Jackson Free Press

Election Day. Secretary of State Eric Clark will lead the introductory Political Forum, then U.S. Representative Benny Thompson and Mississippi Supreme Court justices will be featured in four televised debates sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Mississippi and WLBT-TV (Channel 3) this month. A panel of journalists and League members will question the candidates in each debate.

At 12:30 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 9) on WLBT in Jackson, the Political Forum will survey national, state and local issues and candidates on the ballot. Then, in subsequent weekends, candidates vying for the Thompson‚s District 2 Congressional seat and for three State Supreme Court positions will face off in the debates.
"One goal of the League of Women Voters is to make voters more aware of issues in our judicial system," said Fran Leber of Jackson, co-president of the nonpartisan state League. „Oftentimes, voters leave judicial races blank on their ballots ˜ because they don‚t know much about them.

"Since we also have two Congressional races underway in mid-Mississippi, the League and WLBT invited those candidates to debate as well," she said.

All candidates agreed to debate except incumbent U.S. Representative Charles "Chip" Pickering (R), who refused to debate, and one of his challengers, Lamonica L. Magee (Reform), who did not respond to the invitation, said WLBT news director Dennis Smith. Thus, Pickering challenger, Jim Giles (I), who did want to debate, will appear in an interview with WLBT on Saturday‚s political forum, Smith said.

All four debates will be moderated by WLBT‚s Smith and will include WLBT news anchor Howard Ballou as one of the interviewing panel of journalists. A political reporter from The Associated Press (AP) in Jackson also will be on each panel, as will a League official.

Here are the five televised events on NBC affiliate WLBT-TV. (One debate also will air on sister station WLOX-TV in Biloxi.)

** 12:30 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 9) ˜ A Political Forum features Clark, WLBT news anchor Bert Case and Ballou. In lieu of a debate for Congressional District 3, Giles‚ interview will air.

** 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16 ˜ A debate among Supreme Court candidates for District 1 / Central (Position 2) features incumbent James Graves and challengers Ceola James, Samac S. Richardson and William L. "Bill" Skinner. Panelists will be Smith and Ballou of WLBT, Shelia Hardwell of the AP, and Neva Greenwald, past president of the Mississippi League.

** 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23 ˜ A debate among candidates in the Congressional District 2 race
features incumbent Bennie Thompson (D), Clinton LeSeur (R) and Shawn O‚Hara (Reform). Panelists will be Smith and Ballou of WLBT, Emily Wagster Pettus of the AP, and Joyce Dortch, president of the Jackson League.

** 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30 ˜ A debate among Supreme Court candidates for District 2 / Southern (Position 3) features Joe Lee and Mike Randolph; Randolph was appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour to fill the unexpired term of Ed Pittman, who retired early. Panelists will be Smith and Ballou of WLBT, Jack Elliott of the AP, and Margaret Ennis, president of the Gulf Coast League. (This debate also will air at 5:30 a.m. Oct. 30 on WLOX.)

** 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31 ˜ A debate among Supreme Court candidates for District 1 / Central (Position 1) features "Richard" Ray Grindstaff and incumbent William L. "Bill" Waller Jr. Panelists will be Smith and Ballou of WLBT, Jack Elliott of the AP, and Leber, co-president of the state League.

"Remember, bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote ˜ or who do vote, but are uninformed," Leber said.

The non-partisan, non-profit political League exists to encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in government. Smith said WLBT agreed to co-sponsor the events as a public service.

The nine-member Supreme Court is the state‚s "court of last resort" and hears appeals from the state‚s lower courts. It has also has original jurisdiction in cases that involve: public utility rate changes, contested elections, the death penalty, annexations, bond issues, and other matters of statute, judicial process, the constitution, etc. Justices serve staggered, eight-year terms.

Election Day is Nov. 2. Visit the Mississippi League‚s Web site at http://www.lwv-ms.org or WLBT‚s Web site at http://www.wlbt.com
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