In this April 25, 2020 photograph, a small Mississippi state flag is held by a participant during a drive-by “re-open Mississippi” protest past the Governor’s Mansion, in the background, in Jackson, Miss. This current flag has in the canton portion of the banner the design of the Civil War-era Confederate battle flag, that has been the center of a long-simmering debate about its removal or replacement.
The powerful Mississippi Baptist Convention on Tuesday called for state leaders to change the Mississippi flag, with its Confederate battle emblem in one corner.
“It has become apparent that the discussion about changing the flag of Mississippi is not merely a political issue,” Baptist leaders said in a statement. “… The racial overtones of the flag’s appearance make this discussion a moral issue. Since the principal teachings of Scripture are opposed to racism, a stand against such is a matter of biblical morality.”
The convention includes about 2,100 churches in Mississippi, and Baptists are the largest denomination in the state, with over 500,000 members. Leaders said their stance on the flag doesn’t represent every member church, but they believe it represents a majority and asked for “Mississippi Baptists to make this a matter of prayer and to seek the Lord’s guidance in standing for love instead of oppression, unity instead of division, and the gospel of Christ instead of the power of this world.”
The convention’s statement said: “Given the moral and spiritual nature of this issue, Mississippi Baptist leaders offer prayers for our state officials to have wisdom, courage and compassion to move forward. We encourage our governor and state Legislature to take the necessary steps to adopt a new flag for the state of Mississippi that represents the dignity of every Mississippian and promotes unity rather than division.”
Under growing pressure to change the flag after decades of bitter debate, Mississippi legislative leaders say they are discussing the issue, but lack votes to change it as their regular session draws to a close.
Mississippi business, church and community leaders have called for a change, and the state faces intensified national scrutiny amid calls for removal of relics of slavery and the Confederacy.
On Monday, Mississippi State’s star running back Kylin Hill tweeted that he would not play football until the flag changed.
The Mississippi Economic Council, the state’s chamber of commerce, has long called for new state flag. In a statement last week, MEC said the current flag “Is offensive to many, not representative of all Mississippians and perpetuates negative stereotypes of our state.”
“MEC feels strongly that adoption of a new flag is a timely and high profile action that would improve Mississippi’s image, advance a new narrative about our state, and set the stage to enhance economic opportunities and improve quality of life in a fair and inclusive manner for every Mississippian.”
Sons of Confederate Veterans and other groups parade on the grounds of the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss., Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016, in support of keeping the Confederate battle emblem on the state flag. The public display of Confederate symbols has come under increased scrutiny since June, when nine black worshippers were massacred at a church in South Carolina. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Legislative leaders believe they still do not have the necessary votes to change the state flag, which features the Confederate battle emblem, after multiple closed-door meetings held Monday in efforts to develop a politically palatable and feasible way to address the issue.
The biggest hurdle leaders face is that any change to the flag or putting it on a ballot this late in the legislative session would require a two-thirds vote of the both the 122-member House and 52-member Senate to suspend its rules.
Late Monday afternoon, House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann met for almost an hour in the lieutenant governor’s office where various issues, including the flag, were addressed related to trying to end the session by Friday as planned.
“I have been for changing it. I am still trying to find a path to make that happen,” Gunn said at the conclusion of his meeting with Hosemann.
Lawmakers in both chambers and in both parties on Monday backed away from the notion of adopting a second official state flag.
“I don’t think the two-flag solution is a viable option,” Gunn said on Monday.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves in a statement Monday also panned the two-flag proposal as the “Separate but Equal flag option” and said: “I don’t think it’s a viable alternative.” Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on Monday said: “We’re discussing a lot of options and getting a feel for the members of the Senate.”
Before and after Monday’s meeting with Gunn, Hosemann met with multiple Senate Democrats – most of whom have publicly opposed both a referendum to change the flag and the two-flag solution. They believe the banner should be changed by a vote of the Legislature.
“Are we going to pass a bond bill or a teacher pay raise by a referendum?” asked Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville. “We didn’t ask the people to vote on those issues.”
Sen. Angela Turner Ford, D-West Point, chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, said the Legislature has changed the state seal without asking for a vote of the people. She said the issue of the flag should not be any different.
The Legislative Black Caucus and the 45-member House Democratic Caucus said they oppose any plan to have two separate state flags. They also oppose putting the issue on a ballot, saying it’s the Legislature’s job to change the flag, and want a straight legislative vote on changing it.
But Reeves, who has not clearly said whether he supports changing the flag, on Monday reiterated his stance that the only way it should be changed is by popular vote. Overriding a gubernatorial veto of any legislative change also would require a two-thirds vote that appears nonexistent.
Still, as Mississippi again suffers under the glare of the national spotlight for having a symbol tied to white supremacy in the canon of its official banner, more in the state’s white, Republican leadership are supporting change.
“Our state is at a point in its history that there is no choice but to retire its current state flag,” Republican Rep. Nick Bain of Corinth, a House Judiciary chairman, said Monday. As late as last week, Bain had been “a no comment” on the combustible issue.
“The impending economic, social and cultural pressures are going to create a storm that this state cannot weather,” Bain said. “Therefore, it is imperative that our legislature begins to consider options on how we replace the flag. This is an emotional issue and the politically easy vote for me is to keep the flag. However, there comes a time when every generation must make a change for the better.”
Bain continued: “It is now time, and I am convicted that changing the flag makes Alcorn County and Mississippi better. Whenever my time in public service is complete, I want my children to look back and be proud of what I’ve done. A vote to keep the flag does not accomplish this goal.”
On Monday, Mississippi State’s star running back Kylin Hill tweeted that he would not play football until the flag changed.
Late last week, Rep. Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, said: “A flag’s sole purpose is to unite a people around a common cause. Reality has proven clear that the Mississippi flag no longer unites, but divides us unnecessarily. I will not sit by idly while our college athletes lose their hard-earned right to compete in post season play before our home state fans over a banner that no longer accomplishes its sole mission to unify our people. I will stand up for our student athletes. It is time to change the flag. It is the right thing to do.”
But, of course, not all legislators agree with Lamar and Bain.
Rep. Ken Morgan, R-Morgantown, recently said, he believes the flag “should stay like it is.”
“I had two great, great granddaddies who fought under that flag,” Morgan said.
The House Democratic Caucus on Monday issued a statement against having two flags or a referendum vote. It said House Democrats are “prepared to vote against any measure short of taking an up or down vote for change.”
“Mississippi House Democrats for years have consistently urged the Mississippi Legislature to do its job and make tough decisions in the best interest of the people of this state,” the statement said. “The decision to remove the Confederate battle emblem from our state flag is one of those decisions. It is our decision to make, and the time to make it is now.”
But Sen. Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, said he believes most state senators “clearly” do not believe the flag should be changed without a referendum.
“A lot of people think there should be a vote like we had in 2001,” Fillingane said. “That seems to be what most senators believe.”
To help news organizations better serve their communities with quality news and information, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today announced the first 24 recipients of support from its $2 million, three-year technology initiative to strengthen digital publishing solutions in newsrooms.
After a competitive application process, Mississippi Today was named to the first cohort of 24 newsrooms to receive $20,000 in grants for publishing tools that will improve distribution, community engagement and revenue opportunities, such as digital subscriptions and membership.
“Now, more than ever, it’s critical for newsrooms and publishers to adopt digital solutions that meet audiences where they are and provide new revenue opportunities,” said Paul Cheung, Knight Foundation director for journalism and technology innovation. “These outstanding news organizations now have the opportunity to leverage technology to maximize their revenue and better serve their communities.”
To become sustainable and build trust in the communities they serve, news organizations need the tools to engage in the urgent discussions about race and equity with their users and deliver real-time updates on the coronavirus pandemic. Knight funding will help news organizations achieve these goals with the publishing tools that prioritize and enhance audience development, business development and editorial content production.
“Readers are at the core of everything we do,” said Mary Margaret White, Mississippi Today CEO. “I’m proud to see the work of our audience team recognized by the Knight Foundation, as these funds will directly support enhancing reader experience and further amplify the voices of everyday Mississippians in our reporting. Grants like this from the Knight Foundation truly gives us the tools we need to diversify revenue while allowing us to keep our site free for all Mississippians.”
The 24 newsrooms were selected from an applicant pool of 140 news organizations. Led by News Revenue Hub, a panel of industry experts evaluated each application on a basis of application strength, grant utilization, and industry impact.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. They invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Their goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which they believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit kf.org.
About Mississippi Today
Mississippi Today is a nonprofit news and media company with a forward-facing mission of civic engagement and public dialog through service journalism, live events and digital outreach. Our newsroom is dedicated to providing Mississippians with reporting that inspires active interest in their state and equips them to engage in community life.
The state is seeing the nation’s second highest rate of current hospitalizations per Covid-19 case, in addition to being tied for the second highest per capita hospitalization rate. The two metrics point to an increasing strain on the hospital system.
Mississippi currently has the second highest COVID-19 hospitalization rate in the U.S., as the state enters its fifth day without releasing new case counts or data trends.
Hospitalization data has been the only new data released since June 19, when the Mississippi Department of Health issued new case numbers for June 17 and released a statement apologizing for data delays saying that “the agency is working to address legacy software issues impacting its ability create detailed reports.” Though technical problems have lately delayed daily reports, only once before now – June 11 – has the agency completely forgone daily numbers.
As of Friday, Mississippi saw its peak hospitalization of confirmed COVID-19 cases at 516. Confirmed and suspected cases – both require hospital resources for isolation, bed space devoted to coronavirus care and health care worker protective equipment – accounted for 689 hospitalized patients.
Total hospitalized patients, confirmed and suspected cases, jumped to 710 – tied with June 11 for the most ever – Monday morning after dipping to 662 on Saturday, according to the health department’s limited data released. The state’s overall hospitalization rate stands at 239 per million residents with 3 percent of state COVID cases currently hospitalized – both second highest in the U.S., according to national data from The COVID Tracking Project.
Early on in the pandemic, Mississippi saw the highest cumulative rate of hospitalizations per positive case – when more than 30 percent of all COVID cases had been hospitalized – but has since successfully brought that rate down to about 15 percent. But now, the state is seeing the nation’s second highest rate of current hospitalizations per case, in addition to being tied for the second highest per capita rate. The two rates are different metrics, but both point to the same problem – an increasing strain on the hospital system, as echoed by the state’s top health official.
State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs on Thursday said that the state was seeing “significant stress” on the health care system after warning about growing hospital pressure for weeks, particularly in central Mississippi. “It’s very possible that someone is going to have a heart attack and they’re going to show up at the hospital and there’s not going to be a ventilator,” he said, reiterating that ongoing community spread, and the hospitalizations that spawn from it, are due to lack of adherence to social distancing guidelines and suggestions to wear masks.
Though previously telling reporters that he will get more compliance by encouraging rather than requiring masks, Gov. Tate Reeves said last week that he would not take more community mask mandates off the table.
Looking at the current total COVID-19 hospitalizations per capita, Mississippi falls behind only Arizona, which has reported new case surges this month, and is tied with Washington D.C. Using current hospitalizations with confirmed cases alone, Mississippi ranks third most in the nation for per capita hospitalizations.
Using another metric – current hospitalization rate per COVID-19 case, essentially the percent of all COVID-19 patients currently hospitalized – Mississippi ranks second overall, behind only Arizona, based on confirmed and suspected hospitalization cases. Using confirmed alone, Mississippi ranks ninth currently. This data cannot be analyzed based on current active or recent cases, because that data has not been released by the state.
Historically though, since the early hospitalization rate spike in April, Mississippi has had relatively flat hospital use until this month, to the point where both Gov. Reeves and Dobbs said that the state had successfully “flattened the curve,” meaning reduced the number of cases enough to not overwhelm the hospital system. But since Memorial Day, new cases, both daily and as a rolling average, have reversed previous flat or downward trends with new peaks and upward trends despite average tests trending down, and hospitalizations have followed along.
Health care workers, including Dr. Alan Jones who heads the emergency department at University of Mississippi Medical Center, expressed worry during re-opening plans about a resurgence in cases and hospitalizations.
Despite the recent influx of hospitalizations, COVID intensive care units and ventilator-use have remained relatively stable, but have increased for non-COVID patients in recent weeks as average hospital use, trauma care and surgeries return to normal, resulting in overall low availability, according to Dobbs. As of Sunday, national trackers show the state’s ICU availability in the low range, at 29 percent, tied for eighth lowest in the U.S.
Without new case totals, Mississippi Today used the most recent average new cases, 319 per day, to estimate total cases at 21,917. Even without adding these and leaving the last known total, 20,641 as of June 18, both hospitalization rate metrics rank in the top three in the nation. At last count, Mississippi estimated 79 percent of all COVID-19 cases in the state had recovered.
Editor’s note: Five minutes after this story posted Monday, MSDH updated new case information for the last five days of missing data, totaling 1,646 new cases for “Five days of combined COVID-19 positive tests results reported to MSDH as of 6 p.m. yesterday.” This averages 329 new cases per day, but exact case counts for each missing day have not been provided. Check our data page for more updates.
The 2019 Conference USA Tournament brough $2.1 million to the Gulf Coast.
Mississippi has hosted the last six Conference USA Baseball Tournaments and 11 of the league’s tournaments since 1996. But the Magnolia State will not host another unless the state flag, which displays the Confederate battle flag, is changed.
Conference USA Monday followed suit with the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA, announcing that no C-USA championship event will be held in Mississippi until there is a change. That would include the C-USA football championship game should the Southern Miss Golden Eagles qualify to host it.
Nine of the last 10 Conference USA baseball tournaments have been held in Mississippi, four at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, three at MGM Park in Biloxi and two at Trustmark Park in Pearl. The 2020 tournament, canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was to have been held at MGM Park.
The 2022 C-USA baseball tournament had been scheduled for Pete Taylor Park, but the league will find another site if Mississippi does not change its state flag.
An economic impact study of the 2019 C-USA Tournament found that the event generated $2.1 million for the Gulf Coast, with more than 10,000 visitors staying an average of 3.5 days.
Jeremy McClain
Southern Miss athletic director Jeremy McClain said he was not surprised by the league’s decision. Nonetheless, McClain said he was disappointed “any time when there is a situation where your student-athletes are penalized for something that is beyond their control.”
McClain took it a step further. “I am totally supportive of the NCAA and our conference,” he said. “This flag issue is much bigger than our hosting any kind of post-season sports event and even bigger than the economic impact of losing these events. There’s a bigger picture here. We need to change this flag in Mississippi.”
The 2021 Conference USA Tournament is slated for Ruston, La., and Louisiana Tech’s new baseball stadium currently under construction. Lane Burroughs, the highly successful Louisiana Tech coach, is a Collinsville native with strong Mississippi ties. Burroughs is a Mississippi College graduate who coached at both Southern Miss and Mississippi State before taking the Tech job.
Burroughs said he was not surprised by Monday’s C-USA news, but he was disappointed for his home state.
“It’s so very unfortunate,” Burroughs said. “My blood runs deep in Mississippi. College baseball is so strong in Mississippi. You just hate to see schools like Southern Miss, State, Ole Miss, Delta State and my alma mater, Mississippi College, lose chances to host post-season tournaments in a state that is so crazy about college baseball.
“That said, I’m on board with the decision. It’s time for Mississippi to change not only the flag, but what’s in our hearts.”
Temperatures Tuesday morning will be in the low to mid 70s. Expect another hot day with a high near 86 before showers and scattered thunderstorms return this afternoon/evening. Some of these storms may be strong. Gusty winds will be the main risk. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Oxford-University Stadium has often hosted NCAA Regionals. That may be in the past.
Mike Bianco, the winningest active coach in the three major sports in the SEC, is a transplanted Mississippian. Born in New Hampshire and schooled in Florida and Louisiana, Bianco moved to Oxford and Ole Miss 20 years and 671 Ole Miss baseball victories ago.
He and his wife Camie have raised their five children in Mississippi. It is home. Bianco, recently named National College Baseball Coach of the Year for the abbreviated 2020 season, just signed a new contract that would keep him at Ole Miss through 2024.
Bianco would much prefer to be here under a new state flag.
Mike Bianco
“This is bigger than baseball, bigger than hosting NCAA regionals,” Bianco said in a phone conversation Saturday. “The old flag needs to go. We need a change.”
Bianco, as many Mississippi coaches and athletic directors, issued a statement: “Now is the time for the state of Mississippi to come together and make a change. Our university hasn’t flown the state flag for several years on our campus, and it would be unfortunate for our players to earn the right to play at home in the postseason and to have that taken away because of an issue that is out of their control.”
Rick Cleveland
Bianco is right. The flag issue is far bigger than baseball, affecting the way outsiders view Mississippians and how we feel about ourselves. The old flag, with the Confederate battle flag prominently displayed, negatively affects Mississippi economically and otherwise. Indeed, the old flag is so shameful that the state’s universities and many of its largest cities won’t even fly it.
For one of the first times in the state’s history, lawmakers are debating whether to change the flag as protests about racial equity continue. The leaders are considering several options before they leave Jackson for the year on Friday.
While it is hard to measure how much – and all the ways – the archaic banner negatively affects the state, it is no longer difficult to measure how will hurt college baseball in Mississippi.
The NCAA ruled on Friday it would ban all postseason college athletic events from being hosted in Mississippi until the current state flag is removed. And NCAA postseason regionals have become a way of life in the Magnolia State, where Mississippi State has hosted 14 NCAA regionals, Ole Miss has hosted nine. Southern Miss, Delta State and Millsaps also have hosted NCAA baseball regionals in the past.
College baseball is huge in Mississippi. Ole Miss, State and Southern Miss all rank among the nation’s baseball attendance leaders. Delta State traditionally is one of the nation’s NCAA Division II powerhouse programs.
Chris Lemonis
Mississippi State baseball coach Chris Lemonis also issued a statement: “Our focus as educators, community leaders, husbands and fathers is always to provide perspective. As coaches, we must see all sides of an issue or outcome to help our student-athletes make informed decisions. The rulings by the SEC and the NCAA affect our kids and community greatly but we understand their intent. My job as a head coach is to unite our players in a common goal, and a chant to our state flat is needed to unite Mississippi.”
Baseball is by no means the only sport affected. Hosting NCAA women’s basketball regionals to sold-out crowds has become an annual happening at Mississippi State. But unless there is change to the flag, State’s Bulldogs will have to go on the road to advance in the NCAA Tournament.
Old Dominion athletics
Nikki McCray-Penson’s Bulldogs will not be hosting any NCAA Regionals unless the Mississippi flag changes.
Nikki McCray-Pinson, the new State women’s basketball coach, issued her own statement, which said in part: “There is no place in our society for symbols of hatred discrimination, and oppression. As a black woman coaching at one of the most diverse universities in the SEC, I look forward to seeing change that unites us and accurately represents our great community. I understand our student-athletes and fans may be affected by the NCAA’s decision, but ultimately, this marks an important step toward inclusivity and an end to racial injustice.”
Southern Miss football could also be affected. In Conference USA, the league football championship game is played on campus sites. C-USA commissioner Judy MacLeod said last week the league is reviewing its championship hosting policies that would preclude a championship to be held in Mississippi as long as the state has its current flag. That would also mean the C-USA baseball tournament, which has been held in Mississippi eight of the nine past years and is scheduled to return to Hattiesburg in 2022, would be played elsewhere.
The NCAA ban could also affect Mississippi teams in another manner: recruiting. Ole Miss and Mississippi State often battle the likes of baseball powers LSU, Vanderbilt, Louisville and others for some of the nation’s top high school baseball recruits. Those schools use any and all selling points to win recruiting battles. If the Mississippi schools are put at a competitive disadvantage of not being able to host NCAA events, they’ll use that, as well.
“It’s hard to say what kind of effect it would have on recruiting,” said Bianco, who said no recruit has mentioned the NCAA ban as yet.
Eric J. SheltonEric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America
A fairgoer holds a Mississippi State flag during the Neshoba County Fair Wednesday, July 31, 2019.
As lawmakers consider whether to change the state flag, which features the Confederate battle emblem, dozens of cities and counties, universities and colleges, businesses and powerful associations have either stopped flying the flag or asked leaders to change it.
Lawmakers in both the Senate and House have engaged in conversations about changing the state flag the past two weeks as protests about racial equality have continued across the state and nation. Tens of thousands of protesters in Mississippi have focused their demands around the state flag.
Below is a running list of those entities that have either removed the flag or asked lawmakers to change the flag. We need your help updating the list. If you see an entity we’re missing, please send an email to adam@mississippitoday.org or kayleigh@mississippitoday.org.
Cities
Bay St. Louis
Biloxi
Clarksdale
Cleveland
Clinton
Columbus
Gautier
Greenwood
Greenville
Grenada
Gulfport
Hattiesburg
Jackson
Macon
Magnolia
Marks
McComb
Moss Point
Oxford
Pascagoula
Pass Christian
Starkville
Vicksburg
Waveland
West Point
Yazoo City
Colleges/Universities
Alcorn State University
Delta State University
Jackson State University
Millsaps College
Mississippi College
Mississippi State University
Mississippi University for Women
Mississippi Valley State University
Rust College
Tougaloo College
University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi Medical Center
University of Southern Mississippi
William Carey University
Counties
Adams
Hinds
Leflore
Oktibbeha
Washington
Businesses
4th Avenue Lounge
ACE Cheer Company of Jackson
Arco Avenue / Row 10
Barnard Equipment Company
Beard + Riser Architects PLLC
BeautyCounter with Ashley Dukes
Beckham Custom Jewelry Co.
Bragg Specialty Contractors
Carbon Office
Carson Law Group, PLLC
Clapton Realty Company
Clarke Veneers and Plywood
Claude Julian’s Clothing Company
Coastal Tile, LLC
Conscious Healing Therapies, LLC
Cotton District Cookies
Creative Distillery
Crooked Letter Picture Company
CSpire
Custom Travel Professionals, LLC
d + p Design Build, LLC
Davis Purdy Architects, PLLC / Threefoot Brewing Company, LLC
Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today/ Report for America
Voters cast their votes at Jackson Fire Station #22 during the midterm elections Tuesday, November 6, 2018.
In the coming days, the Legislature most likely will take up bills to restore the right to vote to felons – one felon at a time.
It is a strange process – a holdover from the 1890s’ racially charged Mississippi Constitution – that gives the Legislature the authority to restore voting rights. But it is done on a case-by-case basis. It takes a bill for each person whose rights are restored.
Often the felons getting their rights restored are those who have some type of political connection or the wherewithal to navigate the maze that is the legislative process.
Bobby Harrison
For instance, in 2019 the Legislature restored voting rights to Patrick Joseph Fick of Harrison County, who was convicted of crimes almost 30 years ago. Fortunately, Fick’s friend was a relative of state Rep. Richard Bennett, R-Long Beach, who agreed to file the bill restoring his rights. If Fick did not have connections to Bennett, he said in a 2019 interview he would not have known about the legislative process to restore voting rights.
Late last week House Judiciary B passed eight bills out of committee to restore the right to vote to felons who have paid their societal debt.
“Hopefully we can get them (bills restoring voting rights) all the way through the process,” said Judiciary B Chair Nick Bain, R-Corinth.
In the coming days, it is likely that Senate Judiciary B Chair Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, also will be working on suffrage bills.
The Legislature has averaged passing 7.4 suffrage bills per year since 2000 with a high of 34 in 2004. In three years since 2000, legislators did not pass any. They passed 16 last year – the second most since 2000.
There are currently two efforts – one by the Mississippi Center for Justice and another by the Southern Poverty Law Center – to get federal courts to declare unconstitutional the portion of the state Constitution that permanently disenfranchises some felons.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had scheduled oral arguments later this month in the case brought by the Center for Justice. But now the court is contemplating whether to just consider written briefs.
Rob McDuff of the Mississippi Center for Justice said it is clear that when the framers of the state Constitution developed the felony disenfranchisement program that they had “racial intent.” The lawsuit said the program was designed to deny the vote to African Americans just like the poll tax, literacy test and other elements of the state Constitution that already have been struck down by federal courts.
In the 1890s, the Mississippi Supreme Court said the disfranchisement of felons was placed in the Constitution “to obstruct the exercise of the franchise by the negro race” by targeting “the offenses to which its weaker members were prone.”
Those crimes placed in the Constitution where conviction would cost a person the right to vote were bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement, bigamy and burglary. Those were crimes, rightfully or wrongfully, that the framers believed African Americans were more likely to commit.
It should be noted that under the original language of the Constitution a person could be convicted of cattle rustling and lose the right to vote, but convicted of a murder or rape and still be able to vote – even while incarcerated.
In 1968, the crimes of murder and rape were added as disenfranchising crimes. But even today, a person could be convicted of writing a bad check and lose the right to vote, but be a major drug kingpin locked up in prison and still vote.
Early in one of its court filings, the Attorney General’s office in defending the process said “like most states, Mississippi law has always disenfranchised felons one way or another.”
But in truth Mississippi is not like other states. Mississippi is among a handful of states – about 10 according to the Sentencing Project – that do not restore the right to vote at some point after a person completes his or her sentence, which could include finishing terms of probation and parole.
A 2016 study by the Sentencing Project, a national research and advocacy group that works on criminal justice issues, found that nearly 10 percent of Mississippi’s population is disenfranchised – trailing at the time only Florida. In 2018, Floridians voted to change their law to automatically restore the right to vote.
In the meantime, the Mississippi Legislature might take up one bill at a time to restore the right to vote to a handful of people in the coming days. But there has been no serious consideration by the Legislature of Mississippi joining other states on the issue since the early 2000s when the Democratic House made efforts to put in place a way to automatically restore voting rights.
