Jackson Mississippi News

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Conservative PAC Wants Term Limits - Jackson Free Press

State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, is the chairman of the UCF and chairs the Senate Elections Committee. In a news release announcing the proposed ballot initiative, McDaniel said the goal is to increase political participation and make holding elective office more accessible. Photo by Trip Burns.

A conservative political-action committee wants to limit how long some Mississippi officials can serve in office.

The United Conservatives Fund today said the group has filed documents with the secretary of state's office to start the process, which includes a state attorney general's review before the petitions can be printed and circulated around the state.

Keith Plunkett, director of policy and communication for the UCF, estimates the review process will take approximately 30 days. Plunkett added that the language is being fine-tuned, but that it would involve limiting legislators and statewide officeholders to two consecutive terms in the same office.

Currently, in Mississippi, the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are already limited to consecutive terms, but there are no limits on other statewide offices.

"The power of incumbency has built a wall between people and their representatives. This has caused an increase in cronyism, backroom deals and corruption. We believe regularly changing out officeholders is a step toward transcending those problems," McDaniel said in the release.

During his 2014 bid for the United States Senate against fellow Republican and incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran, McDaniel and his supporters often raised the specter of cronyism and potential corruption in Cochran's successful re-election.

Plunkett said the group is optimistic about the effort, which is loosely modeled on a 1999 ballot initiative. Known as Measure 9, it would have amended the state Constitution "to limit the number of consecutive terms a person can serve in the state Legislature to no more than two (2) terms in the House and two (2) terms in the Senate after the adoption of this amendment with terms being deemed consecutive unless separated by a full four (4) year term."

"I think the mindset and desire to see something happen is much stronger now than it was then," Plunkett told the Jackson Free Press of Measure 9, which failed with 55 percent of people voting against the initiative.

The term-limit push might meet another obstacle: the Legislature itself. In the past legislative session, after education advocates got enough signatures for a statewide ballot question about funding education—Initiative 42—lawmakers voted to include a so-called alternate proposed amendment. Opponents to that Republican-led move have decried the alternative proposal as confusing and designed to kill Initiative 42.

For the time being, Plunkett said the UCF won't worry about lawmakers just yet.

"I'm certainly not going to look into a crystal ball and predict what the Legislature (might) do," he said. "We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it."

Get Up and Work Tour - Jackson Free Press

Performers include Joshua McClain, Risch Rapor and The Washington Kids.

When: Sunday, April 26, 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Rock Church, Byram
Cost: Free admission, donations and sponsorships welcome
Contact Phone: 601-317-0560 or 228-234-2246
Categories: Concerts & Festivals (All), Gospel

Courtesy Joshua McClain by Latasha Willis

From the press release:

My name is Joshua McClain and I am from Grenada, MS now I reside in Brandon, MS. I am singer/songwriter/fashion designer/campaign marketer/entrepreneur/youth developer/ and I am happily married with two beautiful daughters Angel and Aniya and I attend Rehoboth International Ministries and I used to reside in Jackson, MS and I want to give back to the community and bring forth greater enrichment as we look on the news we see much devastating news and it's time to take action and make something happen. Because their is another generation that is coming up doctors, lawyers, presidents, singers, musicians, teachers, and etc. and if we don't take the time now to help go in our community and give great road maps and be involved with the community we will lose our next generation. My Co-Businsess Partner with me on "GET UP AND WORK TOUR " name is RISCH REPOR who is featured on the new hit single "GET UP and WORK BY: JOSHUA MCCLAIN and featuring THE WASHINGTON KIDS out of Madison MS and A&A . Mr RISCH REPOR wants to help save the community and bring forth all type of programs to bring all the leaders together and bring a movement that will never be erased and make an impact . The next couple of weeks I will be hosting a city wide tour musical called "GET UP AND WORK TOUR" Theme "Making Moves To Change The Community One By One" and right now our community needs something positive to impact their lives in greater way. Tour will consist of all types of awareness to our community as a whole,/seminar workshop dealing with a talk on improving our community / a community mass choir and much more for more information visit www.getuppeople.org or 601-317-0560 or 228-234-2246 . "GET UP AND WORK" IS MY NEW SINGLE AVAILABLE ON ITUNES,/CDBABY/ AMAZON GO GET IT TODAY
Dates are April 19th Word and Worship @ 10 am
April 26th The Rock Church Center @6:30 pm
6016 South I-55 South Frontage Rd Byram, MS 39272
April 28th
WLBT NEWS MID DAY MISSISSIPPI @ 12NOON- 2PM
May 3rd @ Rehoboth International Ministries @6:30 pm
3209 Greenfield Rd
Pearl, MS 39208
FREE ADMISSION AND INVITING EVERYONE AND WOULD LOVE SPONSORS
As I look at the Greater Jackson area, so many devastating things are happening.
The leaders are not taking action, but sitting back in their comfort zones and more worse things are happening. Sixteen to eighteen murders a month, missing children, poverty, homelessness, kids dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, low-self -esteem teens, drugs, suicide, gangs, violence, have now become the norm. I would like to take action and help enrich this community. I would like to bring forth community service projects that would encompass music as well as open discussion to help get the Greater Jackson area back on track to something positive and promising, especially for our youth. As one turn on the news and observes JACKSON, MS in its present state, it’s disheartening that we have a lot of leaders in position, but no one is going out on the streets to get directly involved. This is the role I want to play, to make a “mark that will never be erased”. Today is the day we can make a change. It’s time for action and not just talking about it, but being about it. We have so many young people that could be the next teacher, doctor, lawyer, singer, entrepreneur, leader, president, fire fighter, fashion designer, author and etc… But if we don't do something now we will lose a generation that could have changed the nation. We need help in funding this program immediately .We're asking for a sponsorship from 100 to 300 dollars to help us fund this event the next couple of weeks. All proceedings willl be going towards all expenses it is costing to promote this within our community and we are making a change happen to be the first ones to first step into investing in something great. As you donate to us we will work with your campaign as well as bring this program to different communities to help stop decay and promote enrichment . By your support today, we can bring forth a positive change not only in our community, but be a catalyst for enrichment and awareness for the nation.

Barbour: Mississippi needs 'salt-and-pepper' party diversity - Mississippi News Now

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour says the state and nation would be better served with more racial diversity within the Democratic and Republican parties.

Speaking Tuesday to a mostly black audience at Jackson State University, Barbour, who was Republican National Committee chairman in the mid-1990s, says Mississippi does not need a white party and a black party.

Instead, Barbour says: "We need two salt-and-pepper parties."

Democrats controlled Mississippi politics for generations, but the state has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1980.

During Barbour's time as governor from 2004 to 2008, Republicans increased their presence in the Mississippi Legislature.

For the past four years, Republicans have controlled the state House and Senate. But, there are no black Republican lawmakers in the state with a 37 percent black population.

Lone candidate wins Mississippi House seat without election - Mississippi News Now

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A new Mississippi lawmaker will take office without the formality of an election.

Republican Jay Mathis of Carthage was the only candidate who signed up to run for a seat vacated by longtime Democratic Rep. Bennett Malone. Because of that, the state Board of Election Commissioners has canceled a May 5 special election and declared Mathis the winner.

House spokeswoman Meg Annison says Tuesday that a swearing-in date for Mathis has not been set.

Mathis will serve about the final nine months of a four-year term that Malone started in District 45, in parts of Leake, Neshoba, Rankin and Scott counties.

Mathis will get to vote on legislation only if Gov. Phil Bryant calls a special session sometime before January, because lawmakers have finished their regular session.

Contraband bust at downtown jail - MSNewsNow - Jackson, MS - Mississippi News Now

Source: WLBT

The Hinds County Sheriff's Department, with help from Jackson Police, arrested two people and confiscated contraband outside the downtown jail in Jackson.

Sheriff Tyrone Lewis says two people were caught red handed trying to smuggle marijuana, some food items and tobacco products inside the facility around 10:15. A weapon was found inside their car.

Tamika Course and Austin Divinity were arrested waiting outside the jail in a vehicle. Sheriff Lewis says they were waiting for a phone call as the signal. He tells us increased patrols and vigilance paid off.

"Well we have no choice," said Sheriff Lewis. "Until the decision is made to go ahead and repair this facility or build a new facility, we have to step up our efforts to make sure this facility is free of people trying to introduce contraband into this place. That will protect our employees as well as the inmates we house here."

Sheriff Lewis says Course and Divinity will be charged with introducing contraband into a correctional facility.

Apparently they planned to get the items inside using a rope that was dropped from a broken window. We are told that window is on a repair list for the Board of Supervisors.

Suit Says Mississippi Lethal Injections are Unconstitutional - Jackson Free Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Two Mississippi prisoners condemned to death are challenging the legality of the state's lethal injection procedures.

A lawyer for Richard Jordan and Ricky Chase writes in a suit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Jackson that Mississippi prisoners face risks of excruciating pain and torture during an execution that violates the U.S. Constitution's Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

A prison spokeswoman declined to comment.

Mississippi plans to execute prisoners by mixing pentobarbital from ingredients it purchased from a compounding pharmacy in Grenada. Lawyer Jim Craig said Mississippi doesn't seem to have ever used the drug in an execution before and questioned whether the state can mix a safe and effective anesthetic for prisoners.

Even if it can, Craig warns that the drug may act more slowly than drugs used previously, meaning that prisoners could be conscious as a paralyzing agent is injected, causing them to know they're unable to breathe. They might remain conscious as potassium chloride is injected to stop their hearts.

"The defendants' untried and untested drugs create a substantial risk that plaintiffs will suffer unnecessary and excruciating pain, either by injection of the compounded pentobarbital causing a painful reaction itself, or by the compounded pentobarbital failing to work, resulting in a torturous death by life suffocation and cardiac arrest," the suit states.

The prisoners also allege using pentobarbital is illegal under state law, because it doesn't meet the legal mandate for an ultra-fast-acting barbiturate. Mississippi formerly used a different drug, but the supplier cut off use in executions.

Craig has fought the state Corrections Department in court seeking information about Mississippi's suppliers of execution drugs. The new lawsuit argues that the secrecy is a separate constitutional violation, because it retards prisoners' ability to mount Eighth Amendment challenges.

"Under the due process clauses of the United States and Mississippi constitutions, plaintiffs are entitled to notice of the defendants' intended method of execution," the suit states.

Craig argues that under evolving standards of decency, U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate should bar Mississippi from using the paralytic agent and potassium chloride, though they are required by state law. He said executing people using only barbiturates, as Texas now does, could meet these standards.

Jordan was convicted of capital murder committed in the course of kidnapping Edwina Marta in Harrison County in 1976. At 68, Jordan is the oldest inmate on Mississippi's death row, having won three successful appeals only to be resentenced to death. He's also the longest serving, having spent 38 years in death row. What would likely be Jordan's final appeal is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. Hood's office could ask the state Supreme Court to set an execution date within weeks if Jordan's appeal is refused. That's important, because Mississippi's current supply of pentobarbital is supposed to expire May 20.

Chase was convicted and sentenced to death in 1990 for the 1989 killing of an elderly vegetable salesman in Copiah County.

Unfinished I-55 project draws safety, economic concerns - Mississippi News Now

JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) - Since the Mississippi Department of Transportation halted construction back in January, work on a lane-widening project for Interstate 55 has yet to resume.

MDOT had stopped construction on the portion of I-55 that runs from Byram to I-20 because of Yazoo clay creating unforeseen problems for the contractor. Those road hazards are causing financial concerns for at least one local business owner.

"It's frustrating when you're $140,000 to $150,000 short at the end of the year," said Alvin Woods, who owns a lawn care equipment store in South Jackson.

Woods had what he thought was a prime location for customers when he moved his business there, a stone's throw away from I-55 on Frontage Road.

"With him moving to Jackson, I thought it was going to be a great convenience for me," said Jackson resident Robert Myers.

Then construction on I-55 began, creating challenges for customers who frequent businesses along that road.

"With the tie up and the traffic back and forth that I have to do just to get in here to see him, it's a little frustrating," said Myers.

"You could get off at Byram and you're gonna dead end. You could get off at Daniel Lake and you're gonna dead end. You couldn't get here," said Woods.

The confusion led to a big financial drain on his already successful business, and others say it's happened to them as well.

"If you weren't familiar with all this down here, because we get a lot of out-of-town customers, you know, they're lost," said employee Cindy Smith, who works at Rick's Pro Truck.

Woods said he installed three signs last year to show customers how they could find him.

"[MDOT] did put a sign beside my sign that said "Road Closed," and on the way home every day, I'd take their sign, said Woods. "And this is not gonna get me in jail, I hope, but I'd take their sign and throw it in the ditch."

There's no timeline in place even for when construction could resume on that portion of interstate.

"We know when it's gonna be completed; June of last year," said Woods, noting the original completion date.

MDOT spokesman Jason Scott said the department received three bids for the project on Friday from construction companies. Those bids range from $103 million to nearly $170 million.

One of those still has to be approved by the transportation commission, but Scott said that might not even happen if the bids are deemed too high.

The date for that transportation commission decision has not been announced.