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Only three times since the federal government began tracking the labor force participation rate in the mid-1970s have a lower percentage of eligible Mississippi workers been employed than in October.

Mississippi, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, had the lowest labor force participation rate in the nation of 53.9% in October. The national rate was more than 62%.

Mississippi’s lowest monthly labor force participation rate occurred for three consecutive months in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, said state economist Corey Miller, who spoke Monday to the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute of Government/Capitol Press Corps luncheon.

The labor force participation rate measures the number of eligible workers who are employed. A higher labor force participation rate generally means a stronger economy with more people with income to spend thus generating more tax revenue, Miller said. Since 2013, Mississippi has either been 49th or 50th among the states in labor force participation rates. Still, the October rate was troublesome, Miller said.

“Frankly, in my opinion, the rate of 53.9% is startlingly low given current economic conditions,” Miller told the lunch crowd. “While I am admittedly hypothesizing, recent data seem to indicate the lack of population growth in Mississippi is exerting downward pressure on the rate.

“If so, focusing on the lack of population growth in the state is even more paramount, as it is beginning to result in immediate negative economic impact.”

As the population ages, Miller said, fewer workers in the prime employment age (16 to 54) are available to fill the void. But the population in the prime employment age of 25 to 54 is growing nationwide by 1% while decreasing in Mississippi by 2.7%. In other words, there are fewer people in the prime employment age to participate in the workforce.

“Population is another challenge for the state to overcome that involves public policy addressing quality of life issues to ultimately generate a more robust and dynamic economy,” Miller said.

Miller said Mississippi is not unusual among surrounding states in that about 3% of its population routinely migrates out each year. The difference, he said, is that most states, unlike Mississippi, have more people migrating in than out.

Other factors that Miller said might negatively impacts Mississippi’s labor force participation rate include:

• Lower educational attainment levels.
• The state’s high incarceration rates.
• Poor health care outcomes resulting in the highest percentage of disabled people in the nation.

The lower education rates among impoverished minority populations could also be a factor since the state has the highest percentage of Black residents in the nation.

Miller conceded that many of the issues impacting Mississippi’s labor force participation rates require a long-term fix, such as improving the education attainment level. But he said a continuing focus on workforce training could help improve the work force participation rate and better child-care opportunities also might help.

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Hinds County election commissioners acknowledged in a public meeting on Monday that they sent the wrong document to the company that printed its ballots, resulting in several polling places not having enough ballots for voters on Nov. 7.

The commission, all of whom are elected Democrats, answered questions from a coalition of civil rights organizations on Monday about what went wrong during the statewide election and how those mistakes could be prevented in future elections. Each of the commissioners present at the meeting on Monday took responsibility for the mistake.

“It was a complete human error,” District 2 Commissioner RaToya Gilmer McGee said. “I hate that the citizens of Hinds County experienced it.”

During Mississippi’s Nov. 7 general election, several Hinds County voting precincts ran out of ballots throughout the day. The county is majority Black, Mississippi’s largest county and a Democratic Party stronghold.

People waited in line for hours to vote as local officials attempted to replenish ballots and deliver them to polling places. It’s unclear how many people left without voting or decided not to travel to polling precincts because of the confusion from the shortages.

READ MORE: Hinds County ballot shortages cause legal mess on Election Day

State law dictates that county election commissioners supply enough ballots to each polling precinct. The commissioners told the coalition and the public at Monday’s meeting that their mistake in sending the wrong documents mostly impacted “split precincts” in the county.

Split precincts exist when several political boundaries share a single polling place. Different types of ballots must be on hand at the polling precinct whenever there’s a split precinct.

Before each election, the Hinds County Election Commission accesses statewide voter data to determine how many ballots should be distributed, but it sent the wrong voter data to the company it contracted with to print the ballots. 

According to several commissioners, there are two types of polling precinct reports: a BP-008 and a BP-009. The BP-008 form discloses how many voters are registered at each precinct. The BP-009 shows how many different types of ballots are needed at each precinct.

Commissioner McGee said the commission sent the BP-008 form to the printing company, not the BP-009 form. When the commission submitted the wrong form, it caused the company to print an inadequate number of ballots for the split precincts.

While the commission acknowledged its mistake caused mass confusion during a competitive statewide election, McGee said better training from the Secretary of State’s office could have prevented the issue.

“The training needs to be different,” McGee said. “As an incoming professional woman, I feel like it was not a great training.” 

Secretary of State Michael Watson’s office trains election commissioners in each of the state’s 82 counties. Watson told Mississippi Today in a statement that his office is available to answer questions and will “gladly spend time training those who need additional help.” 

“Heading into the 2023 election, all 82 counties received the same training and resources from our office,” Watson said. “No other county experienced the issues we saw in Hinds County.”

Statewide officials have already certified the results of the Nov. 7 election, but Hinds County must conduct an election on Nov. 5, 2024, for a U.S. Senate and the presidential election, which typically attract many voters. 

Gov. Tate Reeves also called for a special election in Hinds County in November 2024 for voters to elect a Hinds County Court judge, a local election that could involve split precincts. 

District 4 Commissioner Yvonne Horton told reporters after the meeting that she believes the commission can learn from its prior mistakes and conduct the 2024 general election without widespread ballot issues. 

However, Horton was vague on what concrete steps the commission was planning to take to prevent the ballot printing error or similar errors from happening in the future. 

When asked if the commission, for example, planned to implement an accountability system for someone to review the data the commission sent to a future printing company, Horton offered a conflicting answer.

“No one has said they are going to do that, but I can assure you we are going to do that,” Horton said of an accountability system. 

The commission’s next regular meeting will occur next month after a new slate of commissioners are sworn in for a new four-year term.

READ MORE: Judge extends Hinds County precinct hours after numerous ballot problems

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GREENVILLE – A federal jury has convicted a former Amory High School teacher of sexually exploiting at least seven students over 10 years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Toshemie Wilson, 48, of Wren, Mississippi, was found guilty of eight counts of using students to produce sexually explicit material  in exchange for money and drugs, using his position as an adviser for Technology Students of America to groom students.

A former student told a counselor about the abuse. The counselor reported the information to law enforcement, prompting the investigation, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and FBI agents uncovered at least 10 other former students who alleged similar conduct and payment for sexually explicit videos, according to the release.

Eight unnamed witnesses testified in court that Wilson approached them to make masturbation videos in exchange for pay between 2005 and 2014, according to the release. They identified a number of places he had them make the videos – the school bathroom, an office space rented specifically for this purpose, and the Amory WalMart bathroom, according to the release. Several of the witnesses stated they were induced to make videos while on out-of-town school trips with the Technology Students of America, the release said.

Following his indictment, Wilson admitted to FBI agents that he had thrown away a hard drive containing a collection of student sexual abuse materials, according to the release.

Wilson also faces a state indictment in Monroe County Circuit Court.

“Once again, hard work and perseverance by federal, state and local investigators and prosecutors has removed from society an individual with a demonstrable sexual interest in children,” U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner said in the news release. “I am extremely proud of Assistant United States Attorneys Parker King and Clyde McGee for their trial work on the case, and thankful for the investigative work of the FBI and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office…we must all continue to prosecute these offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”

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Young people are learning about driver safety from a Jackson State University team hoping to keep them from becoming the next car crash statistic. 

“We’re reaching young people before we get to that point,” said Keith Lamont McMillian, occupation safety coordinator at the Department of Interdisciplinary Alcohol/Drug Studies Center. 

Along with Triniti Grant, a coordinator who focuses on youth impaired driving, they and other educators travel across the state to meet with young adults between the ages of 16 and 20 in schools, community organizations and events to give presentations about seat belt usage, driving under the influence and distracted driving. 

With 35 fatal crashes in 2021, Jackson had a rate of 23.4 crashes per 100,000 people, according to a MarketWatch analysis of federal traffic safety and insurance data. Looking at this rate, MarketWatch named Jackson among the most unsafe cities for drivers. 

Mississippi had 697 fatal crashes in 2021 – the highest rate in the country at 26.2 deaths per 100,000, according to the Institute for Highway Safety. Nationally, the number of motor vehicle deaths rose 18.3% between 2019 and 2022. 

McMillian said the state statistics are a sign that he and the team of educators he is part of have a lot of work to do. 

The center’s work is supported by a grant through the Mississippi Office of Highway Safety. Grant and McMillian are assigned to nearly 40 counties across the state that have the highest rates of car crashes, including Hinds County. 

Fifty-four percent of Mississippi’s crash deaths involved a single vehicle and over half of the crashes happened in rural areas, according to an analysis by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a trade group which MarketWatch cited in its analysis. 

Other contributors to fatal crashes include a lack of seat belt use and impaired driving. 

In Mississippi, 44% of car occupants killed in car crashes used a seat belt compared to 41% who did not use a seat belt, according to the analysis. The national rate of seat belt usage in 2021 was 90% compared to 80% in Mississippi. 

Of 456 drivers killed in Mississippi in 2021, 40 died with known blood alcohol content results. The analysis found that BAC was known for just 59% of all fatal car crashes, and reporting rates for BAC vary greatly across the country – 95% in Hawaii compared to 9% in Mississippi. 

Grant and McMillian said what young adults know about driver safety and the driving laws varies across the state and can be formed by the adults and peers in their lives as well as popular culture. 

He said they may not know about the financial cost of a driving related ticket or fine for speeding, not using a seat belt or texting. She said they may not be aware of the statistics of how many teenagers and young people die in car crashes. 

“The goal is to bring awareness because they don’t know,” Grant said. “The real goal is to let them know and maybe, with knowledge, it will change their approach.” 

Grant said young people can have a positive influence on their peers and set an example, like making sure that everyone has their seatbelt on before the car starts moving. 

Many high schools around the state offer driver’s education programs and there are private driver schools, but not all young people have access to them, McMillian said. He sees the center’s work as a way to bridge the gap in driver’s education. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, drivers were not required to demonstrate their driving skills through a road test to get their license. McMillian said parents have approached him at events to ask about what they can do for their child if they haven’t taken a driver’s education program.

In addition to statistics and videos in their safety education, Grant and McMillian also look for interactive ways to teach young adults about potential consequences of speeding, not using seat belts and driving while under the influence or distracted. 

There are “drunk goggles” to simulate blurry vision one would experience while driving with a high blood alcohol content. 

A creative way the center is sharing information is through a podcast called Safe Roads Mississippi, which launched in the fall. It will feature experts, people from agencies that focus on road safety and law enforcement and also highlight driving stories of young people. 

The center partners with state agencies like the Office of Highway Safety, which are able to recreate a car crash with the help of actors and local first responders. 

“Students are able to get a real life experience without it being an experience,” McMillian said. 

For more information about the Department of Interdisciplinary Alcohol/Drug Studies Center and its safe driving programs, visit https://www.jsums.edu/iadsc/ or reach out by email at  IADSC@jsums.edu or call 601-979-2276. 

The post Team teaches safe driving to teens as Jackson and Mississippi top national analyses for fatal crashes appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Thanks in large part to you, our readers and supporters, and to the dedicated team at Mississippi Today, the impact of our reporting continues to grow across the state, region and nation. When we first launched our nonprofit newsroom in 2016, it would have been difficult to imagine the place we find ourselves: a Pulitzer Prize-winning newsroom providing Mississippians with accountability journalism that is moving the needle in our state. We are immensely proud of this impact, while also recognizing the profound responsibility to keep pushing, keep growing, and keep serving Mississippians. 

As 2023 draws to a close, we at Mississippi Today reflect on a year marked by groundbreaking journalism. Our stories delved into critical issues facing our state, from statewide elections to deeply personal accounts of injustice and resilience. We partnered with fellow newsrooms in Mississippi to bring you data-driven reporting on water quality in our state, and with national newsrooms to bring to light harrowing accounts of abuse of power and broken systems. We proudly partnered with The Atlantic to host a day-long summit on democracy, and we stayed with stories on higher education, justice and education to bring you the full picture of what is happening in Mississippi. 

This year’s achievements, punctuated by our Pulitzer Prize recognition, reinforce our commitment to delivering insightful, impactful journalism.

We thank you, our readers, for your continued support and engagement, and we look forward to bringing more essential stories in the coming year.

To learn more about this year’s top stories and our journey, please visit our 2023 recap.

The post Editor’s note: Thank you for making 2023 a year to remember appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Legislation has been introduced that would allow Mississippians who have been permanently disenfranchised because of a felony conviction to vote in federal elections.

The federal Inclusive Democracy Act, filed by Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Massachusetts, would allow all Americans convicted of a felony, including those still incarcerated, to vote in federal elections such as for president and for members of Congress. Passage of the legislation is seen as a longshot, though it represents one of many efforts centered around felony disenfranchisement laws.

“The right of citizens to United States to vote in an election for federal officed shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of conviction of a criminal offense,” the bill reads.

The legislation would not impact the lifetime ban on voting in state elections, such as for governor and legislators or for county and city offices.

Welch said in a statement announcing the introduction of the Inclusive Democracy Act: “Our democracy is at its strongest when everyone can take part in it. Yet millions of Americans are denied their right to engage in our democratic process as a result of antiquated state felony disenfranchisement laws that disproportionately impact Black Americans and women. These Jim Crow-era laws have no place in modern America.”

Mississippi is particularly relevant for the federal legislation since it is one of fewer than 10 states that still imposes a lifetime ban on voting for some people convicted of felonies. Earlier this year a three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Mississippi’s permanent ban on voting was unconstitutional because it was a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.

READ MORE: Full 5th Circuit to hear arguments on whether felony voting ban is unconstitutional

The state of Mississippi, through the office of Attorney General Lynn Fitch, appealed the ruling of the three-judge panel. In response to the state appeal, the entire 5th Circuit has prevented the ruling from taking effect and has agreed to hear the case en banc. Oral arguments before the full 5th Circuit is scheduled for Jan. 23 in New Orleans.

The decision of the 5th Circuit is likely to be appealed by the losing side to the U.S. Supreme Court. Earlier this year the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal in a separate Mississippi felony disenfranchisement case. In that case, the 5th Circuit found that Mississippi’s lifetime ban on voting was not unconstitutional even though the judges conceded that it was placed in the state’s 1890 Constitution as one of the many provisions designed to keep African Americans, then a majority in the state, from voting.

According to information compiled in 2017 by researcher Dov Rothman, there are almost 50,000 Mississippians who are permanently banned from voting because of a felony conviction. Rothman researched the issue on behalf of the Southern Poverty Law Center and those filing the lawsuit that the U.S Supreme Court refused to hear. While African Americans make up about 38% of the state’s population, they comprise 59% of those who are permanently barred from voting, according to Rothman’s research.

Framers of the 1890 Mississippi Constitution said at the time they imposed the lifetime voting ban on crimes that they believed Black Mississippians were more prone to commit.

“The plan is to invest permanently the powers of government in the hands of the people who ought to have them: the white people,” James Zachariah George, a U.S. senator who was one of the architects of the 1890 Constitution and to this day has a statue in the U.S. Capitol representing Mississippi, said at the time.

The framers did not at the time include murder and rape as disenfranchising crimes but did include lesser crimes such as burglary and bigamy.

Even today, Mississippians convicted of certain crimes do not lose their right to vote while incarcerated. For instance, a major drug dealer would not lose the right to vote, but a person convicted of livestock or timber larceny would.

“As someone whose family has been personally impacted by mass incarceration, I’m proud to partner with Sen. Welch on the Inclusive Democracy Act to ensure everyone can make their voice heard in our democracy,” Pressley said. “Momentum is growing in states across the country and Congress must follow suit by swiftly passing this crucial legislation.”

The post Bills would restore federal voting rights for Mississippians convicted of felonies appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Mississippi Today’s Bobby Harrison and Taylor Vance provide a primer of what to expect during the opening days of the pomp and circumstance of the 2024 legislative session. The session is quickly approaching, slated to begin at noon on Jan. 2.

The post Podcast: What to watch for during opening days of 2024 legislative session appeared first on Mississippi Today.

With the addition of Oklahoma and Texas, the Southeastern Conference has gifted some really tough schedules to the teams for next season.

The post Marshall Ramsey: Schedule appeared first on Mississippi Today.

The end of year holidays from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day have been particularly hard since my parents divorced. As the years passed, my dad and I rebuilt the bridge that was burned between us. Then, two years ago, he didn’t feel well on Christmas Day and left this world on New Year’s Eve. Now, the holidays are even more difficult for me to feel jolly.

I often think of the what ifs, what could have been, but this year, my focus is keeping the holidays simple, thinking of the good, and appreciating the years I had with Dad and the memories we shared.

My inspiration comes from the men and women with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism where I work at The Baddour Center. Residents deeply feel emotions and grief, yet they are a wonderful example of sharing joy, hugs, and smiles – despite their disappointment or sadness.

For instance, during the campus tours I lead, Joe tells as many people as possible brief stories about his dad and the jokes they shared. I had the pleasure of meeting “Papa Smurf” as Joe him, and he once showed me a t-shirt and told the story of a raccoon hunt that was one of the first fundraising events on our nearly 120-acres.

As part of the Advancement Team but not a hunter, I was intrigued by his story at the time and very thankful that tradition no longer continues after our 45 years of being an intentional residential community for the residents we serve; however, each time Joe shares a story of his dad to a stranger, I am reminded of how important it is to talk about the life and laughter we shared with our loved ones.

Lecy, on the other hand, visits my office frequently and starts many conversations with “Do you remember…?” Because 15 years have passed in my tenure, I normally remember exactly who she is talking about. Sometimes, it’s a memory of her daddy; other memories revolve around a resident or staff member who is no longer bound by their Earthly bodies. Nearly every conversation ends with Lecy and me agreeing “I sure miss [him/her]” and giggling about what fun was had.

Lecy’s father was “advanced in his chronological years” – as my pastor would say – by the time I met him. I knew him as a sweet-spirited, humble, Southern gentleman. It was evident the way he held Lecy’s hand how much he loved her, and he taught me a lesson each time he ambled into the building with a check in-hand, which was nearly always a memorial gift with instructions on who and where to send the acknowledgement note.

Clearly, his love extended beyond Lecy, and he made a choice to keep the deceased’s memory alive by investing in the lives of others through a donation to an organization that made an impact on his daughter’s daily life.

Christmas can be a tough holiday for some and a favorite holiday for others. May we be challenged this year to be like the men and women who call The Baddour Center home and their families.

Let’s give each other grace to process life experiences in our own way – with plenty of hugs, laughter, and patience to share with those around us. Let’s not just remember our loved ones but let’s talk about them, sharing precious memories with others who knew them. Let’s also be generous, humble givers who share with non-profit agencies, like The Baddour Center, that have had a positive impact on us or someone we love.

From all of us at The Baddour Center, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The post Employee learns holiday lesson from grief response of Baddour Center residents appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Gov. Tate Reeves has appointed Bill Cork as the new executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority, the state’s economic development agency.

Cork replaces Laura Hipp Mayer, who served as the agency’s interim executive director since August 2021. The agency has been without a permanent director since 2021, when former director John Rounsaville resigned after the state investigated sexual misconduct allegations against him.

“We are committed to expanding our economy, driving further growth, raising wages, and bringing in more jobs for the people of Mississippi,” Reeves said in a Thursday statement announcing the appointment. “This team will be key to accomplishing that mission, and I have the utmost confidence in them.”

Cork previously served as the deputy director of the agency. Before working in state government, he worked at the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission, the Texarkana Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Sempra Energy Solutions, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

“The invitation to lead this amazing group of professionals, as part of Gov. Tate Reeves’ leadership team, is truly humbling,” Cork said in a statement. “I look forward to serving the great state of Mississippi in this new role and building upon the amazing momentum we are achieving together.”

Mayer, a former staffer for Reeves during his time as lieutenant governor, recently left MDA to become the assistant commissioner for external relations at the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning.

Reeves’ appointment of Cork will go before the Mississippi Senate for confirmation, but he can serve as the leader of the state agency until the confirmation hearing.

READ MORE: Sexual misconduct allegations led to MDA director John Rounsaville’s resignation

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