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Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith supports losing effort to overturn Biden presidential victory

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Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today/ Report for America

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith voted to object to the electoral vote of Arizona on Wednesday.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith was one of few U.S. senators on Wednesday to object to the certification of the electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania, states that duly elected Democrat Joe Biden as president in November over Republican President Donald Trump.

Hyde-Smith, an ardent Trump supporter, backed the effort of a small number of Senate Republicans who aimed to overturn Biden’s victory by pushing disproven theories and inaccuracies about Arizona and Pennsylvania botching the election process.

The senator had remained silent before Wednesday about how she would vote on the certification of the Biden presidential victory in several states. In a statement on Wednesday night, Hyde-Smith said she heard from “many Mississippians who are troubled by the conduct of the election in various states and the eventual outcome.”

“I, along with my constituents, are alarmed with the erosion of integrity of the electoral process,” Hyde-Smith said in the statement. “The people I represent do not believe the presidential election was constitutional and cannot accept the electoral college decision; therefore, I cannot in good conscience support certification.”

All six senators who objected to the Arizona certification and the seven who objected to Pennsylvania on Wednesday night were Republicans and loyal supporters of the current president. The other senators voted to certify the elections, with key leaders in both the Republican and Democratic parties blistering their colleagues who planned to vote against certification.

“Trump and I, we’ve had a hell of a journey. All I can say is count me out, enough is enough,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican. “When it’s over, it is over. It’s over.”

Republican Roger Wicker, Mississippi’s senior U.S. senator, voted to certify all 50 state results.

“(The Trump) campaign lost a close election, and it is time to acknowledge that,” Wicker said in a statement earlier this week. “The president’s own attorney general, his head of election security, and a number of Trump-appointed, conservative federal judges all have found that, despite widespread allegations of fraud, there simply was not enough evidence to change the outcome of the election in any state.”

Wicker continued: “I know many of my fellow Mississippians will disagree with my decision, and I share their commitment to making sure our elections are fair. But I must vote according to my conscience, my oath of office, and my understanding of the rule of law. I hope that with the start of a new Congress, we can take steps to restore faith in America’s electoral system.”

Congress met in joint session on Wednesday to certify the electoral votes from the states. Biden, a Democrat, received 306 of the 538 elector votes from the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Though the certification of the electoral votes from the states is normally a formality, the law allows Congress to reject them and theoretically select the new president.

Republicans did not have nearly enough votes in the House or Senate to reject the Biden election, and constitutional scholars questioned whether Congress could overturn the results in the first place.

A group of House and Senate Republicans — ardent supporters of Trump, who has for weeks pushed disproven theories about widespread election fraud — indicated last week they would challenge those electoral votes from certain states Biden won.

But the proceedings were abruptly halted on Wednesday afternoon when a violent mob of pro-Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, aiming to overturn the results of the election.

READ MORE: Pro-Trump mob storms U.S. Capitol, members of Congress evacuated.

The pro-Trump rioters — incited earlier Wednesday morning by the president’s oldest son and other close allies of the president — assaulted Capitol Police officers, smashed windows and tore down security barricades on their way into the building, prompting officials to lock down both legislative chambers of the building and nearby congressional office buildings.

The moment marked the first time that the Capitol was breached by a large, violent group since the War of 1812. Several high-profile members of Congress were evacuated, and others were told to shelter in place during the hours-long lockdown.

By the time police cleared the Capitol and lawmakers returned to finish the certification process on Wednesday evening, several of the Republicans in both the House and Senate who had earlier planned to object to elector certification reversed their positions.

Many Republicans even called Trump out specifically for inciting the violence.

“The events that have transpired today have forced me to reconsider, and I cannot now in good conscience object to the certification of these electors,” said Sen. Kelly Leoffler, a Republican from Georgia who’d previously planned to object. “The violence, the lawlessness… stand as a direct attack on the very institution my objection was intended to protect.”

Many pundits believe Trump singlehandedly saved Hyde-Smith’s Senate candidacy in the 2018 special election after she said she would sit “on the front row of a public hanging” with a supporter. Trump hosted three Mississippi rallies for Hyde-Smith in 2018, when she narrowly won a special election to replace longtime Sen. Thad Cochran, who stepped down for health reasons.

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Dept. of Education says passing requirements for some state tests should be waived

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Rogelio V. Solis, AP

State Superintendent of Education Carey Wright

State testing will continue this year, but State Superintendent of Education Carey Wright said Wednesday she recommends waiving the passing requirements for the statewide third grade reading test and high school end-of-course tests.

The department is also recommending schools and districts retain their letter grade from the 2018-19 school year for the 2020-21 school year.

In Mississippi, schools and districts receive a grade of A-F under the accountability system. The grade reflects their performance in areas such as student achievement, student growth, graduation rate and participation rate, which measures the percentage of students who participate in statewide testing.

Based on a 2013 law called the Literacy-Based Promotion Act, third graders in Mississippi public schools must pass a reading test to continue to fourth grade. And high schoolers take tests in Algebra I, English II, Biology and U.S. History designed to determine whether students have the knowledge and skills needed to graduate.

“I believe this needs to be a year of grace. Our schools, our teachers, and our children are under a lot of pressure about this, but knowing we have not had a standard way of instructing children — to hold children accountable, I do not feel is fair,” Wright said during a Senate education committee hearing in Jackson.

State testing will still continue this year, however, in order to assess the impact of COVID-19 on student learning and meet federal requirements.

The Legislature or Gov. Tate Reeves, via an executive order, would have to act to adopt these recommendations as they are all currently required by law.

If this happens, it would be the second school year in which districts retain 2018-19 ratings. State testing was cancelled last spring because of the pandemic, which meant there were no test results to base 2019-20 accountability ratings on. As a result, the Mississippi State Board of Education allowed all school districts to retain whatever rating they had from the previous school year.

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Marshall Ramsey: Shelter In Place

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As an American, I’ve been watching the chaos and violence at the U.S. Capitol and I’ve been sick. I’m team Constitution and today was just another step in the peaceful transfer of power — until it wasn’t.  I have faith our country and that our form of government will survive this. But for right now, all I can do is pray for our country and the safety of those who are sheltering in place in the U.S. Capitol as violence swirls around them.

READ: Pro-Trump mob storms U.S. Capitol, members of Congress evacuated

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Pro-Trump mob storms U.S. Capitol, members of Congress evacuated

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Violent Trump supporters break through a police barrier outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A mob of violent supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday as Congress counted the electoral votes to confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s presidential victory.

The pro-Trump rioters — incited earlier Wednesday morning by the president’s oldest son and other close allies of the president — assaulted Capitol Police officers, smashed windows and tore down security barricades on their way into the building, prompting officials to lock down both legislative chambers of the building and nearby congressional office buildings.

Several high-profile members of Congress were evacuated, and others were told to shelter in place during the lockdown. The electoral vote counting process was halted.

The mob — many of whom were visibly armed and carrying pro-Trump and Confederate flags — breached the Senate chamber, and others tried to break into the House chamber. Inside the House chamber, police officers drew guns to deter them from entering. Multiple news reports said at least one person was shot, and that authorities had found an improvised explosive device on the Capitol grounds.

Several rioters were placed in handcuffs and arrested as armored police worked to clear the building.

Staffers for all six delegates — Sen. Roger Wicker, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Rep. Trent Kelly, Rep. Bennie Thompson, Rep. Michael Guest and Rep. Steven Palazzo — said the members and their staffs are safe.

In a video posted to his Twitter account shortly after 3 p.m., Trump again used disproven rhetoric that “the election was stolen” and spoke in sympathetic and affectionate terms to the rioters, telling them to “go home.”

“I know you’re in pain. I know you’re hurt,” Trump said in the video. “…We love you. You’re very special.”

The chaos occurred in the nation’s Capitol on the same day the Mississippi Legislature took the final vote on adopting a new flag to replace the old banner that contained the Confederate battle emblem in its design.

People outside of the Mississippi Capitol, waving Trump banners and the old flag, protested peacefully throughout the much of the day.

As the assault was occurring in Washington, the Mississippi House was in session and many members did not know what was occurring.

Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn was informed of the events in Washington by a reporter and immediately began inquiring on what was occurring.

Mississippi elected officials and other politicos responded to the violent outbreak Wednesday afternoon.

  • U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican, said in a statement: “To everyone who has asked, I am safe. I thank the brave men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police and federal law enforcement for their work to bring this lawlessness and violence in the Capitol building to an end.”
  • U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican, tweeted: “Thank you for the messages of concern. My staff & I are safe. Whatever frustrations any American may have, violence & destruction in the US Capitol, the seat of our democratic government, is unacceptable. I’m grateful for @CapitolPolice & those working to stabilize the situation.”
  • U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat, tweeted: “Locked in Capitol and securing face mask for members… These thugs have no respect for our democracy.”
  • U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo, a Republican, tweeted: “The right to peacefully protest is sacred — and it’s one that must remain protected. Protests must stay peaceful and should not escalate to a point of violence. I am disheartened to see today’s event turn violent and attacked launched against our hardworking police officers. Please pray for this country and the law enforcement officers who are working to keep the peace.”
  • U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, a Republican, tweeted: “Please keep protests peaceful and lawful. I condemn all acts of violence.”
  • Republican Gov. Tate Reeves: “Political violence is always wrong. Law and order must win over mob rule. The country we love desperately needs prayer and God’s protection.”
  • “I am appalled,” Mike Chaney, the state’s insurance commissioner and Republican Party stalwart, tweeted on Wednesday before quickly deleting the tweet. “A lifelong Republican, one of my worst fears has come true with weak leadership destroying the country and idiots destroying democracy and the Republican Party. Those destroying our Capitol need to be prosecuted!”
  • State Rep. Robert Johnson, the House Democratic leader from Natchez, said: “This is a sad day for the country… One person could stop this. I just wish that he would. I am appalled. If it had been a group of African Americans breaking into the Capitol with guns, people would not be standing around watching the Capitol be destroyed.”
  • State Rep. Shane Aguirre, a Republican from Tupelo, said: “It is sad to see. Violence and destruction of property is no way to express yourself. I do not condone it in any way.”
  • State Sen. David Blount, a Democrat from Jackson, tweeted: “The logical conclusion to an amoral criminal presidency.”
  • Lucien Smith, former chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, tweeted: “We should all remember opportunists like Senator Hawley, whose dishonest rhetoric contributed to today’s violence, egging on sedition. He and his ilk are not worthy of the offices they hold.”
  • Brandon Presley, Democratic public service commissioner: “This scene at the Capitol in Washington is despicable and horrifying. Every American should be praying for the safety all members of Congress and law enforcement. Silence is complicity at this point for anyone who nibbles around the edges. America is NOT governed by mobs.”
  • Jason Shelton, Democratic mayor of Tupelo: “Donald Trump’s supporters and a warring foreign nation are the only two groups to ever attack the United States Capitol. Donald Trump is responsible for this and needs to be immediately impeached and removed from office.”

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With governor’s signature, Mississippi will have a new flag with no Confederate emblem

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Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today

One of the five final flag designs

The state Senate on Wednesday sent ratification of a new Mississippi flag to the governor — who plans to sign the legislation into law after voters overwhelmingly approved the In God We Trust flag in November.

“We just ratified the voice of the people,” Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said. “(Nearly) 72% of Mississippians voted for a new flag and today the Senate heard their voice.”

The Senate vote was 38-7, with one “present” vote. Republican Sens. Kathy Chism of New Albany, Joey Fillingane of Sumrall, Chris McDaniel of Ellisville, Mike Seymour of Vancleave, Melanie Sojourner of Natchez, Jeff Tate of Meridian and Neil Whaley of Potts Camp voted against codifying the new flag approved by 71.3% of voters on Nov. 3. Sen. Angela Burks Hill, R-Picayune, voted present.

The House on Tuesday voted 119-1 to ratify the new flag. Gov. Tate Reeves’ office on Wednesday said he was planning a bill-signing ceremony for the flag ratification bill.

The Mississippi Legislature in June removed the old flag, which was adopted by racist lawmakers in 1894. It was the last in the nation to carry the divisive Confederate battle emblem. Lawmakers faced growing pressure from religious, business, sports and community leaders to remove the vestige of the state’s Jim Crow past from a flag flying over the state with the largest percentage population of Black residents.

State Senate Minority Leader Derrick T. Simmons on Wednesday had vowed — and delivered — a unanimous vote by Senate Democrats for the new flag.

“My Democratic colleagues and I look forward to casting a vote today that allows all people of Mississippi to have a flag that unites us instead of dividing us and a flag that our future generations can feel is inclusive of them,” Simmons said.

Hosemann said adopting a new flag and removing the one that flew for 126 years with a Confederate battle emblem will improve Mississippi’s image nationwide and abroad, and help “rebrand” the state and improve economic development.

“We’ve already met with (the Mississippi Development Authority) about rebranding Mississippi, and you’ll see as part of that we plan a new business incentive program,” Hosemann said. “… We have a new flag, new business incentives and a new attitude — and we are open for business.”

Hosemann said “I don’t know that we’ll ever know” how much the Confederate flag hurt economic development in Mississippi or how many businesses shied away from locating here.

“Many economic development officials I’ve talked to from Alcorn County to Hancock said it was an impediment,” Hosemann said.

On Nov. 3, Mississippi voters approved the new design in an up-or-down vote after a commission appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker chose the design. The commission reviewed about 3,000 public submissions for new flag designs over the summer and in September chose the new design with a magnolia and stars — a combination of multiple submissions. Lawmakers had stipulated in June that the new design include the words In God We Trust and that it not include the Confederate battle emblem.

But one group, Let Mississippi Vote, hopes to overturn the Legislature’s removal of the old flag. It has mounted a petition drive to place on the ballot — as early as 2022 — an initiative that would allow voters to restore the 1894 flag, or select other options including the In God We Trust flag.

McDaniel said his vote Wednesday against the new flag “was more about the process than it was about the flag.”

“The people of Mississippi were not given a voice because they were not given an election,” McDaniel said. “It is not actually an election when you are not provided but one option. That does not equate to a fair election.”

McDaniel said he is working with the Let Mississippi Vote group to put an initiative on the ballot with four options. He said he would probably vote for the old flag if given the choice, because he was tired “of the mindset” that just because something is offensive it should be changed or censored.

The post With governor’s signature, Mississippi will have a new flag with no Confederate emblem appeared first on Mississippi Today.

COVID-19 cases: Mississippi reports 2,791 new cases

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COVID-19 cases: Mississippi reports 2,791 new cases

By Mississippi Today | January 6, 2021

This page was last updated Wednesday, January 6:

New cases: 2,791| New Deaths: 38

Total Hospitalizations: 1,518


Total cases:228,235 | Total Deaths: 5,013

Mask Mandates | On Sept. 30, Gov. Tate Reeves ended the statewide mask mandate order, originally issued Aug. 4. Since then, he has added a total of 78 individual county mask mandates, covering half of the state. State health officials encourage widespread masking and credit the original mandate with helping cases improve after a steep summer spike. View the full list of COVID-19 orders here.

All data and information reported by the Mississippi State Department of Health as of 6 p.m. yesterday


Weekly update: Wednesday, December 16

By Alex Rozier

On Tuesday Mississippi hit a new record with the seven-day average for cases, reaching 2,196. After going nine months without reporting 2,000 cases in a day, the state has reached that point nine times in just the 16 days of December so far. 

On Dec. 9, Mississippi also hit a new high for total hospitalizations on the rolling average, surpassing the summer peak. The state had already reached a new high for confirmed hospitalizations at the end of November, but hadn’t yet for the total tally, which includes suspected cases as well.

As seen in MSDH’s illness onset chart, the record for most illnesses in a day — Dec. 11, with 2,442 — is within the last two-week period, meaning those numbers could still go up.  

Mississippi’s present rise in cases mirrors the national surge, as the state currently has the 26th most new cases per capita. According to the Harvard Global Health Institute tracker, every state except Vermont is now in the “red zone” (recording over 25 daily new cases per 100,000 people). 

The health department reports that 148,466 people are presumed covered as of Dec. 13.


Click through the links below to view our interactive charts describing the trends around the coronavirus in Mississippi:

View our COVID-19 resource page for more information about coronavirus in Mississippi.

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Marshall Ramsey: 34%

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A latest poll shows that Governor Tate Reeves’ popularity is at 34%.

READ MORE: Gov. Tate Reeves’ approval rating tanked as COVID-19 pandemic worsened, poll shows

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Gov. Tate Reeves’ approval rating tanked as COVID-19 pandemic worsened, poll shows

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Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Gov. Tate Reeves discusses the state’s rollout of COVID-19 vaccines during an early January 2021 press conference.

Gov. Tate Reeves, after almost one full year as the state’s chief executive, currently has a 34% approval rating and a 49% disapproval rating, according to a poll released Tuesday.

As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened in Mississippi, Reeves’ popularity has tumbled, according to the Millsaps College/Chism Strategies poll. In June, the same pollster found that 50% of Mississippi voters approved of the job performance of Reeves, while 28% disapproved.

The poor marks for Reeves are almost certainly affected by his perceived handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the poll released Tuesday, 37% of voters believe his management of the pandemic has been excellent/good, 26% say it has just been fair, and 35% say it has been poor/totally unacceptable.

Reeves, the sole elected official who can issue statewide safety orders like mask mandates and crowd size limits, has taken a piecemeal response in recent weeks. He’s received criticism from all quarters, including from those wanting stringent public health regulations and those who believe government should be hands-off.

Meanwhile, the seven-day average of COVID-19 cases in state has grown by nearly eight times since June, and every measurable virus statistic has considerably worsened. 

Reeves’ low approval rating stands in contrast to the high approvals of his predecessor, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant. In Bryant’s final quarter as governor in late 2019, he enjoyed one of the highest approval ratings of any governor in the nation: 55% of voters approved of his performance, and 25% disapproved.

Other findings from the poll released on Tuesday:

  • Mississippi voters are evenly divided on the state’s direction, with 35% saying the state is moving in the right direction, 39% in the wrong direction and 26% unsure. 
  • Just 27% approve of the Mississippi Legislature’s performance, compared to 44% who disapprove and 29% who say they don’t have enough information to rate their work.
  • Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann currently has a 39% approval rating, with nearly a quarter saying they disapprove. 37% did not have enough information to evaluate his performance.
  • Voters are divided on the performance of Attorney General Lynn Fitch, with 33% approving, 34% disapproving and 32% lacking sufficient information about her work.
  • 42% believe the measures taken by Mississippi’s state government have not gone far enough to stop the spread of COVID-19. 36% feel the measures have been appropriate, while just 16% say the state has gone too far already.
  • Just over 42% favor eliminating the state’s income tax as proposed by Governor Reeves, a proposition opposed by 36% of voters. Another 22% remain unsure.

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New Mississippi flag almost official: Lawmakers move for final ratification

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Lawmakers are poised to ratify the new Mississippi state flag this week.  (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

The state Senate is expected on Wednesday to pass on to the governor final ratification of a new state flag — sans the divisive Confederate battle emblem that flew for 126 years.

The House on Monday voted 119-1 to accept the new “In God We Trust” Mississippi flag, after more than 70% of state voters approved it in November. The measure — the first bill of the 2021 legislative session, which began on Tuesday — cleared a Senate committee on Tuesday with no opposition.

A Senate floor vote on the bill is expected on Wednesday. If passed there, the bill would then move to the governor’s desk for signature or veto.

“This new flag boldly declares our trust in God, that we are all equal in his eyes …” said Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn, who for years was the lone statewide GOP leader advocating for changing the flag. “May God bless our efforts, and may God bless Mississippi as we set sail under this new flag.”

The Mississippi Legislature in June removed the old flag, which was adopted by racist lawmakers in 1894. It was the last in the nation to carry the divisive Confederate battle emblem. Lawmakers faced growing pressure from religious, business, sports and community leaders to remove the vestige of the state’s Jim Crow past from a flag flying over the state with the largest percentage population of Black residents.

TIMELINE: How Mississippi lawmakers removed the state flag.

READ MORE: Mississippi furls state flag with Confederate emblem after 126 years.

An appointed commission reviewed about 3,000 public submissions for new flag designs over the summer and in September chose the new design with a magnolia and stars — a combination of multiple submissions. Lawmakers had stipulated in June that the new design include the words In God We Trust and that it not include the Confederate battle emblem.

On Nov. 3, 71.3% of Mississippi voters approved the new design in an up-or-down vote. But lawmakers still must put the design into the state lawbooks.

The measure the House passed Tuesday includes the description:

“The Magnolia is the state flower of Mississippi and is a symbol that has long represented our state and the hospitality of our citizens, and also represents our state’s sense of hope and rebirth as the Magnolia often blooms more than once and has a long blooming season.  The circle of twenty stars represents Mississippi as the twentieth state of the United States of America and the circle is anchored at the top by the gold five-point star, which represents our first peoples, the indigenous Native American tribes of the land that would become Mississippi, and also represents Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia/Oceania and Europe, which are the five inhabited areas of the world from which all Mississippians originate.  The color blue in the center panel echoes the blue of the American flag, representing vigilance, justice and perseverance, and the red bars represent the hardiness and valor of our citizens.  The gold bars and the gold stamen of the Magnolia represent the rich cultural history of Mississippi, specifically the visual arts, literature, music and performing arts that have originated in our state.”

House lawmakers also approved an appropriation of $10,000 for the Department of Finance and Administration to buy new flags for state buildings this year.

Longtime state Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, on Tuesday said, “I’m elated we finally did it.”

“Maybe we are headed in the right direction,” Clarke said. “We are doing the right thing here.”

House Democratic Leader Robert Johnson of Natchez said: “I still can’t stop thinking that more than 70% of the people of the state of Mississippi passed this flag — even after 27 years in the Legislature that amazes me.

“I’m hopeful this marks a change in Mississippi, not just of a symbol, but of people coming together to meet the needs of all the people of Mississippi,” Johnson said.

T.J. Taylor, who served on the commission appointed to pick a new flag design, was at the Capitol on Tuesday and said lawmakers finalizing the flag feels like closure.

“Hopefully now it’s just a formality, after voters came out and supported it like they did,” Taylor said. “… I feel like this is closure, that we can move on and not have to worry about it any more.”

But one group, Let Mississippi Vote, hopes to overturn the Legislature’s removal of the old flag. It has mounted a petition drive to place on the ballot — as early as 2022 — an initiative that would allow voters to restore the 1894 flag, or select other options including the In God We Trust flag.

On Tuesday, Rep. Steve Horne, R-Meridian, cast the lone no vote on the new flag. He was unavailable for comment after the vote. Rep. Dan Eubanks, R-Walls, voted present.

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COVID-19 cases: Mississippi reports 1,767 new cases

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COVID-19 cases: Mississippi reports 1,767 new cases

By Mississippi Today | January 5, 2021

This page was last updated Tuesday, January 5:

New cases: 1,767 | New Deaths: 91

Total Hospitalizations: 1,432


Total cases:225,444| Total Deaths: 4,975

Mask Mandates | On Sept. 30, Gov. Tate Reeves ended the statewide mask mandate order, originally issued Aug. 4. Since then, he has added a total of 78 individual county mask mandates, covering half of the state. State health officials encourage widespread masking and credit the original mandate with helping cases improve after a steep summer spike. View the full list of COVID-19 orders here.

All data and information reported by the Mississippi State Department of Health as of 6 p.m. yesterday


Weekly update: Wednesday, December 16

By Alex Rozier

On Tuesday Mississippi hit a new record with the seven-day average for cases, reaching 2,196. After going nine months without reporting 2,000 cases in a day, the state has reached that point nine times in just the 16 days of December so far. 

On Dec. 9, Mississippi also hit a new high for total hospitalizations on the rolling average, surpassing the summer peak. The state had already reached a new high for confirmed hospitalizations at the end of November, but hadn’t yet for the total tally, which includes suspected cases as well.

As seen in MSDH’s illness onset chart, the record for most illnesses in a day — Dec. 11, with 2,442 — is within the last two-week period, meaning those numbers could still go up.  

Mississippi’s present rise in cases mirrors the national surge, as the state currently has the 26th most new cases per capita. According to the Harvard Global Health Institute tracker, every state except Vermont is now in the “red zone” (recording over 25 daily new cases per 100,000 people). 

The health department reports that 148,466 people are presumed covered as of Dec. 13.


Click through the links below to view our interactive charts describing the trends around the coronavirus in Mississippi:

View our COVID-19 resource page for more information about coronavirus in Mississippi.

The post COVID-19 cases: Mississippi reports 1,767 new cases appeared first on Mississippi Today.