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Read the story this cartoon is based on here.

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All three of the citizen-sponsored ballot initiatives that have been ratified by Mississippi voters have since been approved by state lawmakers, ensuring the laws cannot be struck down as a result of a landmark May 2021 Supreme Court ruling that ended the initiative process.

Since voters approved the now-defunct initiative process in 1992, just three initiatives have made it all the way through the process to gain the approval of voters. They are:

• A photo identification requirement to vote.
• The legalization of medical marijuana.
• A prohibition on the government taking private property for the use of another private entity.

Late in the 2022 session, the Legislature approved and Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law a bill that has the practical effect of preventing the taking of private property by the government for the use of another private entity.

The bill placed in state law essentially the same language approved by voters in 2011 after the Farm Bureau Federation raised enough signatures through the initiative process to place the issue on the ballot.

The reason Farm Bureau and others supported the Legislature passing the eminent domain bill is the May 2021 Supreme Court decision saying the state’s initiative process was invalid.

READ MORE: Mississippi Supreme Court rules ballot initiative process unconstitutional

That Supreme Court decision came after voters in November 2020 approved an initiative legalizing medical marijuana. But the medical marijuana initiative process was struck down by the Supreme Court in May 2021 at the same time the entire initiative process was ruled invalid. Earlier, in the 2022 session, a bill was passed and signed into the law to enact a medical marijuana program.

The Supreme Court struck down the medical marijuana initiative and the entire initiative process because the process required the mandated number of signatures to place an issue on the ballot be gathered equally from the five congressional districts as they existed in 1990. The state lost a congressional seat in 2000.

Some feared that because the initiative process had been struck down by the Supreme Court, a future court ruling also could invalidate the eminent domain initiative. The bill passed during the 2022 session alleviates those concerns.

Voters in 2011 also approved an initiative requiring a government-issued photo identification to vote. Voter ID was not viewed as being in jeopardy because of the May 2021 Supreme Court ruling since it was approved by the Legislature after it was approved by voters in 2011.

While all three initiatives are now safe through action of the Legislature in spite of the Supreme Court ruling, the state no longer has an initiative process. The Legislature could not agree in the 2022 session on language to revive the process.

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The NCAA Baseball Tournament regional brackets were announced just an hour ago and already I’ve been asked about a dozen times: What’s your reaction?

Answer: Surprised.

Not shocked, mind you, just surprised and pleasantly so.

Surprised that Southern Miss was in at a No. 11 seed, even after losing twice at home to Texas-Antonio (UTSA), which wasn’t selected, in the Conference USA Tournament.

Surprised that Ole Miss was selected, particularly after all the unexpected happenings in conference tournaments this past weekend.

What seems clear is that NCAA Baseball Committee, of which Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen is a member, put lots more value on a team’s achievements over the course of a 55-game regular season than what happened in the various conference tournaments.

That was mentioned to Southern Miss coach Scott Berry during a press conference following the selection show. “I agree, I totally agree,” Berry said. “And, to me, that’s the way it should be.”

Berry went on. “In our case, the committee recognized our achievements over the long haul. We won the regular season championship by three games in a very good conference. We finished 43 and 17. We were 23 and 7 in the league. That’s a heckuva achievement right there. To me, what you do over the course of an entire season is much more important than what you do in a double elimination tournament.”

I would agree.

Southern Miss will open the Hattiesburg Regional against Army on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. LSU, the 2-seed, will play Kennesaw State at 7 p.m. in the other half of the four-team, double elimination bracket. This marks the third time in history the Golden Eagles have hosted a regional.

Berry was asked about Ole Miss receiving a bid — the Rebels are a 3-seed at Miami and will play Arizona on Friday night — while UTSA and Old Dominion both did not.

Berry said he felt for both UTSA and Old Dominion, but added, “I think it’s great for Ole Miss. I love Coach (Mike) Bianco, who a great coach and a classy person, and couldn’t be happier for him or his team.”

Some random thoughts on the NCAA Tournament:

• I’ve never been one to take one team against the field, and I am not sure I would this time. But if there was ever a time to do it, this is it. Tennessee, SEC regular season and tournament champ, is by far the class of the field, quite possibly the best college team these eyes have ever seen.
• Army? The Black Knights won their fourth straight Patriot League championship this season. Army comes in at No. 154 in RPI and was 0-6 against Top 50 competition this season. The Knights hit .301 as a team and love to run. They stole 101 of 120 bases this season. Their pitching ace, the guy Southern Miss likely will face, is Connelly Early, a left-hander with a 7-3 record a 3.39 earned run average. He is seemingly a good matchup against the Eagles’  heavy left-handed hitting lineup.
• Arizona? For Ole Miss, the Wildcats will be a rematch of last season’s Super Regional matchup at Tucson, which Arizona won two games to one. The 2022 Wildcats finished 37-23, 16-14 in the Pac-12. Top-seeded and host Miami finished 39-18 with a No. 15 RPI.
• Is Ole Miss capable of winning the Miami Regional? Yes. No doubt. If the Rebels pitch it well and hit as they are capable, they could win.
• And that could potentially set up an Ole Miss-Southern Miss Super Regional showdown. Asked about that possibility, Berry laughed, “Hold on now, we’ve both got a whole lot of work to do before we talk about that,” he said.
• Kennesaw State, which will play LSU Friday night in the Hattiesburg Regional, is led by former Mississippi State Bulldog Josh Hatcher, who hit .386 with 13 home runs and 55 runs batted in for the American Sun Conference champions.

The post Southern Miss, Ole Miss get pleasant surprises from NCAA committee appeared first on Mississippi Today.

The people. The ocean. The hospitality. The music. The arts.

These are just a few of the reasons why our readers love Mississippi.

At Mississippi Today, we work hard to produce news and resources that keep Mississippians informed and hold our public officials accountable. Why? Because we — like you — love Mississippi.

Over the past six-plus years, Mississippi Today readers have come to rely on coverage that helps them navigate the ups and downs of an ever-changing news cycle. Investigative reporter Anna Wolfe has a passion for amplifying the voices of those in our state who need the most help. Her recent series, The Backchannel, chronicles how former Gov. Phil Bryant used the governor’s office to exploit a dysfunctional welfare system for personal interests.

The stories that matter most to us are the ones that give you answers to the questions no one else is asking.

From famous storytellers to those who are everyday heroes featured in Marshall Ramsey’s Mississippi Stories series, this great state has a host of voices ready to share their unique experiences — and people on the other side ready to listen.

Here’s a recent example of how our public service journalism model allowed us to share a story of a local resident in desperate need of answers:

Earlier this month, we published an article by our community health editor Kate Royals about a 61-year-old Madison resident Frank Dungan, in need of a liver transplant from the state’s only organ transplant program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. But, because of the ongoing contract dispute between his insurer Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi and UMMC, he is currently ineligible for a transplant at the hospital. 

Kate’s story detailed the challenges he faced getting answers from both his insurer and UMMC on how to proceed or the outright costs of his procedure. Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney wrote a letter to BCBS and UMMC attorneys to advocate for Dungan, asking for a response. Our health team continues to cover the ongoing dispute and possible resolutions.

“I chose to work here because of my family and because I believe in Mississippi Today’s mission.” 

Kate Royals, Community Health Editor

So why donate to Mississippi Today? Here’s what some of our members had to say – you might feel the same way: 

“Mississippi is my home. Change is on the horizon. This will require reliable reporting/news.” – Betty D.

“You are providing citizens vital and unbiased information to inform our thinking and actions.” – Mary T.

“I need an honest view of what’s happening in Mississippi.” – Kathie G.

“I want to be a part in building a better Mississippi.” — Meade E.

“All of our member funding goes directly toward our journalism by funding costly records requests…hosting community events…and making sure our staff can care for their families with healthcare and other costs.” 

Alyssa Bass, Product Engagement Coordinator

If you agree with these members that Mississippi needs independent journalism like Mississippi Today, join the crowd by creating a recurring donation of any amount today. 

The post What do you love about Mississippi? appeared first on Mississippi Today.

State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs has been the face of Mississippi’s COVID-19 response. Mississippi Today reporters Bobby Harrison, Geoff Pender and Will Stribling spoke with Dr. Dobbs about his tenure at the health department, the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization abortion case, and what comes next for him after he leaves the health department in July.

The post Podcast: Dr. Thomas Dobbs discusses his tenure as State Health Officer appeared first on Mississippi Today.

In this episode of Mississippi Stories, Mississippi Today Editor-at-Large Marshall Ramsey sits down with Brigadier General Maxey J. Phillips (Retired) of the Mississippi Air National Guard. Maxey fell in love with aviation early in life as he picked cotton on his family’s Northeast Mississippi farm. He watched as World War 2 training aircraft (AT-6 Texans) buzzed over his head. While they were training future pilots, they also lit a dream in a small boy.

After graduating from Mississippi State with an aeronautical engineering degree, Maxey joined the U.S. Air Force where he trained to fly the Air Force’s newest fighter, the F-4 Phantom. From the Cuban Missile Crisis, to Vietnam, to England and back to Mississippi, Maxey tells stories about his nearly 40-year career in the Air Force.

Those stories include a career-altering conversation with legendary aviator General Chuck Yeager, a near-fatal encounter with a turkey buzzard while flying at 480 knots and his time as the 172nd Airlift Wing Commander in Jackson, Mississippi. Most poignantly for Memorial Day weekend, though, Maxey talks about his fallen comrades and a beloved uncle who died in Vietnam.

Sponsored by the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

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Mississippi’s population is larger and most likely more diverse than what was reported last year in the official 2020 U.S. Census.

Reports that the state lost population during the past decade were incorrect based on follow-up research done by the U.S. Census Bureau.

It is probable, though, based on the Census Bureau’s follow-up work, that most — if not all — of the population growth the state experienced since the 2010 Census was among Mississippi’s racial minority groups.

The bureau, using various types of statistical sampling of households, vital records and other data, released a U.S. Census report earlier this month surmising the population of Mississippi and five other states was undercounted in the official 2020 U.S. Census. There were eight other states with significant overcounts.

Mississippi’s population was undercounted by 4.11%, according to the bureau. Only Arkansas at 5.04% and Tennessee at 4.78% had higher undercounts. The state with the largest overcount was Hawaii at 6.79%.

In the 2020 Census, Mississippi was identified as one of just three states that lost population during the 10 years between official census counts. The state lost about 6,000 people and had a population of 2,961,279, according to the original 2020 Census. So in reality, based on the follow-up reports, the state gained about 100,000 people and has a population of more than 3 million.

A key question is what does the undercount mean for Mississippi? First of all, it was not large enough to result in the state losing one of its four U.S. House seats, which are divvied out to the states based on population. But if the minority population is indeed growing at a faster pace than originally cited in the official 2020 Census, that would mean that in redistricting efforts the minority population would not be fairly represented on the federal, state or local levels.

In addition, the amount of federal funds directed to the state often is based on the official census.

“Hundreds of federal programs use decennial census data in their funding formulas, so if Mississippi had an undercount, it would miss out on its rightful share of funding over the coming decade,” according to the Urban Institute.

The Urban Institute estimated the undercount in Mississippi was 2.59% among African Americans and 2.18% among Hispanics.

According to the Census Bureau, the follow-up, called a post-enumeration survey, is not broken down on the state level to determine undercounts or overcounts within state demographic groups because the sample sizes are not large enough.

But another recent follow-up conducted by the Census Bureau revealed that many minorities were undercounted on the national level. The undercount among African Americans was 3.3%, and 4.99% among Hispanics. The white population was overcounted by 1.64%.

Based on the original 2020 Census, Mississippi’s solely white population declined by 95,791 people from 2010 to make up 56.01% of the total state population. Based on the 2020 Census, the African American population declined 13,940 people to 36.62% of the total population. During the same time period, the percentage of Mississippians identifying as other than solely white or African American was 3.85% in 2010 and was 7.36% of the total population in the original 2020 Census.

It is reasonable to assume the national numbers in terms of the undercount of minorities and the overcount of those identifying as solely white also apply to Mississippi. And if that assumption is correct, that means Mississippi’s minority population grew during the past 10 years at a faster rate than originally thought.

Another report released by the Census Bureau as it was working on the 2020 Census indicated that about 27% of Mississippians live in hard-to-count neighborhoods. A map from the Census Bureau reveals most of those hard-to-count areas as being along the Mississippi River, where there are Black majority populations and in other areas with substantial minority populations. That research bolsters the argument of a significant undercount in Mississippi’s Black communities.

“We have always advocated for an accurate count and doubted the accuracy … of the numbers,” Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann wrote on social media of Mississippi’s undercount.

He added, “Our office is working now to gain clarity on the impact of this undercount and any steps which can be taken to mitigate it.”

In reality, there is not much that can be done.

In the 1990s during the Bill Clinton administration, census officials argued that by using the statistical sampling of households and other more advanced technology they could deliver a more accurate population count than what is ascertained by the traditional manual count. Republicans at the time opposed using the technology. The Supreme Court supported the Republican argument saying that the Constitution required an actual manual count be conducted to develop the official census.

The result of that ruling, among others, is the current undercount for Mississippi.

The post Mississippi has more people and is most likely more diverse than the 2020 Census reported appeared first on Mississippi Today.

HATTIESBURG — Huge, gold-clad crowds turned out this weekend ready to party at Pete Taylor Park. After all, the home team, Southern Miss, had won the Conference USA regular season championship by three full games and entered the league tournament with a No. 7 RPI rating and an excellent chance to become a national top-8 seed in the NCAA Tournament that begins next week.

All the Golden Eagles had to do was take care of their business.

That was then.

This is now: UTSA – the University of Texas at San Antonio – dumped bucket after bucket of ice water on that would-be party, knocking the Golden Eagles off twice and out of the tournament. After edging the Eagles 7-6 on Friday, the Roadrunners completely throttled the home team 11-2 on Saturday. The drubbing was the worst for Southern Miss in more than two seasons.

So now we will see how much winning the regular season championship handily in the nation’s fifth best conference means in the eyes of the NCAA Baseball Selection committee. We’ll see what an excellent 43-16 overall record means. And we’ll see how much losing twice to a red-hot team at home affects all that.

Certainly, Southern Miss lost any chance at a national seed. Now we’ll see if the Golden Eagles will host an NCAA Regional for only the third time in history when the tournament begins next week.

The guess here is that they will. A 2-2 record in a league tournament should not wipe out an entire season’s body of work. Lest we forget, Mississippi State went two-and-out – and was 10-run-ruled twice in last year’s SEC Tournament. All the Bulldogs did then was win the national championship.

The 2022 tournament sites will be announced Sunday. The pairings will be announced Monday morning.

This much is certain: The Golden Eagles must play better next week than they did Saturday or their NCAA experience will be short-lived no matter where they play. UTSA banged out 15 hits – six for extra bases – en route to the nine-run victory margin. The Roadrunners took a 4-0 lead after three innings, received a brief scare when the Golden Eagles rallied for two runs – that easily could have been more in the seventh – and then finished the Eagles off with seven runs over the last two frames.

Meanwhile, Daniel Garza delivered on the mound for UTSA, pitching eight innings of remarkable relief to earn the victory. Said Southern Miss shortstop Dustin Dickerson, “Garza put his breaking pitches anywhere he wanted, spotted his fastball and kept us off balance all day. You have to give him credit. He was really, really good.”

Garza was, but hitting is the name of the game for UTSA, which sports a lineup that includes eight straight .300-plus hitters. Baby-faced cleanup hitter Ryan Flores is the best of the bunch, now 13 of 19 with three home runs and nine RBIs in five games against Southern Miss this season. In the two tournament victories over Southern Miss, Flores was 5-for-8 with a home run, a double and three RBIs. 

It seems clear UTSA earned one of the spots Ole Miss was hoping for in the NCAA Tournament field. Either Louisiana Tech or Old Dominion – and maybe both – might pass the Rebels, as well. Depending on which predictions you read, Ole Miss is either one of the last teams in or one of the last couple teams out. UTSA, now 38-19 and with a 9-9 record against Top 50 teams, presumably passed the Rebels in the NCAA pecking order. We will see.

Southern Miss? The Eagles are definitely in the tournament, no lower than a 2-seed. Will they host?

“I believe we will, I really do,” Southern Miss coach Scott Berry said. “I would hope the committee will take into consideration the entire body of work, rather than us going 2-2 in the the league tournament. I am proud of winning the league, proud of the 43-16 record.

“But no matter where we play – and I hope it’s here – we have to hit the reset button. We have to take a day off, put this one behind us and get ready for next week.”

Someone mentioned what happened with State last season – two and out and a miserable showing its league tournament and then an amazing, memorable run to a national championship.

“It’s a crazy game, a strange game,” Berry said. “It’s all about getting hot and playing your best at the right time. Well, for us. now is that time.”

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