Mississippi
‘Only in Mississippi’: White representatives vote to create white-appointed court system for Blackest city in America
![‘Only in Mississippi’: White representatives vote to create white-appointed court system for Blackest city in America ‘Only in Mississippi’: White representatives vote to create white-appointed court system for Blackest city in America](https://mississippitoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/SpSession12-1170x804.jpg)
A white supermajority of the Mississippi Home voted after an intense, four-plus hour debate to create a separate courtroom system and an expanded police drive throughout the metropolis of Jackson — the Blackest metropolis in America — that might be appointed fully by white state officers.
If Home Invoice 1020 turns into legislation later this session, the white chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court docket would appoint two judges to supervise a brand new district throughout the metropolis — one that features all the metropolis’s majority-white neighborhoods, amongst different areas. The white state lawyer basic would appoint 4 prosecutors, a courtroom clerk, and 4 public defenders for the brand new district. The white state public security commissioner would oversee an expanded Capitol Police drive, run presently by a white chief.
The appointments by state officers would happen in lieu of judges and prosecutors being elected by the native residents of Jackson and Hinds County — as is the case in each different municipality and county within the state.
Mississippi’s capital metropolis is 80% Black and residential to the next proportion of Black residents than any main American metropolis. Mississippi’s Legislature is totally managed by white Republicans, who’ve redrawn districts over the previous 30 years to make sure they’ll move any invoice with out a single Democratic vote. Each legislative Republican is white, and most Democrats are Black.
After thorough and passionate dissent from Black members of the Home, the invoice handed 76-38 Tuesday primarily alongside social gathering strains. Two Black member of the Home — Rep. Cedric Burnett, a Democrat from Tunica, and Angela Cockerham, an impartial from Magnolia — voted for the measure. All however one lawmaker representing the town of Jackson — Rep. Shanda Yates, a white impartial — opposed the invoice.
“Solely in Mississippi would we’ve a invoice like this … the place we are saying fixing the issue requires eradicating the vote from Black individuals,” Rep. Ed Blackmon, a Democrat from Canton, mentioned whereas pleading together with his colleagues to oppose the measure.
READ MORE: Hinds County forces unite in opposition to invoice to create unelected judicial district, expanded police drive
For a lot of the debate, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba — who has been publicly chided by the white Republicans who lead the Legislature — seemed down on the Home chamber from the gallery. Lumumba accused the Legislature earlier this yr of practising “plantation politics” by way of its remedy of Jackson, and of the invoice that handed Tuesday, he mentioned: “It jogs my memory of apartheid.”
Hinds County Circuit Decide Adrienne Wooten, who served within the Home earlier than being elected decide and can be one of many current judges to lose jurisdiction below this Home proposal, additionally watched the controversy.
Public Security Commissioner Sean Tindell, who oversees the Capitol Police, watched a portion of the controversy from the Home gallery, chuckling at occasions when Democrats made impassioned factors in regards to the invoice. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, the one statewide elected official who owns a home in Jackson, walked onto the Home ground shortly earlier than the ultimate vote.
Rep. Blackmon, a civil rights chief who has a decades-long historical past of championing voting points, equated the present laws to the Jim Crow-era 1890 Structure that was written to strip voting rights from Black Mississippians.
“This is rather like the 1890 Structure yet again,” Blackmon mentioned from the ground. “We’re doing precisely what they mentioned they had been doing again then: ‘Serving to these individuals as a result of they’ll’t govern themselves.’”
The invoice was authored by Rep. Trey Lamar, a Republican whose hometown of Senatobia is 172 miles north of Jackson. It was despatched to Lamar’s committee by Speaker Philip Gunn as an alternative of a Home Judiciary Committee, the place comparable laws usually can be heard.
“This invoice is designed to make our capital metropolis of Jackson, Mississippi, a safer place,” Lamar mentioned, citing quite a few information sources who’ve coated Jackson’s excessive crime charges. Dwelling on an extended backlog of Hinds County courtroom instances, Lamar mentioned the invoice was designed to “assist not hinder the (Hinds County) courtroom system.”
“My constituents need to really feel secure once they come right here,” Lamar mentioned, including the capital metropolis belonged to all of the residents of the state. “The place I’m coming from with this invoice is to assist the residents of Jackson and Hinds County.”
Many Home members who signify Jackson on Tuesday mentioned they had been by no means consulted by Home management in regards to the invoice. A number of occasions in the course of the debate, they identified that Republican leaders have by no means proposed rising the variety of elected judges to handle a backlog of instances or rising state funding to help an overloaded Jackson Police Division.
In earlier periods, the Legislature created the Capitol Advanced Enchancment District, which covers a lot of the downtown, together with the state authorities workplace advanced and different areas of Jackson. The invoice would lengthen the present district south to Freeway 80, north to County Line Street, west to State Avenue and east to the Pearl River. Between 40,000 and 50,000 individuals reside throughout the space.
Opponents of the laws, dozens of whom have protested on the Capitol a number of days this yr, accused the authors of carving out largely white, prosperous areas of the town to be put within the new district.
The invoice would double the funding for the district to $20 million with a purpose to improve the dimensions of the present Capitol Police drive, which has obtained broad criticism from Jacksonians for taking pictures a number of individuals in latest months with little accountability.
The brand new courtroom system specified by Home Invoice 1020 is estimated to value $1.6 million yearly.
Democratic members of the Home mentioned in the event that they needed to assist with the crime drawback, the Legislature may improve the variety of elected judges in Hinds County. Blackmon mentioned Hinds County was supplied 4 judges in 1992 when a serious redistricting occurred, and that quantity has not elevated since then even because the caseload for the 4 judges has exploded.
As well as, Blackmon mentioned the variety of assistant prosecuting attorneys could possibly be elevated inside Hinds County. In Lamar’s invoice, the prosecuting of instances throughout the district can be carried out by attorneys within the workplace of Lawyer Normal Lynn Fitch, who’s white.
Blackmon mentioned the invoice was “a couple of land seize,” not about combating crime. He mentioned different municipalities within the state had larger crime charges than Jackson. Blackmon requested why the invoice would give the appointed judges the authority to listen to civil instances that had nothing to do with crime.
“When Jackson turns into the No. 1 place for homicide, we’ve an issue,” Lamar responded, highlighting the town’s lengthy backlog of courtroom instances. A number of Democrats, in the course of the debate, identified that the state of Mississippi’s crime lab has a prolonged backlog, as nicely, including to the troublesome in closing instances in Hinds County.
Lamar mentioned the Mississippi Structure offers the Legislature the authority to create “inferior courts,” because the Capitol Advanced system can be. The choices of the appointed judges might be appealed to Hinds County Circuit Court docket.
Democrats supplied seven amendments, together with one to make the judges elected. All had been defeated primarily alongside partisan and racial strains.
“We not incompetent,” mentioned Rep. Chris Bell, D-Jackson. “Our judges aren’t incompetent.”
An modification supplied by Rep. Cheikh Taylor, D-Starkville, to require the Capitol Police to put on physique cameras was authorised. Lamar voiced assist for the modification.
A lot of the controversy centered across the concern of making a courtroom the place the Black majority in Hinds County wouldn’t be allowed to vote on judges.
One modification that was defeated would require the appointed judges to come back from Hinds County. Lamar mentioned by permitting the judges to come back from areas aside from Hinds County would guarantee “the very best and brightest” may serve. Black legislators mentioned the remark implied that he judges and different courtroom employees couldn’t be discovered throughout the Black majority inhabitants of Hinds County.
When requested why he couldn’t add extra elected judges to Hinds County slightly than appointing judges to the brand new district, Lamar mentioned, “That is the invoice that’s earlier than the physique.”
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Mississippi
How Mississippi State football is preparing for Arizona State weather, late kickoff
![How Mississippi State football is preparing for Arizona State weather, late kickoff How Mississippi State football is preparing for Arizona State weather, late kickoff](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/09/03/PNAS/75060541007-usatsi-24129028.jpg?auto=webp&crop=5472,3078,x0,y0&format=pjpg&width=1200)
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football is preparing to play a team that, at least through one game, looks vastly improved from last season.
Coach Jeff Lebby admitted on Monday, and Bulldog players have noticed it too after Arizona State (1-0) thumped Wyoming 48-7 in its opener.
MSU (1-0) must also factor in the late kickoff that is scheduled Saturday (9:30 p.m. CT, ESPN) at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Mississippi is hot, but so is Arizona — a different kind of hot, too.
Modifications and remedies are being made, such as the team leaving Starkville on Thursday instead of how it normally would on a Friday for a Saturday game.
“For our guys, just knowing exactly what we are getting into,” Lebby said. “We continue to talk about that through yesterday and this morning and (are) having those conversations to understand what it’s going to look like late in the week. We got to do a great job from a preparation standpoint of how we are hydrating, how we are eating and how we are resting to give us the ability to go on the road on this flight and be able to be at our best Saturday night.”
Just this week, Phoenix broke a record with its 100th straight day of 100-degree temperatures. According to AccuWeather, the high on Saturday in Tempe will be 107 degrees with a low of 86. The temperature should dip to around 91 near kickoff with a humidity of 24%.
“Coach Lebby has already been harping on that,” tight end Justin Ball said. “We’ve already been hydrating and making sure we are getting rest every single day. We leave on Thursday, so we already talked about the plan to make sure we are hydrating the entire plane ride there, making sure when we get there we get acclimated as quickly as you can and just staying together. Making sure we’re focused, make sure we keep the goal first and then execute the game plan.”
MORE: Jeff Lebby says Mississippi State football didn’t put on a good enough show. Here’s how he’s wrong
Mississippi State played well the last time it played in Arizona
The Bulldogs played Arizona in Tucson two seasons ago. They squandered a pedestrian Wildcats team 39-17. Kickoff for that game was at 8 p.m. PST though the temperature was 84 degrees at game time.
Not many players remain on Mississippi State’s roster from that 2022 season. But the ones who are, like linebacker Nic Mitchell, can benefit from the experience and also share it with teammates.
“We know it’s going to be a long flight, so we know we got to be hydrated,” Mitchell said. “It gives people experience that have done it before and they can tell the young guys how it’s going to be in the flight, how you got to hydrate and stuff like that.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Mississippi
Playing for Mississippi State not an option for Arizona State back Kyson ‘Sipp’ Brown
Arizona State forces 3 turnovers in win over Wyoming to start 2024
All offseason, coach Kenny Dillingham preached getting turnovers. Forty seconds into the season’s first game, the defense produced its first one.
Sophomore running back Kyson Brown is one of the faster players on the Arizona State football team. But Brown seems to have a little more pep in his step this week. Why? Well, the Sun Devils (1-0) are set to take on Mississippi State (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Mountain America Stadium.
Sure an SEC opponent is enough to get any athlete fired up. But the 6-foot, 200-pounder hails from Tupelo, Mississippi, which is where he got his nickname, Sipp. Tupelo is 67 miles north of the Mississippi State campus in Starkville that Sipp has visited a handful of times.
“I have family, growing up they were all Mississipp State fans and some Ole Miss fans,” he said. “Some of my family are debating whether they want to cheer for me or not. It’s going to be good. A lot of hometown friends. Got a couple guys I went to high school with there. It’s going to be good seeing those guys and hopefully, we compete at a good level and get the W.”
Brown, a mechanical engineering major, is enrolled in ASU’s Barret honors program, He emerged as one of the team’s most improved players. He saw some time on special teams as a true freshman in 2023 and has set himself up for a bigger role, although the ASU backfield has a lot of depth.
In the last week’s 48-7 win over Wyoming, Brown pitched in with six rushing attempts for 25 yards and two receptions for 73 yards. His 68-yard touchdown reception was the longest play from scrimmage that ASU had on the night.
“It felt amazing just to get back in the end zone again,” Brown said. “You come out of high school, you know I’m used to being in the end zone every game, all the time. That play, I knew — once I made the first guy miss — I knew I wasn’t going to let anybody catch me.”
Brown lived in Mississippi until moving to Lancaster, Texas, outside of Dallas, after his sophomore year of high school. He sat out junior year after the transfer. As a senior he averaged 9.5 yards per carry, finishing with 707 yards and 11 touchdowns on 74 carries while adding 14 receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns.
Sitting out his junior year hurt his recruiting, but he still had notable offers from Purdue, Missouri and Houston. The balance of his options were lower-profile schools. Mississippi State didn’t offer.
He is happy with the end result. A place on the ASU football roster. In the offseason, he worked on his agility, flexibility and catching the ball, which was evident in his recent scoring play.
“We all have the big-play potential,” he said of his fellow running backs. “I feel my role is to make plays, wherever they put me be able to perform.”
Mississippi
Report shows Mississippi Legislature retirement reforms this year aren’t effective. See why
![Report shows Mississippi Legislature retirement reforms this year aren’t effective. See why Report shows Mississippi Legislature retirement reforms this year aren’t effective. See why](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/04/30/PJAM/73515915007-tcl-legislature-06.jpg?auto=webp&crop=2999,1687,x0,y100&format=pjpg&width=1200)
Lawmakers, PERS director agree they must work together in the future
How to plan for retirement using an online calculator
Retirement calculators can give you an idea of when you’ll financially be able to retire.
Problem Solved
State lawmakers will need to readdress concerns about the Public Employment Retirement System of Mississippi in 2025 if it is to remain viable long term, according to a July study.
Legislative actions in the 2024 Session to reduce public employer contribution rate hikes and increase state funding are not enough to address billions in unfunded future benefits to retirees, according to a report released by the Legislature’s third-party watchdog group, the Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review Committee.
Projections show the state’s retirement plan being less than 50% fully funded by 2047 and having $25 billion in liabilities. According to several municipal leaders who spoke to the Clarion Ledger earlier this year, the legislative move from lawmakers in the past session should save public employers from cutting positions and raising taxes to keep and hire more public employees.
“Change in approach for increasing the employer contribution rate, in addition to the one-time funds transfer, reduces the plan’s projected future funded ratio from 65.5% to 49.9%,” the report reads. “…The PERS plan is currently expected to be at a lower-funded level in the future than it currently is today.”
PERS Executive Director Ray Higgins told the Clarion Ledger he wasn’t surprised by the report’s findings.
“The PEER analysis seems to be an accurate report and generally reconciles with our information,” Higgins said. “Also, the legislative action from last session appears to be a short-term solution.”
While the report does not list out any specific recommendations for lawmakers this coming year, it says continued work will be necessary to fix the retirement system that has 118,000 retirees receiving benefits and 147,000 active members paying into the system.
In 2023, the PERS governing board, made up of mostly elected members, as advised by financial actuaries who watch over the state’s retirement plan, passed a rate increase on public employers, such as cities, counties and school districts from 17.40% to 19.90% that was to take effect July 1. The rate would have continued to increase to 22.4% by 2027.
In the 2024 Session, the Legislature passed two bills. Senate 3231, prohibits the PERS Board’s plan to gradually increase the employer contribution rate and replaces it with a plan to increase to 19.90% over the next five years in 0.5% annual increases. SB 3231 also takes the board’s only regulatory power to increase rates and puts it in the hands of the Legislature.
SB 2468 enacts a one-time transfer of $110 million of capital expense funds into the PERS trust.
More on PERS bill MS Legislature passes bill restricting state retirement board’s authority
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann’s Deputy Chief of Staff Leah Rupp Smith told the Clarion Ledger efforts Hosemann helped push forward that resulted in those bills’ passage led to a potentially more stable retirement system.
“To avoid this calamity while developing a future solution, the Legislature adopted a less-aggressive employer increase,” Smith wrote via email. “We are now informed the plan has a projected future funding ratio of 65.5% as of 2047, as compared to 48.6% projected one year ago.”
Republican House Speaker Jason White’s Communications Director Taylor Spillman did not reply to several emails requesting White’s comments on the report.
What are the big problems?
Higgins previously said the ratio of retirees to active members has seen a reverse trend since 2013, when there were 93,000 retirees and 162,000 active members. This increases the unfunded liability of the system as fewer people take jobs in government, reducing active members and more people retire, increasing the funding obligation of PERS.
The other issue lies with projections for the retirement plan’s future if state lawmakers decide not to take action in the years to come.
“While the ($110 million) funding for the first year is comparable, each year in the future could potentially see a greater deviation in expected employer contribution revenues for the PERS plan,” the report reads. “This deviation does not immediately constitute a problem for the PERS plan; however, careful evaluation of the plan’s future liabilities and funding needs will be necessary to ensure the sustainability of the PERS plan.”
Are there any solutions?
Higgins and Smith both said future work on PERS is still a top priority.
Higgins specifically mentioned a new retirement benefits package that could be offered to new public sector employees, which the PERS board has called tier 5.
“The Board has previously recommended a tier 5 for new employees to help better sustain PERS in the future and is currently considering what may be included or resubmitted in next year’s legislative package,” Higgins said.
Read about new Medicaid program Mississippi Medicaid prenatal care access program still awaiting federal approval. Why?
Earlier this year, Hosemann told the Clarion Ledger he wanted to see evidence that a new tier of benefits could help maintain the retirement system long term. Smith did not confirm whether Hosemann’s office is currently studying that idea in the legislative off season, but she did say the Legislature is looking at several ideas.
“The Legislature is exploring any option for a more viable plan,” Smith said. “The Lt. Governor continues to be committed to fulfilling current employee and retiree benefits, including the cost-of-living adjustment for these individuals.”
Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
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