Mississippi Today

Voter initiative would be hard to use under bills moving in Legislature

Published

1 year ago

February 28, 2024

If Mississippians are allowed to vote to enact a new initiative process to allow citizens to bypass the Legislature and place issues on the ballot, it is likely to be much more restrictive than the process that was deemed invalid in 2021 by the state Supreme Court.

On Wednesday, the Senate Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency Committee passed a proposal to restore voters’ initiative rights. But the Committee proposal is significantly more restrictive than the one first enacted in the early 1990s and used until the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. The Senate AET proposal would require double the number of voters’ signatures to put something on the ballot, and limit the issues that voters can take up.

The AET Committee measure most likely will be taken up in the coming weeks by the full Senate.

Earlier this session the House passed a proposal, now pending in the Senate, that also is more restrictive than the old process. If the Legislature does pass a proposal to finally renew the initiative, it still must be approved by the voters before it will be valid. But voters will have to accept or reject what the Legislature offers. They cannot change it.

Senate AET Chairman David Parker, R-Southaven, said any procedure allowing citizens to bypass the Legislature and change the state’s laws should be “onerous” and safeguards should be taken to limit out-of-state influence on the process.

Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, pointed out that under the old process a limited number of initiatives garnered the necessary signatures needed to make the ballot. Blount said the fear that the process would be overly influenced by out-of-state interests “is a theory, but we have 30 years of evidence to show what the people of Mississippi did with the initiative process they used to have. And they voted for good things and voted against bad things.” Only three initiatives were approved by votes during those 30 years.

Both the House and Senate proposals prohibit the initiative process from being used to change the state’s near total ban on abortions. In other states, voters have rejected placing restrictions on abortions. Both House and Senate leaders say they do not want out-of-state interests influencing Mississippi’s abortion laws.

The Senate proposal passed out of committee Tuesday would require the signatures equal to 10% of the registered voters from the last presidential election – more than 200,000 signatures of registered voters – to place an issue on the ballot. The House plan would require the signatures of about 166,000. The proposal ruled invalid by the Supreme Court because of a technicality would have required about 100,000 signatures of registered voters.

Parker said the higher signature threshold is needed because technology has made it much easier to gather signatures than it was in the early 1990s.

The Senate bill would not remove the often-criticized provision in the old initiative process that allowed the Legislature to place a competing alternative to the citizen-sponsored initiative on the ballot, causing confusion among voters.

The Senate bill would require sponsors of an initiative to take money from another area of state government if their proposal cost money, Blount said. He said the process would be unworkable for a number of issues, such as expanding Medicaid. For instance, the Legislature is considering a proposal to require medical providers to pay for a portion of the cost of expanding Medicaid. Citizens could not offer such a proposal under the House and Senate initiative plans, Blount said.

In addition, the Senate proposal would require 60% of voters to approve an initiative in order for it to pass. Of the 26 states with initiatives, none have as high of voter threshold to change all general laws.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

Published

22 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC holds free cancer screenings appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

23 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

24 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.