Mississippi’s justification for unconstitutional abortion restrictions has long revolved around the assertion that the laws, like the 15-week ban recently taken up by the Supreme Court, protect women and children. But the reality is now, and has long been, that Mississippi women and children’s health and economic security is not prioritized.
With immense public pressure—and scorn—following the decision to scrap a wildly successful ballot initiative and the entire process alongside it, it seems likely that Mississippians will have access to some form of initiative and referendum process by the end of next year. But both the reasons for the initiative’s return in the 1990s and the explanation for the Legislature’s failure to adapt the process after the state lost its fifth district remain a subject of debate.
At age 13, Quindaris was charged as an adult in the October 2017 shooting death of 70-year-old Henry Adams, Jr. The Baldwyn businessman, who authorities said sold used vehicles out of his home and was known to have cash on hand, was found dead in his home from multiple gunshot wounds. Today, Quindaris Burress still awaits trial. At 16, he remains in the Lee County Adult Detention Center in Tupelo. His case renewed the debate over whether children should be charged as adults in capital murder cases.
Despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says life without parole should be “rare” for juveniles, Mississippi continues to sentence two-thirds of these teens to die in prison. Eight of a dozen Mississippi juveniles convicted of capital murder have received life-without-parole sentences. All but one are Black.
U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith signaled today that she does not plan to join her Democratic opponent, former U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, for a debate.
Canadian, Russian, South African and Ukrainian models appear in U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s first 2020 campaign ad for her Mississippi campaigns—but no Mississippians. Instead, the ad uses stock footage from foreign production companies as the senator talks about the work she has done to bring jobs and economic growth to Mississippians.
Mississippi Journalism and Education Group is a a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media organization (EIN 85-1403937) for the state, devoted to going beyond partisanship and publishing solutions journalism for the Magnolia State and all of its people.
125 S. Congress Street #1324
Jackson, MS 39201
info@mississippifreepress.org
tips@mississippifreepress.org
events@mississippifreepress.org
601-362-6121
The Mississippi Free Press is a project of the Mississippi Journalism and Education Group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit journalism organization (EIN 85-1403937).
