Jackson Free Press

Voter ID would secure the integrity of elections, they said. Voter ID would prevent election fraud, they said.

Yet, in the first election where voter ID was used in Mississippi, complaints of voter fraud among Republicans have been rampant.

Incidentally, none of the the accusations spelled out in a lawsuit filed yesterday over the GOP primary runoff for U.S. Senate have anything to do with voter impersonation, which voter ID was designed to stop.

Also, interestingly, a lot of the top Republican officials hollerin about voter fraud have made nary a peep about the the allegations that have surfaced about vote buying in the race in the race between U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran and state Sen. Chris McDaniel, who also chairs the Senate Elections Committee.

Where's Delbert? Haley? Phil Bryant? (All three are Cochran supporters, by the way)

Brandon Jones of the Mississippi Democratic Trust posed a similar question in a statement sent to the press on Monday: "The citizens of this state were sold a package of voting laws by leaders who told us that their main concern was election integrity. These leaders, like Secretary of State Hosemann, now have an opportunity to show that all the talk about protecting the vote wasn't politics as usual."

I did a quick search and found these examples of GOP officials over the years talking about protecting the integrity of the elections:

"I believe that anyone who understands (like I do) that there is voter fraud occurring in our elections throughout the state and who does not support meaningful voter reforms to help clean up that system is part of the problem instead of part of the solution. … The problem is real and a strong Voter ID law is part of the solution."

—State Sen. Joey Fillingane, Y'all Politics op-ed October 2012

“This legislation is about protecting the integrity of Mississippi’s elections. This legislation is a direct result of the majority of Mississippians expressing their desire for a constitutional voter ID requirement in the state. We want everyone to participate in the election process, and we want that process to be fair and secure.”

—Gov. Phil Bryant, May 2012

"Voter ID is not about intimidation; it is simply about integrity and having a fair and honest election."

— Pete Smith, spokesman for Gov. Haley Barbour, 2004

"We need voter ID and we can't stop until we get it. … We need to continue to prosecute those who steal your vote."

— Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, Neshoba Democrat, July, 2009

You know it’s spring when college basketball comes to an end and the long NHL and NBA season moves into the playoffs.

Of course, baseball means springtime, as “The Boys of Summer” officially get their start. But the season is important for another insanely popular sport: football.

Every high school and college team will spend some time out on the practice field to prepare for next season.

Most college football teams will end spring practice with a football game. While being just a glorified scrimmage, spring games have become big at the FBS level, with the major conferences getting theirs on television.

Some colleges will fill up their stadiums for a game like they were playing a regular opponent on a fall Saturday. Stadiums will be filled with 50,000 to 100,000 folks just getting a sense of what next year’s team might be like on the field.

Colleges have also figured out how to maximize this event. Several schools will host other sports at home on the weekend of the spring game to get fans who are there to check out sports that they might otherwise have attended during the season such as baseball or softball.

The idea is win-win for everyone. Fans get a football fix. Football gets fans excited to buy season tickets. Other sports get exposure that they might not have otherwise gotten.

Jackson State University has a full Saturday planned when the school puts on its annual Blue and White game. The Blue and White Tigerfest 2016 is this Saturday, April 16, at Walter Payton Drive on the university’s main campus.

The Tigers will host a spring game at 12:30 p.m. at the JSU practice field behind the Walter Payton Center, but more events will happen before the game. Tigerfest officially starts with the arrival of the Mass Marching Band at 10 a.m. and a meet-and-greet with the Tigers coaches and players starts at the same time.

In addition to the game, Tigerfest will also have area high-school bands performing, and JSU cheerleaders, Prancing J-Settes and a kids zone (which costs $5). Entertainment includes Karma and the Love Notez Concert, a Greek Step Show, Ole School JD and Dance, and Thee I Love Student Live Concert and DJ. Most of the entertainment will be on stages in front of the tennis courts.

JSU baseball will also take on main rival Alcorn State University in a double-header that begins at 1 p.m. at Braddy Field.

General admission is free for children 10-years-old and under and JSU students with a university ID. General admission is $10 dollars for everyone else. Blankets and lawn chairs are allowed.

Tailgating is allowed for $25 and $50 for RVs and vendors. Gates open at 8 a.m. For more information, call 601-362-0866.

JSU Tiger Fund and the JSU Division of Athletics will present Tigerfest.