Jackson Free Press

Updated: Three persons of interest have been taken into custody, WAPT reports, after a 6-year-old who was kidnapped early this morning was found dead in the back of a stolen vehicle in Madison County.

The Jackson Police Department has now confirmed that they found a deceased child in the backseat of the stolen Toyota. He was six years old. A multi-jurisdictional investigation is still underway, according to JPD tweets. JPD, Hinds County Sheriff's Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Madison County Sheriff's Office are working collectively on this case.

WJTV and WAPT reported that the child, Kingston Frazier, was in the back of the Toyota, when the car was stolen from the I-55 Kroger parking lot.

A Hinds County Sheriff told WAPT that the deceased boy was found in Gluckstadt in Madison County at 9:30 a.m. WJTV is reporting "it is believed the child died from a gunshot wound."

The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and JPD issued an Amber Alert for a missing boy, Kingston Frazier, early this morning.

JPD is posting on its Twitter account with updates. This post will be updated.

Gov. Phil Bryant called for a special session for lawmakers to finish the fiscal-year 2018 budget. He made the announcement on his Facebook this week. Lawmakers will return to Jackson on June 5 to presumably pass the three budget bills that died during session.

"In the interest of providing proper notice to taxpayers and to members of the Legislature, I am announcing that the special session to complete the budget for fiscal year 2018 will be June 5," Bryant said on Facebook on April 25.

"Although the legislative process will determine the length of the session, I anticipate lawmakers will finish their work as quickly as possible, to minimize costs to taxpayers"

The governor did not give explicit details about what lawmakers could address during the session. The House, led by Speaker Philip Gunn, has pushed for addressing the state's crumbling infrastructure with a funding mechanism in the Department of Transportation budget bills. At the end of the session, Gunn hoped he could work with Senate leaders to work on a plan to get more funding to roads and bridges. Now the timer is set for those discussions. Tick tock.

The Attorney General's budget also died as a result of last-minute tinkering with conference reports, and lawmakers will need to pass a bill to fund that agency too.

Gov. Phil Bryant announced his fourth budget cut to the current fiscal-year budget this afternoon. He will cut over $20 million from the state's budget, meaning a less than half percent cut for each state agency. He also pulled $39 million from the state's rainy day fund to plug budget holes, a letter to the state's fiscal officer Laura Jackson shows.

Gov. Bryant announced the news on his Facebook page today, shortly after the Joint Legislative Budget Committee met to adjust their revenue estimates, decreasing anticipated revenue projections for the upcoming budget year, which must be finalized by Saturday night and starts July 1.

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves told reporters after the meeting that revenue estimate change will make the budgeting process "even more challenging." Lawmakers will have to cut $174.6 million from the already reduced legislative budget office's proposed budget for fiscal-year 2018.

The state now has $240 million in its rainy day fund, which the governor has drawn from three times already this year as well as cutting agency budgets to keep the state's budget balanced in spite of lagging revenues.

Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) sent a letter to Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security John Kelly today regarding Daniela Vargas, the 22-year old undocumented immigrant detained in Jackson last week. Thompson's letter asks Sec. Kelly to ensure that his department "exercises available discretion and looks upon her case favorably."

Vargas is Thompson's constituent, and the congressman describes her story to Kelly, saying "Daniela is the kind of young person who, as President Trump put it, should be treated with 'great heart.'"

Thompson asks Kelly to release Vargas from detention while her case proceeds.

"I would also ask that any pending application for immigration benefits, including her DACA renewal, be expeditiously reviewed and favorably considered by your Department," Thompson's letter says. "Young people like Daniela are an important part of communities all over this country, and deserve a chance to pursue their American dream."

National law firms and advocacy groups filed a petition for Vargas' release on Monday, asking the U.S. District Court in Louisiana to stay her pending deportation so that the court can consider whether or not Vargas deserves a hearing before an immigration judge--or to be released from ICE's custody altogether.

Vargas is currently held in the LaSalle Immigration Detention Facility in Louisiana.

Read Congressman Thompson's letter here.

The City of Jackson announced repairs to a 24-inch water line at Larson and Moody Streets today, and they have issued a boil water notice for the following areas:

 [1200-1399] High Street; 39202

 [600-199] Monroe Street; 39202

 [1200-1399] Harding Street; 39202

 Larson Street; 39202

 Vine Street; 39202

 Foley Street; 39202

 Harris Street; 39202

The advisory applies to about 50 connections on the city's drinking water system. Residents will be notified when the boil water notice is lifted.For more information, customers may call 601-960-2723 during business hours or 601-960-1778 (or 601-960-1875) after 4:00 p.m. and on weekends. Please note, this water line repair is not related to the water outage and repairs planned for this weekend.

Gov. Phil Bryant called out Congress today, saying that the American Health Care Act resembles Obamacare too closely.

In a Facebook post, Bryant cited the Heritage Foundation's concerns on the new American Health Care Act, which support his stance that the new plan is "Obamacare Lite." (The Heritage Foundation gave Gov. Bryant an award last year for passing House Bill 1523, which was blocked in court before it went into affect.) Bryant's post says he will be working with Mississippi's congressmen in the coming days to ensure that Republicans "end Obamacare once and for all."

"Republican voters who gave majorities to both chambers and delivered the White House do not want Obamacare Lite," Bryant's Facebook post says. "I know it takes tremendous courage to turn back an entitlement once it is in place. But with $20 trillion in national debt, we best start making some tough decisions."

Read his full statement here.

The Mississippi House of Representatives voted to add domestic abuse as grounds for divorce this afternoon when Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, brought out an amendment to Senate Bill 2680, which clarifies that abused and neglected children can be placed with their relatives when they are removed from their homes.

Gipson's amendment clarifies that "cruel and inhuman treatment" in the state's grounds for divorce law includes both physical and non-physical abusive conduct as a ground for divorce. The amendment thoroughly defines both types of conduct as well as outlines standards of proof that a spouse would need to make.

The amendment would allow the injured spouse's testimony to meet the burden of proof to divorce their partner. The House passed Senate Bill 2680 with the new amendments unanimously. Now the Senate will have to concur with those amendments or invite conference on the bill to keep it alive.

Last week, lawmakers and citizens alike criticized Rep. Gipson for killing Sen. Sally Doty's, R-Brookhaven, bill to clarify that domestic abuse could be grounds for divorce. Gipson initially said that domestic abuse was already included in the state's divorce grounds that says "habitual cruel and inhuman treatment" is a ground for divorce. Days after killing the bill, Gipson announced on Facebook and Twitter that he was working with the Center for Violence Prevention to come up with the "House plan for this issue." Today, before bringing up the new amendment for a vote, Rep. Gipson introduced representatives from the Center for Violence Prevention to the House.

Jackson State University's interim President Dr. Rod Paige applauded President Donald Trump's executive order in support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country. Trump's order creates a board of advisors on HBCUs that reports to him as well as effectively moves HBCU programs to the executive office instead of the Department of Education.

Paige, a former U.S. Secretary of Education under George W. Bush, said he was encouraged by Trump's executive order.

“HBCUs have played an integral role in providing access to education and to the American dream for minorities for nearly two centuries. We are encouraged by the White House Initiative on HBCUs and look forward to the enhanced visibility and the opportunity to develop strategic partnerships with other agencies," Paige said in a press statement. "Moving the initiative from the Department of Education back to the White House is significant. This gives HBCUs greater access to other departments under the White House umbrella, such as the departments of agriculture, commerce, defense, health and human services, and so many others."

Trump signed the executive order on Feb. 28 the same day that new U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released a statement using HBCUs as a bastion for school choice, a statement which drew ire from politicians and academics alike.

"(HBCUs) started from the fact that there were too many students in America who did not have equal access to education. They saw that the system wasn't working, that there was an absence of opportunity, so they took it upon themselves to provide the solution," DeVos' statement said.

"HBCUs are real pioneers when it comes to school choice. They are living proof that when more options are provided to students, they are afforded greater access and greater quality. Their success has shown that more options help students flourish."

DeVos' statement completely ignores the fact that HBCUs were born out of segregationist policies, like Jim Crow laws and state sanctioned segregation that did not allow African American students to attend public schools or universities, or even earlier in some cases as the Washington Post reports, "historically black colleges date to the pre-Civil War era when public policy in parts of the nation barred blacks from education."

Since Trump signed the executive order, some HBCU presidents have taken the opposite approach of Paige. The Root boiled down the essence of some presidents' response to the executive order simply as: "We got played."

The president of Morehouse College wrote that expectations of a president doing more than Barack Obama would have meant increased funding, but as President John Silvanus Wilson Jr. wrote, "...instead of the long-awaited executive order containing or signaling any of those outcomes (increased funding, scholarships etc), the key change is a symbolic shift of the White House HBCU Initiative from the Department of Education to the White House. It is not possible to measure the impact of this gesture anytime soon, if ever."

Wilson Jr. went on …

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), released a statement in support of Daniela Vargas today. Thompson is a ranking member on the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, and represents parts of the city of Jackson in the U.S. House. His statement is below:

"Our country must have immigration policies that are constitutional and remain true to our values. Ms. Vargas appears to have committed no crime and was only speaking out on behalf of her family, who is threatened by this President's misguided immigration agenda. ICE's assertion that her detention is "routine" is absurd and seems anything but. Clearly, ICE resources used in this case would have been better utilized to find and detain dangerous criminals and get them off our streets. As a DACA recipient she should be allowed to stay here. Those like Ms. Vargas just want a better life for themselves and their families and are true believers in the American dream - they should not be pushed further into the shadows."

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."

Continental Tire awarded four Mississippi-based firms contracts to work on the construction of the Hinds County tire plant and training center, which will be located off of Interstate-20 just outside of Clinton.

Three firms, Jackson-based McCarty Architects, Clinton-based WGK Engineers and Tupelo-based Corbett Legge & Associates Engineering, were awarded 30 percent of the design contract for Continental’s training center, which is expected to begin in July 2017.

“We are thrilled to help Continental Tire make their vision of a new training facility a reality,” Kurt Shettles, McCarty Architects President & CEO, said in a press release. “Our previous experience with training facilities and automotive related projects gives us an opportunity to use that expertise to help make this project the best that it can be for our community and state.”

Jackson-based firm, Sol Engineering, was awarded a portion of the engineering design and program management contract for Continental’s tire plant.

For contracting information or updates visit www.mississippi.org/continental.

The Tax Foundation honored Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn with its Outstanding Achievement in State Tax Reform award this week.

"Reeves and Gunn led the effort to begin phasing out the state’s archaic franchise tax, a tax on investment and capital formation in a state that needs more of both," a press release from the Tax Foundation says. "Beginning in 2018, the tax rate will drop in phases until complete repeal in 2028. The legislation also reduces the tax rate on low levels of income. Reeves and Gunn have also explored further tax reform options."

Reeves and Gunn brought the Tax Foundation to the Legislature last summer to work with a tax panel made up of lawmakers to look at the state's tax code. The conservative Tax Foundation favors relieving tax burdens on businesses, and their award follows the 2016 Legislature's passage of the Taxpayer Pay Raise Act, which will divert $415 million from the state's general fund in 12 years.

On deadline day, both the House and the Senate passed their respective versions of "dummy" education funding formula bills out of committee that bring up code sections regarding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. The bills mark both House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves' commitment to at least looking at some of EdBuild's education funding recommendations, which were released two weeks ago in an 80-page report.

EdBuild's main recommendation is for the state to transition to a weighted student formula, which would work in a very different way than MAEP does now. Weights are attached to certain characteristics of students like special education, English language learners or "low-income" students to name a few. Weighted formulas give money based on those weights and the student populations they affect, so in theory, the district with the highest number of highest weighted student populations could have the most to gain--or not. How much weight each of those and other measures will get in the Legislature's proposed new formula is still unclear, and experts say that the weights are the political part of any weighted formula.

The dummy bills that came out of both committees today give no indications of what sort of weights the top lawmakers are considering or what total dollar amount lawmakers are working with to determine funding for the new formula or fiscal-year 2018, which begins July 1.

It's possible that specifics on any plans to re-vamp the formula won't be out until conference committee time, right before session ends. It's also possible that lawmakers will only address certain parts of EdBuild's recommendations. Both Rep. John Read, R-Gautier, and Sen. Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, mentioned the transparency measures from EdBuild's report, which would require school districts to track and report how they spend their funds in new ways.

There are a lot of questions up in the air, and the answers are few and far between. What's for certain is that the formula is certainly still up for debate and potential changes this session, but to what extent changes will be made depends on top lawmakers' decisions in the next 60 days.

The House passed House Bill 555, which previously failed and was held on a motion to reconsider, which would require Attorney General Jim Hood to get the governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state's permission before pursuing litigation that costs more than $250,000. The bill caused some debate, and some Republicans voted against the measure. Today, however, some lawmakers chose not to vote while other switched their votes. The bill passed by a vote of 63-56, with three lawmakers not voting.

Hood issued this statement in response:

“A legislator advised us that Entergy demanded another vote on the bill and that it be made retroactive. It’s no coincidence that the State’s case against Entergy is now active again in federal court, and this company fears having to pay more than $1 billion for its illegal acts," the statement says. “Obviously, House leadership and proponents of this bill bow down to their corporate masters, and it’s unfortunate that this bill’s supporters put such pressure on conscientious Republican legislators to change their vote. I am grateful for the bipartisan group of Democrats and Republicans that saw this bill for what it is: an unconstitutional, political power grab that puts the interests of corporations ahead of Mississippi citizens.”

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves wrote the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions a letter this week, to put his support for Trump's Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos in writing. In his Jan. 10 letter, Reeves wrote to Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) that DeVos represents a change that "our students so desperately need."

"As Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi, I know the importance of ensuring that every student has access to a truly revolutionary education, regardless of the zipcode in which they live or the income level of their parents," Reeves writes. "Mrs. DeVos's continued commitment to ensuring that every student has access to a school that best serves their needs -regardless of the delivery model or the school governance structure-gives me utmost confidence in her nomination and subsequent position."

DeVos's confirmation hearing was pushed back and is now scheduled for next Tuesday, largely due to the fact that the Office of Government Ethics had not completed a review of "DeVos's financial holdings and potential conflicts of interest," the Washington Post reported.

DeVos, known for her work as the Republican Party Chairwoman in Michigan and for using her political and monetary influence to support the school-choice movement there, is a big advocate of voucher programs, charter schools and lobbying for those efforts, reporting from the Detroit Free Press over the years show.

One editor in Detroit writes in an op-ed that DeVos is not qualified for her role because she has very little practical education experience. Indeed, DeVos hold a bachelor's degree in business administration and political science from Calvin College and has worked as a businesswoman at the Windquest Group and a principle actor in how the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation spends its money. Her political experience is evident, and her involvement in Michigan's Republican Party and lobbying for school-choice reforms are well-documented.

"She is, in essence, a lobbyist — someone who has used her extraordinary wealth to influence the conversation about education reform, and to bend that conversation to her ideological convictions despite the dearth of evidence supporting them," Detroit Free Press editor Stephen Henderson writes. "For 20 years, the lobby her family bankrolls has propped up the billion-dollar charter school industry and insulated it from commonsense oversight, even as charter schools repeatedly failed to deliver on their promises to parents and children."

DeVos and her husband, a billionaire businessman, were influential in how Michigan's charter school law was written back in 1993, Chalkbeat reports, and continues to be involved with ed policy decisions there.

"When Michigan lawmakers this year were considering a measure that would have added oversight for charter schools in Detroit, members of the DeVos family poured $1.45 million into legislators’ campaign coffers — an average of $25,000 a day for seven weeks. Oversight was not included in the final legislation," a 2016 Chalkbeat report says.

Consequently, the majority of Michigan's charter schools are run by private companies, …

Gov. Phil Bryant signed Executive Order 1392 which requires state employees to complete online sexual harassment awareness training.

"This should be a low-cost alternative to expensive seminars and provide a standard of prevention in this litigious society," Gov. Bryant said in his Facebook post announcing the order. "Everyone deserves a workplace free from intimidation and hostility. I will not tolerate sexual harassment in those agencies that fall under my control."

The State Personnel Board offers the training, and the Department of Finance and Administration will help state agencies administer the training, the executive order says. All state agencies must report to the governor's office by June 30, 2017, with evidence that their employees have completed the training.

Gov. Phil Bryant announced at MEC Capital Day on Thursday that Mississippi won the Business Facilities’ 2016 Economic Development Deal of the Year for sealing the deal with Continental Tire, which is set to open a tire plant outside of Clinton in Hinds County.

“To be chosen as the top recipient of Business Facilities’ 2016 Economic Development Deal of the Year national competition is a great honor for the state, the Mississippi Development Authority, Hinds County and the numerous individuals who worked tirelessly to bring Continental to Hinds County,” said Bryant said in an MDA press release. “This award confirms the state’s position as one of the top destinations for business and is something in which all Mississippians should take pride. I appreciate the team at Business Facilities for recognizing our efforts with this top honor.”

Bryant called a special legislative session last year to ram through the incentives package that brought Continental Tire to Mississippi in the first place. Continental invested $1.45 billion in the state, and eventually, the plant is supposed to create 2,500 jobs over the next decade. The state spent over $600 million in bonds and tax breaks to bring the German-based tire manufacturer to Hinds County, an AP analysis shows.

Bryant is a fan of tax cuts to bring in economic development projects. At the Jackson Marriott on Thursday, he reiterated his dedication to tax incentives to bring development and jobs to the state.

"Without tax incentives we've offered companies, they would not be here," Bryant told business leaders on Thursday.

The Hinds County tire plant will open with 100 jobs in 2018, but currently, the company is issuing contracts for development of the almost 1,000-acre plot. Mississippi companies are strongly encouraged to apply, but any company can bid on the contracts.

Below is an open letter from the Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference reproduced in full:

An Open Letter to All Mississippians and Our Leaders

We, the undersigned religious leaders, educators, community leaders, and citizens of Mississippi, hereby express our alarm at the increase in hate crimes and acts of abuse against Muslims and other minorities in Mississippi and across the United States.

We know that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” and we will not be silent and allow hatred against fellow Mississippians to go unnoticed and unchecked. We will not accept as normal the increasing violence in speech, action, and policies against our neighbors.

We call out our politicians and civic leaders, asking them to condemn as we do the toleration of abusive speech of political leaders against Muslims, women, and others. Such words and actions inflame and justify hatred, are counter to the Constitution, and will always harm the fabric of our democracy.

We know that some of our neighbors, tragically some of them children, Muslims and other religious minorities, have experienced abuse that creates fear and anxiety about their personal safety and acceptance in the United States. Those fears are justified based on the words and actions of politicians and their supporters, and these hurtful actions are documented by reputable sources such as the FBI.

We will stand with you, whether you are a Muslim, African-American, immigrant, ethnic minority, LGBTQ person, woman, Mexican, disabled person, or anyone who has felt threatened by recent events in the United States. We want you to know that we will support you and uphold your rights and human dignity. We open our hearts and arms to help you.

We believe and advocate for "liberty and justice for all," equally and without bias.

We will not be silent. We will not close our eyes.

In Faith,

The Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference (www.msrlc.org/)

The following organizations* have endorsed this letter:

 Beth Israel Congregation, Jackson

 International Museum of Muslim Cultures

 Jackson Board of Rabbis

 League of Women Voters of Jackson

 Masjid Muhammed

 Millsaps Jewish Culture Organization/Hillel

 Millsaps Religious Studies Department

 Millsaps Secular Society

 Millsaps Religious Studies Club

 Mississippi Black Methodists for Church Renewal

 Mississippi Center for Justice

 Mississippi Human Services Coalition

 Mississippi Low Income Childcare Initiative

 Mississippi Muslim Association

 Moor Community House

 Steps Coalition

 Temple B'nai Israel, Tupelo

 The Baha'i Jackson Cluster

 Tougaloo College Center for International Studies and Global Change

 Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson

*We are continuing to collect even more signatories from

the state of Mississippi.

State superintendent Dr. Carey Wright released her annual report today, which includes how and where school districts spend their state, federal and local dollars. Data included in that report show that school districts use state funds to operate at least half of their budgets on average, while local and federal funding make up the rest of a district's budget.

In total, 67 percent of all funds (federal, state and local) go toward instructional costs, while a little over 10 percent of that funding goes toward general and school administrative costs. School districts also spend a large chunk of their money on support costs for maintenance and building costs, tech support and transportation, the report shows.

The average expenditure per pupil in the 2015-2016 school year was $9,704, Wright's report shows. The average teacher salary was $44,416.

“The report provides evidence that the education reforms and legislative initiatives that have been implemented throughout our state are working,” said Wright said in a press release. “Mississippi students are benefiting from the state’s investment in public education.”

The report also highlights several grants Mississippi received, including a $6.6 million grant for MDE to improve their data system with a focus on evaluation and early learning.

Read the full JFP interview with Carey Wright and see http://www.mdek12.org/MBE/R2017.

Mississippi will receive over $52,000 after state and federal officials settled with Ashley Madison, an online dating website that caters primarily to married men, after a July 2015 data breach that led to leaks of users who had accounts on the site in 13 different states.

In a press release, Attorney General Jim Hood said that the company has agreed to strengthen their data security.

Ruby Corp., the entity that owns AshleyMadison.com, will make a payment of $1.66 million to the federal government and 13 states involved in an investigation of the company's practices. The company demonstrated through financial documentation that they were unable to pay a larger amount, although if information changes, they will pay an additional $17 million.

"This breach should remind everyone to be careful about his or her online activity, because there's always a chance that hackers will obtain their personal information," Attorney General Hood said in a press release. "I will not condone the actions of those who used this site nor the owners who provided a means for the destruction of marriages and the break-up of families. However, like every business, the owners of the site had an obligation to ensure that user information was secure, so they failed in their legal responsibility as well."

The data breach exposed information from millions of individuals, including photos, usernames, email addresses, and communications with other users, and much of this information was posted publicly online, the press release said.

In the settlement, the company agreed to end certain deceptive practices, to not create fake profiles, and to implement a stronger data security program, and in the wake of the security breach officials discovered that the website had created thousands of fake user profiles, misrepresented the strength of its security, and sold a "Full Delete" option which it did not carry out in all instances, a press release from Hood's office says.