Jackson Free Press

Gov. Phil Bryant created a task force today to address drug abuse in the state, specifically for the abuse of opioids and heroin.

Opioid abuse is up nationally and has been for the past two decades. Opioids include prescription pain killers, some nervous system depressants and some stimulant drugs, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Gov. Bryant's proclamation claims that Mississippi is one of the leading prescribers for opioids. The governor will appoint voluntary members to the task force, but the proclamation does not specify a date when the task force will meet or for how long.

The Centers for Disease Controls tracks overdose related deaths, and from 2013 to 2014, the state saw a slight increase, from 316 deaths in 2013 to 366 in 2014. That number is not specific to opioid-related overdoses, however.

RePublic Schools Inc., the charter management organization that opened one of two charter schools in Mississippi, received a $9.6 million U.S. Department of Education grant. RePublic Schools was one of twelve organizations selected for a Charter School Program Grant this year.

The grant will be issued over a five-year period, and RePublic Schools Inc. was allotted $1.76 million in Year One. The Mississippi Charter Authorizer Board approved two more RePublic Schools, Smilow Prep and Smilow Collegiate, earlier this month. The schools will open in Jackson in August 2016.

In a press release, CEO Ravi Gupta said, "We are grateful to Secretary Duncan (the U.S. Secretary of Education) and his team for recognizing RePublic's efforts to expand high quality, 21st Century educational opportunities for children in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana."

RePublic Schools has opened schools in Tennessee and Mississippi thus far, but the press release mentions Louisiana as well.

Jackson State University announced some personnel shifts this morning. Dr. Kimberly Hilliard will transition from the Office of Community Engagement to work under President Carolyn Meyers as the Executive Assistant to the President for Special Initiatives.

Read the full press release below:

Dear JSU Family: As previously announced, Mrs. Sandra Hodge will assume the position as Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement on March 15, 2016. Due to the transition, Dr. Kimberly Hilliard, Executive Director of the Office of Community Engagement will fulfill the role of Executive Assistant to the President for Special Initiatives. Dr. Hilliard has over 28 years of experience in the areas of engineering, urban planning, and community development. As the Director of the Office of Community Engagement, she has provided leadership in connecting JSU with local and state agencies, community-based organizations, and local residents and businesses. She obtained her Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from Jackson State University in 2007 and has worked in various community-oriented roles for JSU since 2004. She holds several statewide and local board appointments. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Hilliard to this new position that will commence on March 15, 2016. She will also retain oversight of the community engagement work for the university and serve as a member of my executive leadership team. Carolyn W. Meyers President

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves met with Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, both Republicans, in Cleveland, Miss., today to talk tourism.

The lieutenant governors met with members of the Mississippi Tourism Association to discuss tourism possibilities in the area and between the two states. The Delta Regional Authority is working with both Louisiana and Mississippi to promote the Mississippi River Geotourism Project, which will work on making the Delta a tourist attraction as well as create a website in coordination with National Geographic to to help tell the story of the longest river in North America.

Reeves and Nungesser toured the Grammy Museum while in Cleveland, one of the area's newest tourist attractions. The museum opened in March 2016, and it features not only exhibits but also a theater. Both lieutenant governors also praised development around the museum, including construction of the new Lyric Hotel in Cleveland, which will be a luxury hotel featuring a four-star restaurant, special event venue and spa.

“Our two states share a deep connection in so many areas, whether its food, music, history or a love of the outdoor sports,” Lt. Gov. Reeves said in a press release. “Through tourism, we can highlight the contributions of our talented citizens to these areas and grow the economies in our towns.”

Mississippi native Duvalier Malone has started a petition to remove the Confederate symbol from the Mississippi state flag. The online petition form has over 1,100 signatures. In a statement, Malone said he "wants to create enough momentum for Mississippi to have another referendum vote on the flag, which will hopefully result in positive change."

The petition is written in letter format, and Malone cites recent racially motivated violence in Jackson as well as the Charleston massacre, saying that positive change can come from such atrocities.

He writes, "Now is the time to join forces and face this issue, which has cast a shadow on our state for too long. Even Republican Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn agrees: Now is the time to leave the Confederate battle flag behind us -- before another innocent person is attacked in its name."

As previously reported by the Jackson Free Press, unless Gov. Bryant calls a special session, the flag debate will have to wait until January for the Legislature. If the petition turns into a ballot initiative, it would need a minimum of 107,216 signatures, with specific number requirements from each of the five congressional districts.

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2015/jul/07/22026/

The state admitted that it has not met court-order requirements in a 7-year-old lawsuit, Olivia Y v. Bryant, intended to change the state's foster care system. Gov. Bryant has agreed to hire an Executive Director of the Department of Family and Children's Services, which will soon become a cabinet-level position. Additionally, a group will be hired to consult with the state over the next four months and recommend changes necessary to protect Mississippi children going forward. Bryant has also agreed to call a special session of the legislature if the recommendations require legislative changes.

The press release from A Better Childhood, an advocacy organization that works on behalf of abused and neglected children, has been re-printed below in full:

Facing an evidentiary hearing for contempt scheduled to begin in federal court on August 10, the state has conceded that it has not met court-ordered requirements in the 7-year-old lawsuit, Olivia Y v. Bryant, intended to reform the state’s foster care system.

In an Agreed Order submitted to Judge Tom Lee on July 21, the state agreed with factual charges made against it in reports submitted by the court-appointed monitor. In the Order, the parties also agreed on steps that will determine whether the plaintiffs will continue to seek a receivership, this time based on specific recommendations from a neutral consulting group, or whether the state can and will make the changes necessary to finally reform the Mississippi foster care system.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, who are all of the children in foster care in the state, had asked the court to find the state in contempt of the court orders for reform, and to appoint a receiver to take over the administration of the state’s foster care system. The state’s admission of non-compliance resolves the first part of the contempt motion. The order submitted to the court today directs the employment of an expert group to make recommendations to achieve compliance, and leaves open the question whether a receiver will be required to administer the state’s foster care system.

The lawsuit was filed in 2004, asserting widespread violations of children’s constitutional rights in the foster care system. Although the case was settled in 2008, the state has never been in compliance with the terms of the settlement.

This is the second contempt motion filed in the case. After the first motion, a new settlement agreement was approved by the Court, but failed to produce necessary results.

“It was clear to us, given the state’s history in implementing these court orders, that the state simply lacks the capacity or the will to run a child welfare system that protects the children of Mississippi,” said Marcia Robinson Lowry, executive director of A Better Childhood, a national advocacy organization that works on behalf of abused and neglected children. “We have asked the federal court to appoint a receiver to take over the system. However, we think the appointment of a well-qualified expert group to make specific recommendations is an important step …

A new study found that Mississippi has the highest percentage of at-risk hospitals, mainly rural facilities that are caught in the crunch of rising healthcare costs and less reimbursements while serving at-risk populations that need the care.

Researchers from the Center for Mississippi Health Policy, Mississippi State and the University of Memphis identified 31 hospitals (33 percent) of hospitals in Mississippi as "at-risk," and using the State Auditor's report and their own research, focused on solutions and the impact of the closure of the nine most at-risk hospitals. The report states that if those nine hospitals close, around 2,600 jobs would be lost along with $8.6 million in state and local tax revenue. If Medicaid were expanded in the state, the hospitals could compensate for some of the Medicaid Disproportionate Share payments that allow the facilities to offer services to uninsured patients. The State Department of Health’s Office of Rural Health has so far offered assistance to the rural hospitals and has grants available to help facilities implement financial recovery programs.

The 9 hospitals most at-risk for closure:

• Covington County Hospital

• Highland Community Hospital

• Holmes County Hospital & Clinics

• Tippah County Hospital

• Hardy Wilson Memorial Hospital

• Montfort Jones Memorial Hospital

• Natchez Regional Medical Center

• Noxubee County General

• Tallahatchie County General Hospital

The 42 for Better Schools campaign has asked the Mississippi Secretary of State's office to review ballots across all 82 counties in Mississippi after finding errors on ballots in Hinds county. A Mississippi voter in Hinds County found the errors when the voter went to complete an absentee ballot, according to 42 for Better Schools spokeswoman Patsy Brumfield.

The same errors found on the absentee ballot are also visible on the Hinds County sample ballot. The letter "A" is removed from the Initiative 42-A choice, so voters can vote "FOR Initiative Measure No. 42" or "FOR Alternative Measure No. 42". Without the letter "A" to designate the alternative, voters might vote for the wrong initiative Brumfield said.

The wording of the voting language also changed. The wording to vote against Initiative 42 incorrectly reads, "AGAINST APPROVAL OF EITHER Initiative Measure No. 42 OR Alternative Measure No. 42A". It should say, "AGAINST BOTH Initiative Measure No. 42 and Alternative Measure No. 42A."

The original sample ballot did not contain these errors and supporters of Initiative 42 are calling on the secretary of state to review all other counties' ballots for the same errors. In a press release, co-campaign manager for 42 for Better Schools, Jonathan Compretta said: "These gross errors will lead to additional confusion on a ballot already made confusing by the legislative leadership. The Secretary of State has a statutory duty to ensure that ballots in each county are correct in every aspect."

Gov. Phil Bryant isn't sending his resume to Washington D.C. to work in the Trump administration just yet, but he told reporters today that the offer would be "hard to say no to."

"Of course, I’ve got the best job in the world, and I love being governor, and I do not expect to receive that phone call," Bryant said. "I played a minor part actually in the grand scheme of things but we will see what the president has to say. It’s not something I'll be applying for, my resume will stay in the drawer."

Bryant was hesitant to speculate too much about a possible role, but pointed to past offers he's taken.

"I just can’t say just now (whether I’d consider it) because I’ve been called by a governor and asked to take an appointment," he said. "Governors and presidents are hard to say no to, and I would say that this one would be particularly hard to say no to."

When asked about the agricultural or energy departments, Bryant discussed agriculture.

"Agriculture is near and dear to my heart, being a young man from Sunflower County whose grandparents grew up in a difficult time farming land that belonged to other people, so any way I could help farmers and agriculture in this country, I would be willing to do so if asked, but again, I think it’s something that just won’t happen."

Bryant also said that First Lady Deborah Bryant would have to give the okay as well.

"That’s the other thing, he’d have to convince her (First Lady Deborah Bryant), and I’m not sure that even Donald Trump’s that good."

Ward 7 Jackson Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon has announced that she will not seek re-election this spring for her council seat, which she's held for 32 years. Barrett-Simon released the statement below, regarding her decision:

"Fellow Jacksonians,

It has been my deepest honor and blessing to serve Ward 7 as your elected representative on the Jackson City Council for the last 32 years. After much consideration and discussion with Al and the rest of our family, I have decided that the time has come to seek new challenges. I will not seek re-election this spring.

Ward 7 is perhaps the most diverse part of our city. One of the true blessings that I have had in this job is the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people from such varied backgrounds. I have come to love these friends so much, and this is what I will miss the most. I would also like to thank all of my colleagues on the City Council and in city government with whom I have been privileged to serve.

I intend to remain engaged in our local affairs as we move forward together, and I look forward to joining with all of you as we all strive to build a better and more prosperous city for all of our residents. I also encourage each of you to take an active role in making Jackson and Ward 7 the best that they can be. The future of Jackson is bright because of you.

Dr. Albert Simon and I would like to offer our most sincere thanks to each and every one of you for your support and friendship over these many years. We won't be far away."

108 Mississippi United Methodist pastors have released an open letter endorsing Initiative 42. The letter states that each signing pastor's position on the upcoming ballot initiative stems from John Wesley's passion for meeting educational needs even in 18th century England and Jesus' command to let the "little children come to me." Bruce Case, head pastor at Parkway Hills Methodist Church, helped craft the letter and send it out to pastors throughout the state. Pastors were invited to respond and sign their name to the letter, and it took Case less than a day to collect over 100 signatures. Case said they could have collected more signatures, but wanted to get the letter out due to timing.

The full letter has been produced verbatim below:

A Letter from 108 Mississippi United Methodist Pastors:

As Mississippi United Methodist pastors serving in rural areas, county seats, and large towns all across our wonderful state, we are compelled to speak out on behalf of our children and Mississippi public school education.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, was passionate about providing all children access to educational opportunities in 18th Century England. He opened libraries, published reading material for children, and founded schools that served impoverished children. He believed every child—regardless of gender or economic background—deserved the opportunity a quality education provided.

Because we believe that every child in Mississippi has a right to a great education, we will be voting in favor of Initiative 42 when we go to the ballot on November 3. Initiative 42 will require our legislators to follow our state law and fully fund public education based on the MEAP (MAEP) formula. Our Legislature has failed to honor this law nearly every year since its adoption (by our legislature!) in 1997.

We are disappointed that politicians have added 42-A to the ballot. 42-A will confuse thousands of people who are trying to make an informed decision regarding our children’s well being. Please be advised: 42-A is simply a vote for the status quo. What is the status quo?

-Since 2008, the state budget (excluding federal funds) has grown by 35% while K-12 education's portion of the state budget has grown by 2.47%. -MS ranks 47th in per student funding out of 51 (including District of Columbia). -Mississippi ranks last among our neighboring states in per student funding.

The status quo limits our children; it limits our state; it deprives all of us of economic stability.

We can rise above the status quo! We can begin to work together to ensure every community in our state has a school with high-quality facilities, full of teachers and students who have all they need to succeed. Initiative 42 will be a much-needed step in the right direction for K-12 education in Mississippi.

We strive to be faithful to Jesus’ high calling in the communities we serve, and we can think of no higher priority in God’s Kingdom than our children. Jesus said: “Let the little children come …

The following is a statement from American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi Executive Director Jennifer Riley-Collins in response to the group of Mississippi House Republicans who have asked state Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright to step down if she follows the White House’s directive on protecting transgender students’ rights. Some Mississippi Republican Senators have also sent a letter to Wright, asking her to not follow the White House's directive:

“The Mississippi GOP Representatives’ response and threat to the State Superintendent is, yet, another step in the wrong direction. Transgender youth are entitled to the same educational opportunities, anti-harassment protections, and expressive freedoms as other students.

The Obama administration’s guidance is simply providing schools with clarity as to the legal obligations that they already had under Title IX. With this guidance, there should now be absolutely no question as to what schools need to do to ensure they are upholding their obligations under federal civil rights law regarding the treatment of transgender students.

Schools must enforce their dress codes equally and equitably. Schools should permit transgender students to comply with the dress code that reflects their gender identity. The obligation of schools to keep transgender students safe extends to bathrooms and locker rooms. A transgender student should be able to use the bathroom that reflects his or her gender identity. Isolating transgender students, as well as threatening a government official who is asked to follow the law (Title IX), sends, yet, another message that it is acceptable to discriminate in Mississippi.

The ACLU of Mississippi stands ready to defend any student treated differently because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. School should be a safe place for all students.”

Below is a verbatim press release from Rep. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis, the House minority whip leader, released today:

House Democratic Caucus Leader David Baria issued the following statement regarding Speaker Philip Gunn’s refusal to adhere to agreed upon promises for debate and discussion in the chamber:

"I want to clarify for the public 2 important points regarding the activities in the Mississippi House yesterday.

The reason that members of the Hinds County delegation were requesting that bills be read is very simple-- the Speaker broke his promise to them that the Jackson Airport takeover bill would be killed. I expect that bills will be read again today. The House Democratic Caucus supports the Hinds County delegation on this important issue.

The other point of clarification has to do with the rule on Points of Personal Privilege. As you are aware, we negotiated a deal with the Speaker to restore the rule with slight modifications. During the negotiations the Speaker came to me with a proposal to restore the rule, but only recognize members at the end of the day. I told him that we would not accept having to wait until the end of the day. After a few days in which he contemplated our position, he agreed and offered a 10-minute time limit instead. We agreed to the time limit and reached a deal on a new rule. The Speaker also represented to us that while we were removing language from the rule that made the personal privilege a precedent motion, he would not make members wait until the end of the day. Yesterday, when a member sought recognition for a point of personal privilege the Speaker said he would not recognize him until the end of the day. When the member was recognized he questioned why he had to wait all day when the rule did not require it. The Speaker responded that because certain language had been removed from the rule he had the discretion to refuse to recognize a request for a point of personal privilege until the end of business. This is clearly a breach of our agreement reached only a week ago.

I have expressed my profound disappointment on these 2 issues to the Speaker in a personal letter. Unfortunately, his actions have made it much more difficult to work together as trust is such an important factor in conducting the business of the House."

New York-based attorney Roberta Kaplan, who litigated and won the case to end Mississippi's ban on same-sex marriage, sent a letter to Mississippi leaders regarding House Bill 1523 on Monday, Slate reported, saying she and her legal team at Paul, Weiss LLC had "serious concerns" about the bill violating a permanent injunction issued last July in the Campaign for Southern Equality v. Bryant case.

The letter states that "the July 2015 injunction requires that Mississippi, in accordance with the dictates of the United States Constitution, treat any gay or lesbian couple that seeks to marry the same as any straight couple that seeks to do so." The letter was addressed to Gov. Phil Bryant, Attorney General Jim Hood and Judy Moulder at the State Registrar for Vital Records. Kaplan asks that they ensure that the 2015 injunction is complied with and that those state officers provide them with:

• notices for any individual who has filed recusal notices pursuant to HB 1523
• a full and complete explanation of all steps that each individual seeking recusal (or any person acting on behalf of that individual, including in a supervisory capacity) will take to ensure that gay and lesbian couples are not impeded or delayed when seeking to marry in the relevant county
• whether the individual seeking recusal intends to continue issuing marriage licenses to straight couples, while at the same time refusing to participate in issuing licenses to gay and lesbian couples

Kaplan also asks Mississippi leaders to "agree to provide us with this same information in connection with any clerks who seek to recuse themselves in the future within one week after such information becomes available."

In her letter, Kaplan sets a deadline of May 2, 2016, for state officers to comply with their request "either in whole or in part, so we can be in a position to evaluate whether we will need to seek further relief from the Court."

The League of Women Voters of the Jackson Area released the results of a legislative candidate poll that asked candidates if they support Amendment (Initiative) 42 with the options: Yes, No or Undecided. So far, seven Senate candidates and eight House candidates have responded. See your candidate's stance below.

Senate Candidates

John Horhn (D): Yes
Hillman Frazier (D): Yes
Sollie Norwood (D): Yes
David Blount (D): Yes
Josh Harkins (R): No
William Billingsley (R): No
Kathryn Perry (D): Undecided