven
- Clarksdale
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Corinth
- Forest
- Greenville
- Greenwood
- Grenada
- Gulfport
- Hattiesburg
- Hernando
- Jackson
- Kosciusko
- Laurel
- McComb
- Meridian
- Moss Point
- Natchez
- Philadelphia
- Starkville
- Tupelo
- Vicksburg
Contributing: Mike Snider and Laura Daniella Sepulveda
Bonnie Bolden covers money issues that matter to people in Mississippi for USA TODAY Network. Email her at bbolden@gannett.com.
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