Tag Archives: Mississippi

The Associated Press reports: Packed elevators and crowded committee rooms. Legislators sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on the House and Senate floor. People standing close to each other and talking, sometimes leaning in to whisper, without a mask in sight. Those were common scenes at the Mississippi Capitol in June — a month that saw a historic vote to remove the Confederate emblem …

The Biloxi Sun-Herald reports: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves is mandating masks and limiting social gatherings by early next week in Harrison, Jackson and 11 other counties with high spread of COVID-19, he said at his regular news conference Thursday afternoon. He said masks must be worn in these counties in “all shopping environments” and at social gatherings. Social gatherings in …

Mississippi Today reports: The Mississippi Legislature, finishing a historic stretch last week where it voted to replace the state flag to remove the Confederate battle emblem from its design, now faces a new challenge as members are testing positive for the coronavirus. On Sunday, House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton confirmed that he has contracted COVID-19, as did at least one …

CBS News reports: The Mississippi state legislature voted on Sunday to replace its state flag, the last in the nation to display the Confederate battle emblem. The removal of the flag marks the latest Confederate symbol to topple in the weeks following George Floyd’s death. The bill passed by a vote of 91-23 in the House and 37-14 in the …

The Associated Press reports: Mississippi lawmakers could vote in the next few days to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag, a symbol that has come under intensifying criticism in recent weeks amid nationwide protests against racial injustice. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said Saturday, for the first time, that he would sign a bill to change the flag …

The Commercial Appeal reports: “We know the design of the Mississippi state flag is being discussed by various stakeholders,” Walmart spokesperson Anne Hatfield said in an emailed statement. “While the issue continues to be discussed, we’ve made the decision to remove the Mississippi state flag from display in its current form from our stores.” Hatfield said stores displaying state flags …

NBC News reports: The NCAA’s Southeastern Conference on Thursday told the state of Mississippi it could miss out on SEC championship games if it doesn’t change its state flag, which includes a Confederate symbol. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement, “It is past time for change to be made to the flag of the State of Mississippi.” “Our …

The Associated Press reports: Mississippi has used the Confederate emblem in its flag since 1894, when white supremacists in state government adopted it after Reconstruction. Georgia put a large Confederate battle symbol on its state flag in 1956, during a backlash to the civil rights movement. That state purged the symbol from its banner in 2001 — the same year …

The New York Post reports: It’s a prank that would make Bart Simpson proud. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves was duped into congratulating a curiously named student — Harry Azcrac — during a virtual graduation ceremony. In the video, streamed on Facebook Live, Reeves sends his well wishes to the school’s valedictorian before running down the list of newly minted graduates. …

Fox News reports: The Justice Department intervened in a Mississippi church’s lawsuit by saying in a court filing that it “strongly suggests that the city’s actions target religious conduct” after the church sued police for ticketing congregants during a drive-in service amid coronavirus, Fox News has learned. The DOJ is siding with Temple Baptist Church in Greenville, Miss., after Greenville …

The Jackson Free Press reports: As coronavirus spiked across the state, the Mississippi Sons of Confederate Veterans posted a copy of an April 3 state proclamation naming this month as “Confederate Heritage Month.” Gov. Tate Reeves apparently signed the proclamation two days after he did an about-face and issued a statewide shelter-at-home order due to rising COVID-19 infections in Mississippi. …

Biloxi’s ABC News affiliate reports: Governor Tate Reeves has signed a new executive order establishing a statewide shelter-in-place for Mississippi to slow the spread of COVID-19. Tuesday, a number of cities across the state issued their own orders asking residents to stay at home, and establishing curfews for overnight hours. Wednesday, the Mississippi Department of Health reported 1,073 confirmed cases …

The Jackson Free Press reports: “It is my goal to make sure we make good, solid decisions based on experts,” the governor said in an afternoon Facebook Live address, where he took questions from Mississippi residents. “No one at the State Department of Health has recommended that we have a statewide shelter-in-place order,” Reeves added. One Mississippian asked the governor …

Hemant Mehta reports at The Friendly Atheist: Because church/state separation apparently goes out the window whenever there’s a crisis to exploit, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves spent the morning leading the state in Christian prayer from his office. I guess there’s nothing else he needed to be doing. Between three Bible readings, two prayers, and a bizarre statement telling God “Thank …

The Associated Press reports: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced Friday that he is postponing the March 31 Republican primary runoff in the state’s 2nd Congressional District because of the coronavirus. The new date is June 23. Mississippi joins a number of other states that have postponed elections amid the global pandemic. “We face an unprecedented health crisis. Conducting an election …

NPR reports: Mississippi’s former welfare director, four colleagues and a former pro wrestler have been charged with carrying out a multimillion-dollar embezzlement scheme to siphon public money from needy families for their own personal use — from business investments to a luxury rehab stay in California. Special agents from the Office of the State Auditor arrested John Davis, who is …

From the Facebook page of Mississippi Rep. Jill Ford: Yesterday, January 27, 2020, was a historic day for not only Governor Tate Reeves as he presented his State of the State address to the people of Mississippi – favorite line: “we’ve been singing the Blues long enough, it’s time to sing Gospel now – the Good News”. It was also …

Courthouse News reports: Democrat Mike Espy on Wednesday announced his run for the Mississippi Senate seat he sought in a tight special election last year, setting up a potential 2020 rematch with Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, who was dogged by controversy for a remark expressing a willingness to attend a public hanging. Espy, 65, rose to national prominence after being elected …

The New York Times reports: Votes have started to come in for the governor’s race in Kentucky, which has been cast as a showdown between an unpopular governor and an unpopular party. The Republican incumbent, Matt Bevin, has focused his campaign on his alignment with President Trump and his opposition to impeachment, with the president holding a rally on Monday …

Yesterday I reported that a Mississippi wedding venue rejected an interracial couple based on their “Christian beliefs.” Today the owner issued an apology after her refusal video went wildly viral with millions of views. The Washington Post reports: In her apology, the event hall’s owner attempted to explain why she believed the Bible supported her views on interracial marriages, describing …