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

Mississippi Today’s Adam Ganucheau and Bobby Harrison break down the redistricting process, which Mississippi lawmakers will commence during the 2022 legislative session.

Stream the episode here. Read a transcript of the episode here.

The post Podcast: How, exactly, does redistricting in Mississippi work? appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Mississippi could be on the verge of what used to be one of the fiercest spectacles in politics — a speaker’s race.

Speculation that three-term Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, will challenge incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves in the Republican primary in 2023 has gotten tongues wagging and House members strategizing on who might run to be the next presiding officer of the chamber.

No doubt, probably every representative in the 122-member chamber believes he or she would be the best person to succeed Gunn as speaker should he opt to challenge Reeves.

But, because of the rise of partisan politics in the state, the race, if there is one, will not play out like past speaker’s races as former Speaker Billy McCoy used to say “in the cold light of day.”

Nowadays, the race for speaker is almost anticlimactic, a far cry from the past. The party that wins a majority in the 2023 election will caucus behind closed doors before the Legislature convenes in January 2024 and select a choice for speaker. All members of the majority party — most likely the Republicans — will cast their vote for that person on the opening day of the legislative term, ending any suspense.

That is what happened when Gunn was first elected. Soon after it became apparent after the November 2011 election that Republicans had captured a majority in the House for the first time since Reconstruction, those newly elected members met behind closed doors in Brandon, away from the Capitol, and selected the speaker from five candidates. After that process was completed, Republicans reemerged and announced they were unanimously behind Gunn.

In the olden days when party politics was not a major issue, members would announce their intention to run for speaker, resulting in a very public, bare-knuckled political campaign that often ended with a contested election where members had to publicly cast their vote for speaker on the opening day of a new four-year term.

The last public and perhaps wildest speaker’s race culminated in 2008, when McCoy was elected to his second term as speaker by defeating fellow Democrat Jeff Smith of Columbus by the narrowest margin of 62-60.

“The thing was a street brawl,” Brandon Jones recently said on Mississippi Today’s “The Other Side” podcast. Jones, the current policy director for the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Action Fund, was a freshman Democratic House member in 2008. Jones had won what was believed to be a heavily Republican open seat in Jackson County by 11 votes and faced tremendous pressure to vote for Smith, who had the support of the state Republican Party apparatus.

“One of the first calls I get (after being elected) is from Gov. Haley Barbour to ask me to vote for Jeff Smith,” Jones recalled.

Despite the pressure, Jones said he never wavered in his support of McCoy, who shared his political philosophy on issues like education and infrastructure.

Had Jones not won that election, it is not clear how Mississippi history would have been altered.

If a Republican had won the district, most likely that person would have voted for Smith, a conservative Democrat who had the support of all House Republicans, at the time a minority in the chamber. That vote would have resulted in a 61-61 tie.

The tension and uncertainty were palatable in the House chamber on the day of the election. There were two tie votes as members tried to elect a temporary speaker — either Ed Blackmon, who had the support of the McCoy forces, or Robert Johnson, who had the support of the Smith allies.

As the third roll call began, then-House member David Norquist of Cleveland approached Smith’s desk, and then the two walked toward the exit of the chamber, presumably where a deal would be offered for Norquist to abandon McCoy and vote for Smith. But as they exited the chamber, Linda Coleman of Mound Bayou, who on the two previous votes had supported the Smith forces, cast her vote for Blackmon and thus symbolically for McCoy. Coleman’s vote sealed Smith’s fate and led to the end of what might have been the most hotly contested speaker’s race in the state’s history.

Outgoing three-term Secretary of State Eric Clark presided over the process. The Constitution mandates the secretary of state preside over the House on opening day of a new four-year term until a presiding officer is elected.

Delbert Hosemann, who was elected to succeed Clark as secretary of state, would not be sworn in until two days later. But Hosemann, recognizing the historic significance of the day, was in the chamber to witness the events.

There might be a race coinciding with the 2023 election for House speaker, but it will not be like that 2007-08 race — a true donnybrook.

The post If Gunn runs for governor, there will be speaker’s race, but not like old-time donnybrooks appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Editor’s note: This obituary was provided to Mississippi Today by the family of Elise Varner Winter and was written by longtime family friend JoAnne Prichard Morris.

Elise Varner Winter, the widow of Mississippi Gov. William Winter, died July 17, 2021, in Jackson. She was 95.

Winter was an active partner in her husband’s administration, which set a new tone of inclusion and openness to change and brought about significant reforms in the state’s educational system. Friends said her grace, intelligence, and sense of duty were essential to the success of the administration.

Throughout her husband’s political career, she campaigned vigorously on his many successful runs for as he won many elective office in state government, including the governorship in 1979. At that time, the governor could serve only one term, and as first lady Mrs. Winter made a serious commitment to the people of Mississippi and to the governor to help him accomplish as much good for their state as possible during those few years. It was a job that demanded her careful, thoughtful attention and unflagging energy every single day.

She assumed her role as first lady at a transitional time for women, when the forces of tradition and change were pulling women’s in opposite directions, and she was a transitional first lady. While possessing the charm and domestic talents of a traditional southern first “lady of the house,” she also demonstrated a modern woman’s professional and purposeful approach to her job.

Although not a staff member, she had a seat at the governor’s staff meetings on policy and administrative decision making. According to Dick Molpus of Jackson, then Winter’s director of federal-state programs, Mrs. Winter was a “quick strategic thinker,” who commanded the attention and respect of the governor and his all-male staff.

She played a principal role in the governor’s efforts to reform the state’s educational system. Along with Governor Winter and his senior aides, the first lady led a statewide grassroots campaign to win the support of the public. She made hundreds of speeches, visited scores of classrooms, and explained the governor’s plans to thousands of people who attended nine forums held across the state. Though soft spoken and gentle, she would directly engage confrontational individuals when necessary to refute mistaken ideas.

In a special session, the Legislature overwhelmingly passed the historic 1984 Educational Reform Act, ensuring the state a system of kindergartens, compulsory attendance laws, and other improvements. Winter always said that no one worked harder for this achievement or experienced more joy in its passage than his wife.

To showcase the state’s cultural achievements, Mrs. Winter coordinated an ambitious series of events, co-hosting with the governor many accomplished Mississippians for dinner and conversations at the Governor’s Mansion. These occasions featured artists, writers, and business and political leaders, including such luminaries as Eudora Welty, Leontyne Price, Walker Percy, Shelby Foote, Margaret Walker Alexander, and Willie Morris.

In addition to excelling as the governor’s hostess-wife, she was a conscientious steward of the Governor’s Mansion, designated as a national historic landmark. She collaborated with state officials and specialists to develop its collection of antique furnishings and decorative arts. Under her supervision, Friends of the Mansion was organized, and supporters contributed generously to acquire historic artifacts for the Mansion.

Mrs. Winter took special interest in the state penitentiary inmates assigned to the Governor’s Mansion on a work release program. She was committed to teaching them skills they could use later and equally dedicated to helping them find jobs upon their release. One former inmate presented her a one-dollar bill from his first paycheck in gratitude for her confidence in him. She kept his bill always as a reminder of “the lessons about acceptance and compassion he and the other inmates taught me.” She recommended another inmate, Edgar Glover, for a position at St. Andrews Cathedral, where he subsequently worked for thirty years, beloved by the parishioners.

Her compassion for the workers at the Mansion extended to the prisoners at the state penitentiary at Parchman. She felt compelled to understand this world that was so far outside her experience but so important to the governor’s task as governor. She often left the comfort of the elegant governor’s residence to spend the day visiting the Parchman grounds and speaking with inmates and corrections officials. She advocated effectively for increased prison funding, better living conditions, and greater opportunities for inmates’ rehabilitation.

Left behind are several material results of her work. Her concern for incarcerated women in the overwhelmingly male prison led to the creation of a separate women’s prison in Pearl, Mississippi. She was responsible for getting a visitors center built for Parchman inmates’ families — finding the financing, planning, and working closely with the prison staff to have prisoners carry out the actual construction. These facilities, now expanded, are in use today,

Ever resourceful, she was equally interested in the rehabilitation of prisoners. Over the considerable doubts of prison officials, she succeeded in developing a vegetable garden, which provided work, training, and fresh food for the inmates year-round. She instigated the building of a greenhouse to grow bedding plants that could beautify the prison and the state building grounds in Jackson, while teaching inmates in a useful skill. The Parchman garden, known now as the farming unit, still grows, and the greenhouse is a mainstay of the prison’s current rehabilitation program in horticulture.

Like the governor, Mrs. Winter brought to her position a deep appreciation for history. As first lady, she kept a journal of her daily activities and reflections, intending the information only as a historical record. She was eventually persuaded to publish it in 2015. Her book, “Once in a Lifetime: Reflections of a Mississippi First Lady,” reveals the extraordinary volume and range of her own activities and puts a human face on her husband’s work. Her story is grounded in devotion to her husband, love of family, and an abiding faith.

After leaving government service, Elise Winter became an essential driving force in the mission of Habitat for Humanity in the metro-Jackson area — as a founder, major fundraiser, life member of the board, and hands-on volunteer. She also served on the Habitat International Board. In 2012, the Jackson Habitat chapter awarded her its first Founder’s Award in appreciation for 25 years of service. “Habitat excites and inspires me in a way nothing else does,” she has said. “To see people whose need is so great and to know that there’s something you can do to help them — it touches your heart.”

Elise Winter was born May 9, 1926, to Mamie and William Elliot (John) Varner in Senatobia, Mississippi. Her father was the town pharmacist and longtime mayor of Senatobia, and her mother was his bookkeeper and the strong guiding hand of Elise and her older siblings, Virginia and Joel. They lived with her maternal grandparents — three generations in a big, old house at the end of Main Street in Senatobia. After high school she attended Northwest Junior College in her home town and lived at home, transferring to Ole Miss as a junior.

At Ole Miss her brother introduced her to his roommate, William Winter from Grenada, a friendly young veteran of World War II and law student. She completed a bachelor’s degree in history, and at her mother’s insistence earned a teacher’s certificate. As she began working toward a master’s degree, William won his first term in the state legislature.

They were married in 1950 and enjoyed an exciting first year of married life in Washington, D.C., where William worked in Mississippi Sen. John Stennis’ office. The following year, the couple returned to Mississippi and never left. William resumed his political career, and they built a family. Elise took the lead in bringing up their three daughters. In her later years, Mrs. Winter was frequently seen in her Jackson neighborhood taking brisk walks with her beloved schnauzer, Charlie Brown.

Mrs. Winter’s death follows that of her husband by less than a year. She is survived by three daughters Anne Winter, Lele Gillespie and Eleanor Winter; five grandchildren, Dr. Winter Williams, Dr. Zach Williams, Ty Gillespie, Caroline Gillespie, and Grace Gillespie; and five great-grandchildren.

Words Mrs. Winter wrote in tribute to a deceased former Governor’s Mansion inmate worker speak poignantly about her character as well: “[His service] made me realize again that social standing or economic status or sectarian creed or race does not make any difference in the sight of God — that we are his children and we must continue our miraculous journey together, learning to love one another as we go forward.”

Memorial contributions may be made to Habitat for Humanity, Mississippi Capital Area, 615 Stonewall, Jackson, MS 39213.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date once the dangers of COVID-19 have abated and it is safe to gather for a service. Condolences to the Winter family may be mailed to P.O. Box 427, Jackson, MS 39205.

The post Elise Varner Winter, former first lady and community activist, dies at 95 appeared first on Mississippi Today.

On May 14, the Mississippi Supreme Court overturned Initiative 65 and ruled that the state’s ballot initiative process is “unworkable and inoperative.” This left six ballot initiatives, including Initiative 65, void. The decision outraged many Mississippians, and even inspired them to protest soon after the Supreme Court’s decision.

This is MT Speaks, Mississippi Today’s new video series that connects our reporting with the experiences of Mississippians from across the state. In this episode, Mississippi Today’s healthcare and breaking news reporter Will Stribling talks to three Mississippians about their reactions to the Supreme Court ruling that struck down Initiative 65. Mississippi Today’s senior political reporter Geoff Pender also offers insight about how we got here.

For the next episode of MT Speaks, we want to hear from creative Mississippians. Learn more about how you can participate here.

Want more MT Speaks? Enter your email address and we’ll send you a message when a new episode goes live.

The post MT Speaks Episode Two: Mississippians react to losing Initiative 65 appeared first on Mississippi Today.

A federal grand jury entered a new indictment in the case of Nancy and Zach New on Tuesday, doubling the amount that the mother-son owners of a Mississippi private school district are accused of stealing from federal education funds.

The indictment, released on Thursday, replaces an earlier one from March. 

The new indictment included four new counts of aggravated identity theft and increased the amount of “fraudulently obtained” funds to $4 million from $2 million in the previous indictment. If convicted of all charges, the News could each face up to 218 years in prison and $5 million in fines.

The News are accused of filing fraudulent claims with the Mississippi Department of Education for special education scholarships and reimbursements on behalf of students who no longer or had never attended their schools, teachers who no longer worked at their schools, or claiming that teachers had higher certifications than they did.

The new indictment also specifically names North New Summit in Greenwood and South New Summit in Hattiesburg as facilities that the News were submitting fraudulent reimbursement claims on behalf of. It also alleges that claims were submitted for three years falsely showing that Nancy New was working full-time as a teacher at New Summit School, resulting in a salary reimbursement of $67,000 for each of those years.

All of the original charges were also included in this new indictment. Those charges were conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, money transactions with unlawfully acquired funds, and five additional counts of aggravated identity theft.

The Mississippi Department of Education was contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication. 

As the new charges have been announced, teachers at several New Summit schools have been laid off as the schools do not have the money to make payroll, a signal that they will likely close permanently.  

The New Learning Resources School District focused on providing specialized services for students with behavioral or learning disabilities. As a private school group with public accreditation from the Mississippi Department of Education, schools in the district are funded through a combination of tuition payments and Education Scholarship Accounts, a voucher that allows public school dollars to follow special needs students to private schools.

Both teachers and parents interviewed by Mississippi Today say that New Summit School has been an invaluable resource to the students with learning disabilities enrolled there. The federal and state charges have created uncertainty and anxiety for the parents of current students, leading to a group of parents working to have New Summit School transferred into a custodianship so that it could remain operational. At this time, it is unclear if they will succeed in keeping the school open.

Nancy and Zach New have not been arraigned for these new charges, but they both pleaded not guilty to the previous indictment in March. 

The post Feds add charges for Nancy and Zach New in alleged education fraud scheme appeared first on Mississippi Today.

When the history of the COVID-19 pandemic is written, one of the darkest chapters (outside of the 600,000+ deaths) will be the politicization of public health efforts. The results of that have led to public health officials, usually underpaid and overworked, to received threats and social media scorn. Mississippi’s public health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, hasn’t allowed any of that scorn to slow him down. Uniquely qualified to be in charge during a coronavirus-driven pandemic, he just continues to continue to put out scientifically based information to inform the public. Like a meteorologist who interrupts a ballgame with a tornado warning, he just continues to keep us informed — critics be darned.

The post Marshall Ramsey: Storm Warning appeared first on Mississippi Today.

As infections continue to increase and in some cases hospitalize children, Mississippi schools are grappling with what COVID-19 restrictions, if any, should be made for the upcoming school year.

State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs recently expressed his concerns about a “surge of cases in kids” as a result of the spread of the Delta variant. This week seven minors were hospitalized after becoming infected with the variant, and the state on Wednesday saw its highest single-day caseload since March.

Gov. Tate Reeves has signaled he will not be issuing any mandates around masks or other COVID-19 protocols in schools, so Mississippi districts are left to grapple with what restrictions to put in place in a state where only 31% of the population is vaccinated. Of that, just 6% of children ages 12-15 and 12% of kids ages 16-17 are fully vaccinated, according to the Mississippi Department of Health.

At the same time, the Mississippi State Board of Education on Thursday passed a policy stating schools must return to in-person learning as the primary mode of learning in the 2021-2022 school year. The board also approved policies outlining how the district can offer school- or district-wide virtual instruction during a COVID-19 outbreak, weather event or other situation, and outlined requirements for students who are learning virtually due to a medical condition or other reason.

This is a stark difference from last summer, when there was speculation about whether the governor would delay the start of the school year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In August 2020, days before the school year was slated to start in many public school districts, Reeves issued an executive order that mandated masks be worn in schools and allowed most to reopen as planned except in eight counties deemed COVID hot spots.

The Mississippi Department of Health required districts to report COVID infection data to the state on a weekly basis during the school year, and though not every district complied each week, the last report showed at least 6,083 students, teachers and staff contracted the virus in 2021. In any given week during the school year, thousands of students and teachers were forced to quarantine because of exposure to the virus.

Reader survey: COVID-19 vaccines and schools

This year there are no delayed start dates or mask mandate, and recent guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control urge schools to fully reopen. The CDC also recommends that unvaccinated individuals and children under 12 should continue wearing masks. Schools should also try to make sure people stay at least three feet apart when possible, the guidelines say.

Jim Keith, a school board attorney for more than 20 Mississippi school districts, said he is hearing from most superintendents that they will not be requiring masks for students and teachers but instead recommending them for unvaccinated individuals. He said he is also hearing debate about requiring students who participate in extracurricular activities to be vaccinated.

Keith said schools are feeling the pressure from parents.

“We’ve already got parents coming to board meetings on one end saying ‘You better not require masks,’ and others saying, ‘If you don’t require masks and you’ve got an unvaccinated employee that exposes my child, I’m going to be really upset,’” said Keith.

Erica Jones, the president of the Mississippi Association of Educators, said while teachers are excited to be returning to school buildings in the fall, some are still apprehensive about the lack of a mask mandate given recent news.

“Educators and students deserve to teach and learn in a safe setting without fearing for their health or the health of their families,” Jones said in a statement. “It is our hope that district and state leaders will take these fears into account, heed the warnings of medical professionals about the more dangerous and easily transmissible Delta variant, and prioritize the safety of students and educators.”

In the Gulfport School District, masks are currently “encouraged but not required.” Superintendent Glen East emphasized that it is an evolving situation and they continue to work with medical professionals in the district on masks and vaccines. The district is also offering vaccines to students at an event this Friday.

“You have to be concerned (about the Delta variant),” East said. “But my bigger fear is that there seems to be a wave of indifference across the country, where folks are waiting longer to make decisions than March a year ago. That little bit of indifference seems to be slowing us down.”

However, East elaborated, “We’re making decisions slower than when all this started, but maybe with a little more wisdom as well.”

Some schools, like those in the capital city, will require masks, according to the Jackson Public School District’s “Return to Learn” plan. It also highlights other measures like providing opportunities for faculty and staff to be vaccinated, increased hand washing and isolation rooms for sick children waiting to leave school.

JPS Superintendent Errick Greene also wrote a letter to the district in June stating administrators have created a dashboard to track COVID-19 cases in the schools.

In Laurel School District, Superintendent Toy Watts said she is “leaning toward” a mask requirement for the fall.

Watts said it’s “very clear” masks work in preventing the spread of COVID-19. A recent study by ABC Science Collaborative, in conjunction with Duke University, showed mask-wearing reduced the transmission of COVID-19 in North Carolina Schools.

“We know how important it is to keep kids in front of their teachers,” she said. “We’re going to make sure we take measures to keep children and teachers in the building.”

Clinton, Madison and DeSoto County School Districts have all issued guidelines making masks optional.

“The superintendent may require masks for all faculty, staff and students if local health data dictates a need to do so,” Clinton’s guidelines state.

State epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said last week the Department of Health will be issuing “Mississippi-specific” components of the new CDC guidance for schools, but it is unclear when.

Byers made a presentation to superintendents at their annual conference on the Gulf Coast this week about how to handle masks, testing and all things COVID-19 in the 2021-22 school year.

Byers highlighted important practices for districts to use in the fall to keep schools safe: mask wearing for unvaccinated people; screening testing when someone has been exposed to COVID-19; proper ventilation; hand washing and respiratory etiquette; staying home while sick and getting tested; contact tracing in combination with quarantine and isolation; and finally, cleaning and disinfection.

He also told school officials that fully vaccinated students and staff are not required to quarantine or be tested after coming in contact with an infected person.

But for those who are unvaccinated and are exposed to a positive individual, the unvaccinated person can stay in school if he or she submits to testing every two days for a seven-day period and does not develop any symptoms.

He also said schools should encourage students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated, as “vaccination is currently the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic” and is “one of the most critical strategies to help schools safely reopen full operations,” his presentation stated.

The post Without statewide orders, Mississippi schools to set their own COVID policies as cases surge appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Mississippi casinos posted their highest ever combined gross gaming revenue for June, as they continue to consistently beat their pre-pandemic records.

The state’s casinos reported about $2.47 million in gross gaming revenue in June, just ahead of last month’s total, according to the state Gaming Commission. 

The casinos have reported a 23% increase in gross revenue so far this year compared to the same period in 2019. 

Mississippi casinos reported $1.8 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2020, which included the roughly two months they were forced to shut down. In 2019, when the casinos operated as normal, that figure was $2.2 billion.

Mississippi casinos, with the Gulf Coast leading the surge, are on pace to have the highest gross gaming revenue this year since they began operating in the 1990s. 

Gross gaming revenue — the amount of money players wager minus what they win — is similar to traditional businesses’ sales figures. The gaming revenue numbers do not account for the cost of doing business, which have also been rising.

Casinos and resorts have been struggling to attract workers, with some raising wages to fill jobs from housekeepers to table game dealers. At the same time, the costs of some food and beverage items have increased due to the pandemic’s supply chain disruptions. 

Local tourism leaders and casino operators have attributed the growth in gross gaming revenue to an increase in visitors to the Gulf Coast. Casino also reopened and advertised their COVID-19 safety measures sooner than movie theaters and other entertainment venues.

READ MORE: Mississippi casinos are setting revenue records, outpacing pre-COVID numbers

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