Jackson Free Press

The Mississippi Black Legislative Caucus will continue to slow down Republican lawmakers and the legislative process after House Bill 868 set off a debate Wednesday. Rep. Earle Banks, D-Jackson, said his caucus is not going to give up their slim majority and even after a meeting with the Speaker today, have not changed their position.

Rep. Banks said that House Bill 868, which would re-district Simpson County into the same Supreme Court district as Hinds and Madison counties, caused the caucus to vote to slow down the process yesterday. House Bill 868 prompted hours-long debate on Wednesday but ultimately passed to the Senate (after a tabled motion to reconsider).

Today, the Black Legislative Caucus opposed House Bill 14, which would create a moratorium on superintendent salary increases for school districts with C, D and F grades. They asked that the 431-page bill be read, after a long debate on the bill. The bill is still being read and has yet to be voted on. To listen to the live reading click here.

Below is the Black Legislative Caucus' press release in full, from Rep. Banks:

"During the 2016 Legislative Session, the Mississippi House Republicans have hosted one substantive hearing this session. That was on the election dispute involving Bo Eaton and Greg Tullos.

There, the Republican Leadership ignored the testimony of election experts; including the local election commissioners and the Secretary of State; and threw out 5 duly recorded votes. So it's not surprising that the House GOP has given up on the pretense of debating and vetting policy.

Instead, they have rushed out bills that would wreck public education; change voting districts; and throw up bureaucratic red tape for public health programs. Last summer, Speaker Phillip Gunn made a promise that he would not involve any democrats in the policy process. And so far, he has kept his word.

Now comes House Bill 868 which greatly reduces the black vote in the central district. Which in turn would insure a majority white representation from the Supreme Court to the Public Service commissioner. The current political climate in the State of Mississippi has changed like fall winter night as the Republicans have displayed their might in pushing bad legislation to the deferment of our State.

Today, caucus members met with Speaker Gunn to discuss our concerns. As a result, the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus has not changed its position to slow down the process by which Republican lawmakers are passing bills we view as detrimental to Mississippians."

Rolling into the South Carolina primary this weekend, here's a visual look at some of the polling data.

While former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is favored by a significant margin (59-40), it is interesting to see the older candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, with stronger support among the youngest voters.

Sanders polls at 63% among 18-29 voters and 55% of 30-44 voters, according to the YouGov/CBS News poll.

Clinton swings back with 69% of the over-45 vote among Democratic primary votes.

This is a verbatim statement from Jackson State University:

The Spring 2016 Academic Calendar has been revised because of two high-profile speakers for the undergraduate and graduate commencements. The graduate commencement is Friday, April 22, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. in the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center. The undergraduate commencement is Saturday, April 23, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Click here to view the revised schedule: See the Calendar PDF

Super Tuesday is here, with 865 pledged delegates up for grabs for the Democratic candidates and 595 available to the Republican candidates. Here's a visual guide to the states in play and the delegate counts.

Here's the Presidential Primary tracker, updated as results come in:

Rep. Jay Hughes, D-Oxford, says his failed amendment to HB 1444 which would have required all educational institutions that receive state tax dollars – explicitly charter schools - to publicly disclose the name and salary of individual teachers, failed because it doesn't match the "Capitol's way" of ensuring transparency.

Hughes posted that his "version of transparency" failed 63-54.

Read Jay Hughes’s Facebook post here.

UPDATE: Boil Water Notice Lifted

The City of Jackson and the Mississippi Department of Health report that the boil notice for the NW Progress Parkway has been lifted as of March, 4. The water is now safe to drink, but residents are advised to first flush their system by running the faucets for at least two minutes before using.

Previous report: The City of Jackson issued a precautionary boil water notice Wednesday morning for a small part of north Jackson.

The release, posted in its entirety on the Mississippi Department of Health’s website, states that the notice affects only 5 connections around the NW Progress Parkway, located to the east of Hilda Drive and to the south of W. County Line Rd. The boil water notice was issued because the water pressure to the connections dropped.

“This is a precautionary advisory,” the release stated. “This notice does not mean that your water is unsafe, but it does mean that you must take precaution and boil your water before use.”

The city will advise the public when it is safe to drink the water without boiling but did not indicate a timetable.

“All customers are advised to boil their drinking water until adequate pressure is restored to the system. “

Although it is perfectly safe to bathe, it may not be safe to ingest the water.

“Water should be brought to a rolling boil for one minute for the following: cooking or baking, making ice cubes, taking medication, brushing teeth, washing food, mixing baby formula or food, mixing juices or drinks, feeding pets, washing dishes and all other consumption.”

When the boil notice is lifted, it is important to flush the faucets for a total of ten minutes to ensure that the water from the home moves through, and fresh water replaces it.

Email city reporter Tim Summers, Jr. at [email protected] See more local news at jfp.ms/localnews.

Mississippi is one step closer to election reform after the House passed the 283-page election code bill this morning. The bill is the product of a committee formed by the secretary of state last year, which included lawmakers, circuit clerks and election commissioners from around the state. Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann told the Stennis Capitol Press Forum in February that the reform is "well worth our efforts, and all of these changes are big parts of an interwoven election code that should be passed."

A similar election reform bill is still on the Senate calendar, but it would have to pass today to stay alive. The deadline for original action on either chamber floor for general bills is today. For bills that have been held on a motion to reconsider, the deadline is tomorrow.

Developing story ...

Mayor Tony Yarber posted an announcement on Instagram (@tonyyarber) tonight of a "Straight Outta Patience: Take Down the Flag" rally for Tuesday, March 8, at noon at the state capitol in downtown Jackson. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, a well-known pastor from Baltimore, will help lead the rally, which he is also promoting on social media (@jamalhbryant on Instagram and Twitter). He wrote on Instagram tonight: "Mississippi!!! ... is last state to wave the Confederate flag! Tuesday we suing the governor to bring it down! Meet me."

Bryant founded the Empowerment Temple in Baltimore in 2000, which his website calls "the fastest-growing church in the A.M.E. denomination."

Mayor Yarber just wrote simply, "Straight Outta Patience!! See y'all Tuesday!"

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This weekend, I've seen a lot of excuses for Donald Trump's bigotry and xenophobia from his supporters, who don't seem to have many reasons for supporting him other than they are sick and tired of the way things are now. One gentleman showed up on my Facebook page to defend supporting Trump, saying it's not about bigotry and calling me "intolerant toward those holding different opinions" because I was willing to call out Trump's blatant bigotry.

I looked at his Facebook page, and he had reposted a letter to the RNC supposedly explaining why Trump supporters are fed up. The gist of it was about getting rid of "rabid, messy, mean raccoons":

You’ve been on vacation for two weeks, you come home, and your basement is infested with raccoons. Hundreds of rabid, messy, mean raccoons have overtaken your basement. You want them gone immediately…You call the city and four different exterminators, but nobody could handle the job. There is this one guy however, who guarantees you he will get rid of them, so you hire him. You don’t care if the guy smells, you don’t care if the guy swears, you don’t care how many times he’s been married, you don’t care if he was friends with liberals, you don’t care if he has plumber’s crack…you simply want those raccoons gone! You want your problem fixed! He’s the guy. He’s the best. Period. Here’s why we want Trump: Yes he’s a bit of an ass, yes he’s an egomaniac, but we don’t care. The country is a mess because politicians have become too self-serving. The Republican Party is two-faced & gutless. Illegal aliens have been allowed to invade our nation. We want it all fixed! We don’t care that Trump is crude, we don’t care that he insults people, we don’t care that he had been friendly with Hillary, we don’t care that he has changed positions, we don’t care that he’s been married three times, we don’t care that he fights with Megan Kelly and Rosie O’Donnell, we don’t care that he doesn’t know the name of some Muslim terrorist.

When I asked the gentleman on my Facebook page (whom I don't know) who he thought the "raccoons" are, he said he "assumed" that the piece he was reposting meant "illegal immigrants"—perhaps not knowing that he is speaking of human beings that Trump has said the most horrible things about, especially the darkish ones south of the U.S. border. He also added: "Not agreeing on issues or politicians or political parties is one thing but when either side turns to vile hate towards others that don't agree with them then that is bigotry."

I'm seeing this argument all the time now from Trump supporters: It is just as "racist" — ??? — to point out someone's bigotry as it is to be the bigot, at least according to their twisted rationalization. In addition to being incredibly absurd logic, this is a straight-up defense of …

This afternoon is the deadline for general bills held on a motion to reconsider to pass through both the House and the Senate. The Senate calendar includes Jackson airport "takeover" bill and a bill that would prohibit "sanctuary cities" in the state, while the House could take up a bill that passed by one vote that would require the Attorney General to receive written approval from the Outside Counsel Oversight Commission for any lawsuit that would cost more than $250,000 in the amount sought.

The House passed the Attorney General oversight commission bill last Tuesday, but the bill was held on a motion to reconsider after it passed by a vote of 61-60. The Senate debated the airport "takeover" bill for over two hours last Thursday, and after it passed (mainly along party line votes), it was held on a motion to reconsider and not taken up on Friday. The House and the Senate both reconvene at 4 p.m. this afternoon.

Today at noon, Pastor Dwayne K. Pickett and Pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant will lead a rally to take down the Mississippi flag on the Miss. capitol steps. The Take It Down team released this statement today:

On this day of history where Mississippians head to the polls for its primary presidential race, Pastor Dwayne K. Pickett, chairman of BMA Inc., will be joined by Pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant of Baltimore, Md., for a rally to TAKE DOWN THE REBEL FLAG. Jamal Harrison Bryant, former director of the NAACP youth and college division, (a) leading voice for black lives matter, and mega-church pastor in America has come to Jackson. Jamal Bryant will voice the grave concern about the state of Mississippi still flying a flag that was used to lynch African Americans and is a known tool at KKK gatherings across the United States of America.

It's also presidential primary election day, and polls will be open until 7 p.m today. If you're in line at 7 p.m., you can vote. For those who don't have their voter ID, these are forms of ID accepted at the polls:

• Driver's License
• Photo ID card issued by a branch, department, or entity of the State of Mississippi
• United States passport
• Government employee ID card
• Firearms license
• Student photo ID issued by an accredited Mississippi university, college, or community/junior college
• United States military ID
• Tribal photo ID
• Any other photo ID issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the US government or any state government
• A Mississippi Voter Identification Card

For more information on elections or to find your polling place, visit the Secretary of State's website here. If you see any problems at the polls, call the JFP at 601-362-6121 ext. 12, or email [email protected].

As votes come in tonight, campaign parties for presidential candidates will take place across the metro area. The Hillary Clinton Mississippi Campaign party will start at 6:30 p.m. at Hal and Mal's (200 S. Commerce St.). Please call 601-720-7653 for more information. The Bernie Sanders Mississippi Campaign will be following the returns at their headquarters at 824 Foley St. in Jackson. Please call 601-937-1524 for more information.

Amidst the general political chaos of the presidential primaries and visits from Bill Clinton and Donald "Drumpf" Trump, Grammy Award winner CeeLo Green also made a stop in the city of Jackson. As is usually the case with the eccentric singer and songwriter, he didn't come alone.

Wherever Green pops up, whether it's a TV appearance or an interview, his Yorkshire terrier, Harrison Zulander, or "Zu" for short, is usually tagging along and looking simultaneously nonplussed and adorable. He even came to Jackson for Green's performance at Hal & Mal's on Tuesday, March 8.

Zu isn't just a tag-along trophy pet, however. When not eliciting smiles from famous folk such as Ashanti, Steve Aoki and Blake Shelton, he's a social-media socialite, with more than 1,400 followers on his Instagram and another 254 followers on his Twitter.

The Yorkie is also a spokes-puppy and model for Los Angeles-based Dogs of Glamour. Zu is featured prominently on the website for the high-end canine accessories brand, rocking pieces from the Dogs of Glamour product line, such as jackets, t-shirts and classy carrier bags.

Oh, and if anyone was curious, Zu is available for "speaking" engagements.

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Fresh off a controversy in Hattiesburg, in which the owner of the Dollar Box Showroom said he was pressured to cancel her show, Big Freedia is returning to Mississippi with a vengeance. In what the New Orleans bounce artist is calling "Twerkloose" performances, her manager Reid Martin told the JFP today that they have added a March 24 show at Martin's in Jackson, the day before the rescheduled Hattiesburg performance.

Get ready, Jackson.

The Mississippi State Department of Health if offering lead testing for children on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until further notice at the Hinds County Health Department located at the Jackson Medical Mall, 350 W. Woodrow Wilson, Suite 411. No appointment is needed.

This service is only provided for children 6 months to 5 years old who regularly consume water from the City of Jackson water system.

The cost of lead testing will be covered by Medicaid, MS CAN (Magnolia and United) and CHIP recipients. For children not covered by those programs, lead testing costs $30.

Parents with children 5 years or younger should contact their child's pediatrician or primary care provider to determine whether lead screening may be needed for their children.

The Jackson Zoo has announced that Zoo Day (planned for Saturday) has been cancelled due to the "current flooding in the Metro and more rain in the forecast," according to a press release. "UnitedHealthcare and the Jackson Zoo have made the decision to cancel Saturday’s events."

After 18 years in the international alternative music scene, Motion City Soundtrack has announced that the band will enter an indefinite hiatus following its upcoming 29-date United States tour.

The tour will begin May 5 in Portland and end June 24 in Minneapolis, the city where vocalist Justin Pierre and guitarist Joshua Cain, the two remaining founding members, first began playing together as Motion City Soundtrack in 1997. Over the course of the band's career, Pierre and his cohorts released six studio albums, the most notable being 2007's "Even If It Kills Me," which reached No. 16 on the Billboard Charts, and 2010's "My Dinosaur Life," which debuted at No. 15. The group released its final album, "Panic Stations," on Sept. 18, 2015.

"It has been a quiet winter for us," the band said in a press release. "We've had some time at home after a very busy 2015. With this time, we've been able to think about the past, present and future of Motion City Soundtrack.

"All of this thinking has led to several conversations, and these conversations have led us to a very bittersweet realization: We have no idea what the future holds, but for now we are done. Needless to say, we're feeling all the feels - you may be, as well. If so, or if you've ever been touched by our music, we ask you to come out and sing along with us one last time in 2016."

For more information, visit motioncitysoundtrack.com.

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According to the U.S. Health and Human Services department, Health Insurance Marketplaces nationwide signed up nearly 4.9 million new customers for 2016 coverage during the third Open Enrollment period. In total, about 12.7 million people signed up or automatically renewed their plans for 2016 coverage, of which about 40 percent were new customers. In Mississippi, approximately 49,000 were new customers to the Marketplace.

In the wake of Governor Bryant's declaration of Confederate Heritage Month, the NAACP of Mississippi has created a petition calling for "Union Army Appreciation Month."

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

Jackson City Councilman De'Keither Stamps, of Ward 4, says he voted against the Trilogy Engineering Inc. contract to do a corrosion study for the city last week because it is an "unfunded mandate" by the State of Mississippi—and one the taxpayers cannot afford. In two videos on his YouTube channel, Stamps said his main priority wasn't who was getting the contract, but that the State was demanding that the City suddenly pay $400,000 for a corrosion study, instead of helping the capital city.

"I know several of the subcontractors personally," he says in the most recent video (see below). The issue is I don’t want to spend $400,000 when we don’t have it. This is an unfunded mandate from the State of Mississippi. If they can help us, I’m all for it. … It’s not something we’ve budgeted for."

Stamps, who has unsuccessfully asked for an emergency declaration over the lead issue several times, says the City needs stand and/or federal assistance in order to make sure Jackson residents are safe, especially in areas where 90 percent of the water tested positive for at least trace elements of lead.

"I want to test every child in the whole city that’s in these affected areas," he said in the second video below.