Jackson Free Press

Gov. Phil Bryant has filled both Mississippi Supreme Court vacancies, following the departure of Justices Randy Pierce and David Chandler. Former District 1 Court of Appeals Judge James Maxwell and tenth district chancellor Dawn Beam will join the state's highest court in the new year.

Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. said in statement that Judge Maxwell's "energy and experience will serve the court and the citizens of the state well.” Waller expressed enthusiasm at Beam's arrival to the court. In a statement, he said Judge Beam has continued to go above standards in helping her court's district convert to an all electronic filing system. Beyond clerical duties, Waller said Beam "has tirelessly worked to resolve issues regarding placement and supervision of abused and neglected children.”

Judge Beam has been involved with her district's work to guarantee safe homes for all children and recently spoke at a community meeting in December praising the local Department of Human Services workers in Marion County for the changes they've made in their office--including upping personnel numbers. The increased personnel led to 160 children being removed from their homes due to court orders that cited deplorable living conditions or drug abuse at home.

Judge Maxwell was appointed to the district court by former Gov. Haley Barbour in 2009 and re-elected in 2014. He practiced civil law in Jackson and worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the northern district of Mississippi.

The following is a verbatim statement from former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour:

Advocates of the proposed constitutional amendment known as Initiative 42 have twisted a passage in my 2007 State of the State address to mislead voters into believing I support their very harmful ballot measure. Not only am I against Initiative 42, I strongly urge all Mississippians to vote “against both” measures on the November ballot.

When I spoke to the Legislature in January 2007, our state had turned the corner in the Katrina recovery: The federal government had been extremely generous with disaster assistance legislation; state tax revenue had exploded as tens of thousands of homes had been rebuilt or repaired; casinos that year would have an all-time record gaming haul; all of which produced the highest state tax revenue in our 188-year history. Further, our country was in the sixth year of consistent economic growth and low unemployment.

Based on those facts I proposed record funding for our K-12 schools, a funding level that met the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP), as well as increased state funding for higher education. The money was there to spend at those levels, and everyone expected state revenue to increase in the coming years.

Yet the country began a deep recession in late 2007, which lasted nationally until mid-2009.
During the Great Recession, Mississippi’s general fund revenue came in $197.1 million or 1.67% below estimates in FY 2009 and a whopping $452 million or nearly 9.5% below estimates in FY 2010.

As Governor I had to reduce spending across the board in FY 2010 by 9.4% in order to meet our requirement of having a balanced budget. Consider the consequences if Initiative 42 had been the law at that time: Instead of all departments and agencies sharing in the 9.4% cut, K-12 (which absorbs about 40% of our state’s general fund budget) would have been exempt from cuts, and every other function of government – universities and community colleges, mental health facilities, and public safety – would have had to be cut nearly double, or approximately 18%.

As this recent history shows, Initiative 42 is terrible as a practical matter because it ties the Legislature’s hands and jeopardizes funding for other critical areas of state government.

It is also awful public policy because it totally eviscerates the constitutional system of separation of powers that has been fundamental to American government since 1789.

Initiative 42 would usurp the setting of K-12 education policy and budget, taking it away from the Legislature and Governor – elected by all Mississippi voters – and give it to the judicial branch; indeed, to one chancery judge, elected by one-fourth of the voters in Hinds County.

While advocates of judicial policymaking and budget setting say that one judge’s decisions would be appealable to the State Supreme Court, how is it a good idea to allow judges – elected for their judicial temperament, legal knowledge and ability to apply law to facts – …

Glad we got that straight.

In a segment on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Haley Barbour (looking disturbingly like he'd swung by a mortician's office on his way to the broadcast) opined—in the dulcet tones of that version of his accent that he uses for national TV—that he's not particularly offended by the Mississippi flag ("or the Confederate flag for that matter"), but he'll be happy to let "the people" decide.

He also pitched his apology to the freedom riders and the civil rights museum that "we're" building as evidence of the progress under his administration.

Also... is it me, or is it super interesting that they all just call him "Haley."

I almost wonder if he pitched this segment while they were all sitting around his bar last night.

After that exchange, stick around for a little whitewashing of his "leadership" after Katrina and a pitch of his new book.

Lord have mercy.

At the Dec. 1 Stennis Press Forum, Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves spoke about upcoming efforts for education reform, touted school choice alongside greater funding and announced plans to move away from Common Core standards.

Mississippi Department of Education leaders responded with this statement:

Joint statement from State Board of Education Chairman Dr. John Kelly and State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carey Wright on Lieutenant Governor’s remarks on education

While we fully support the Lieutenant Governor’s desire to set the highest possible standards for the students of Mississippi, we have grave reservations about changing the playbook in the middle of the game. The Mississippi Board of Education adopted the state’s College- and Career-Ready Standards in 2010, which set a new baseline expectation for what students should learn and achieve. The need for higher standards was made evident by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, which evaluated education standards in every state. The institute deemed Mississippi’s math standards “mediocre,” and described our English standards as among “the worst in the country.”

Mississippi’s College- and Career-Ready Standards are by far the highest academic standards we have ever had in the state or the nation. Mississippi is one of 46 states that voluntarily adopted these rigorous standards to prepare students for the demands of 21st century careers. Both Gov. Phil Bryant and former Gov. Haley Barbour endorsed the standards when they each signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that denoted the State of Mississippi as a Governing State in the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) consortium.

Though we now have our highest academic standards in history, the standards have always been viewed as the floor, or minimum, of what to expect from our students. The state Board of Education and Department of Education will continue to aim high by always raising the bar for academic achievement. We welcome the opportunity to partner with lawmakers and stakeholders in this effort.

We understand that the term “Common Core” has become a lightning rod in some political circles, and as a result, has become attached to an unprecedented level of misinformation. For example, Oklahoma had its U.S. Department of Education flexibility waiver revoked because it did not have standards in place when it dropped the Common Core State Standards. Having rigorous standards is a requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Mississippi remains in charge of its education policies and must remain committed to higher standards.

The Lieutenant Governor’s proposal to drop Mississippi’s College- and Career-Ready Standards and write new ones is not as simple as it may appear. Developing new standards is a multiyear, and very expensive, process. Implementing new standards also takes several years. Just ask the thousands of educators and school leaders around the state who have invested a tremendous amount of time, work, training, and resources to implement our College- and Career-Ready Standards. These costs include millions of dollars invested by local school districts for textbooks, curriculum materials, and professional development. Changing course after our …

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves will make a donation to a Mississippi charity in the amount his political campaign received from indicted Rankin County businessman Cecil McCrory.

McCrory was indicted last week along with former Mississippi Department of Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps in an alleged bribery and kickback scheme.

A former Rankin County Republican lawmaker turned businessman specializing in corrections consulting, McCrory has donated $1,500 to Reeves over the years. Reeves will donate that amount to the Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi, his office said today. McCrory also contributed at least $1,300 to Gov. Phil Bryant, who told the Associated Press that he would give that sum to the Salvation Army.

Several other Republican elected officials have received similar donations from McCrory, including Public Service Commissioner Lynn Posey, Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall, Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney. Former Gov. Haley Barbour and former Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck also received contributions from McCrory as well.

A search of state campaign-finance records show that Epps made two contributions totaling $225 to Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, who appointed Epps to MDOC's top post in 2003.

Christopher Epps, the long-tenured commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections has resigned effective today.

The letter of resignation he submitted to Gov. Phil Bryant did not state a reason for the unexpected departure nor has MDOC made one public.

The Clarion-Ledger cites "multiple sources" who confirm the existence of a federal probe, but the newspaper does not specify whether Epps is the subject of the investigation.

Epps had been the longest serving prison chief in state history.

Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove first appointed Epps to lead the agency in 2002; two subsequent Republican governors, Haley Barbour and Phil Bryant, kept Epps in place.

MDOC is searching for an interim commissioner.

Charles Barbour

This morning Hinds County GOP Chairman Pete Perry told reporters that the runoff election between Sen. Thad Cochran and Sen. Chris McDaniel went smoothly and was conducted properly. He denied allegations that Hinds poll workers were denied poll books so that they could check to see if anyone had already voted Democratic in the initial primary on June 3, which would have made their vote ineligible.

These illegal crossover votes had been the topic of much discussion by the McDaniel campaign, who believed they’d find enough to challenge the results of the election.

Perry told reporters that Claude McInnis, who initially told Breitbart about the lack of access to poll books, lied. When asked about allegations of vote buying, as reported on GotNews.com, Perry said, “It’s time for them to put up or shut up.”

He said the McDaniel campaign would have to find proof of voter fraud and vote buying to move forward with those claims.

“I’m not aware of any vote buying,” Perry said.

Perry’s company, Paradigm Government Relations, was paid $60,000 by the pro-Cochran super PAC Mississippi Conservatives, started by Henry Barbour.

Still, Perry said he oversaw the examination of poll books and absentee ballots and that representatives from both campaigns only found roughly 350 ineligible votes.

McDaniel’s campaign plans to hold a press conference tomorrow to discuss the findings from their inspection of ballot boxes and how they plan to move forward in challenging the election results. McDaniel supporters are anxious to hear how he will respond to Perry’s statements that the campaign was conducted in accordance with the law.

Noel Fritsch, McDaniel campaign spokesperson, said:

"We hope that the fact Pete Perry was paid $60,000 by Thad Cochran's super PAC to move Democrat votes in Hinds County had nothing to do with the fraud he is alleged to have engaged in, but we're glad Pete has taken a sudden interest in the integrity of the election, and hope he helps Mississippians find the truth about whether he ordered precincts to allow ineligible Democrats to vote illegally on June 24th."

In the GOP's continued saga of internecine warfare, there's another front opening in the Battle of Mississippi with a shot coming from... Missouri?

The chairman of the Missouri GOP wants the campaign investigated by the Republican National Committee, according to the Washington Post. The Missouri GOP chair wants the RNC to investigate racially-charged robocalls and ads that appear to have been placed in Canton, Miss., and elsewhere in support of Cochran's run-off bid.

The head of the Missouri Republican Party on Tuesday asked Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus to appoint a task force to investigate what he called “racially divisive ads and robocalls” critical of state Sen. Chris McDaniel in the Republican runoff for U.S. Senate in Mississippi.

Ed Martin, the GOP chair in Missouri, is apparently concerned that Henry Barbour, nephew of former Governor Haley Barbour, may be behind a radio ad that was reported by Britain's Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail story, which offers an in-depth investigation to determine who placed the ads and how, notes that the ads were tagged "paid for by Citizens for Progress," a group that isn't registered with the FEC.

According to the Daily Mail, this same group name had been used previously by Mitzi Bickers, an Atlanta pastor, who, coincidentally, was being paid by Mississippi Conservatives -- a "super PAC" created by Haley Barbour and run by his nephew, Henry Barbour.

The younger Barbour told the Daily Mail he didn't know about the radio ads, although he acknowledged hiring Bickers to run a robocall campaign in the Cochran-McDaniel runoff.

In the radio ad, McDaniel is linked to an "ally" of the KKK, and listeners are warned that a McDaniel victory could mean a loss of government benefits such as food stamps, lunch programs and disaster assistance.

Voter ID would secure the integrity of elections, they said. Voter ID would prevent election fraud, they said.

Yet, in the first election where voter ID was used in Mississippi, complaints of voter fraud among Republicans have been rampant.

Incidentally, none of the the accusations spelled out in a lawsuit filed yesterday over the GOP primary runoff for U.S. Senate have anything to do with voter impersonation, which voter ID was designed to stop.

Also, interestingly, a lot of the top Republican officials hollerin about voter fraud have made nary a peep about the the allegations that have surfaced about vote buying in the race in the race between U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran and state Sen. Chris McDaniel, who also chairs the Senate Elections Committee.

Where's Delbert? Haley? Phil Bryant? (All three are Cochran supporters, by the way)

Brandon Jones of the Mississippi Democratic Trust posed a similar question in a statement sent to the press on Monday: "The citizens of this state were sold a package of voting laws by leaders who told us that their main concern was election integrity. These leaders, like Secretary of State Hosemann, now have an opportunity to show that all the talk about protecting the vote wasn't politics as usual."

I did a quick search and found these examples of GOP officials over the years talking about protecting the integrity of the elections:

"I believe that anyone who understands (like I do) that there is voter fraud occurring in our elections throughout the state and who does not support meaningful voter reforms to help clean up that system is part of the problem instead of part of the solution. … The problem is real and a strong Voter ID law is part of the solution."

—State Sen. Joey Fillingane, Y'all Politics op-ed October 2012

“This legislation is about protecting the integrity of Mississippi’s elections. This legislation is a direct result of the majority of Mississippians expressing their desire for a constitutional voter ID requirement in the state. We want everyone to participate in the election process, and we want that process to be fair and secure.”

—Gov. Phil Bryant, May 2012

"Voter ID is not about intimidation; it is simply about integrity and having a fair and honest election."

— Pete Smith, spokesman for Gov. Haley Barbour, 2004

"We need voter ID and we can't stop until we get it. … We need to continue to prosecute those who steal your vote."

— Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, Neshoba Democrat, July, 2009

Tyrone Hendrix and Dennis Sweet IV will be heading for the Ward 6 City Council Election, which is scheduled for July 1.

In yesterday's election, Hendrix came out on top with 546 votes. Sweet was only nine votes behind with 537 votes total. Rashaad Crisler came in third place with 429 votes. The polling results can be viewed in its entirety on the city's website at http://www.jacksonms.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=79.

Hendrix was born and raised in Jackson. He is a longtime Democratic Party operative who helped manage Jonathan Lee's campaign for mayor in 2013 and worked with Regina Quinn during the recent special election for mayor. Before working for Lee last year, Hendrix—who runs a political consulting firm with his wife, Ercilla—was deputy campaign manager for Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny Dupree's 2011 gubernatorial bid.

He was also state director for Organizing for America, a grassroots advocacy group affiliated with the Democratic National Committee, and other community-organizing groups. During the 2009 Jackson mayor's race, Hendrix worked on the campaigns for state Sen. John Horhn in the Democratic primary and Harvey Johnson in the runoff and general election. In 2008, Hendrix worked on Barack Obama's first presidential campaign.

In a recent interview with Jackson Free Press, Hendrix explained what his top priorities would be if he obtained the Ward 6 seat.

"Hands down, in the first few weeks I’ll be going to the residents of Ward 6," Hendrix said. "I think that we can’t get so caught up in what we think the issues are, and I think we have a pretty good sense of what they are because I, personally, go knock on doors and make phone calls every day to residents of Ward 6. But at that particular time I think we’ll have to reinforce what we think the biggest issues are.

"…We also have problems with our children not having a place to go so they walk the street, they stay at home, they get in trouble. They say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop. The saying is often used, but it also applies particularly in Ward 6 because a lot of places have closed down, particularly the parks. The park areas that we have in the ward, if they are open, they are unsightly. It’s not inviting for people to want to come and spend time in that green space, which would be a great place for kids to go."

Sweet works with his father at Sweet & Associates, where the younger Sweet specializes in civil litigation, civil rights, personal injury, medical malpractice, premises liability and criminal defense.

Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Chicago, Sweet has practiced law in Mississippi since 2008. He has also worked as an adjunct professor and volunteer pre-law adviser for Tougaloo College, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 2004. Sweet attended Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and he received a Master of Laws from the George Washington University Law School in 2011.

In a recent interview with JFP, Sweet talked …

The City announced the following people as candidates in the upcoming Ward 6 election for City Council:

• Daniel Myers
• Robert Amos
• Dennis Sweet, IV
• Tim Rush
• Wayne Lewis
• Robert E. Green, Sr.
• Rashaad Crisler
• Tyrone C. Hendrix

The deadline to file for candidacy ended at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The unofficial list originally consisted of 11 candidates. However, some names were ultimately cast out due to problems with signature filing.

The election is scheduled for June 17, and a runoff election, should it be in order, is set for July 1.

The Florida League of Women Voters released the following verbatim news release Tuesday, May 27, 2014 in regard to a recently-completed study on charter schools across the state.

League of Women Voters Releases State-Wide Study on School Choice

Tallahassee, Fla — Twenty percent of the state's charter schools close because of financial mismanagement or poor academic standards, according to the League of Women Voters of Florida after a year-long study of charter schools in 28 Florida counties.

"Charter schools could fill a niche in Florida's educational spectrum, but for many, their biggest contribution may be to corporate bottom lines," said Deirdre Macnab, President of the League of Women Voters of Florida.

With over 576 charter schools in the state, the League of Women Voters of Florida conducted a study in order to better understand the oversight, management, accountability and transparency of charter and private schools in Florida.

The study found that:

Approximately one-third of charters are run by for-profit management companies. Many screen students, then drop those who are not successful, which public schools are prohibited from doing. Charters also serve particular socio-economic groups, increasing segregation in schools.

Although charters tend to be smaller than traditional schools, there is no consistent difference in achievement for charter school and public school students.

Many charters blur the distinction between religious and non-secular schools. Some churches receive as much as a million dollars in lease payments annually for their facilities from charter schools.

In areas with declining enrollments, neither the charters nor regular public schools are large enough to adequately provide support for staff like nurses or counselors. Retaining teachers is also a problem; most charters offer lower salaries and benefits than public schools.

The League's study produced several recommendations:

Charters should be limited to those that fill unmet needs in identified local school districts.

Stronger local management oversight and disclosure policies are needed.

Financial mismanagement issues must be addressed, as too often the privatization of schools leads to financial abuse.

For more information, including further findings and recommendations, please see the state-wide study, along with the individual studies conducted by eighteen local Leagues across Florida.

The League of Women Voters of Florida, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, please visit the League's website at: http://www.TheFloridaVoter.org.

FLORIDA LEGISLATORS WITH A DIRECT INTEREST IN CHARTER SCHOOLS:

Conflict of Interest Concerns

Senator John Legg Chair of Senate Education Committee is co-founder and business administrator of Daysprings Academy in Port Richey.

Senator Kelli Stargel from Orange County is on board of McKeel Academies. She is on the Education Committee and sponsored the Parent Trigger Bill.

House Budget Chairman Seth McKeel is on the board of McKeel Academy Schools in Polk County.

Anne Corcoran, wife of future House Speaker Richard Corcoran has a charter school in Pasco County. Richard Corcoran is Chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

Senator Anitere Flores …

Three Mississippi businesses that are participating in the If You're Buying, We're Selling sticker campaign are currently demanding that the American Family Association retract statements that accused them of discriminating against Christians. The three businesses include The Golden Growler, The Keg and Barrel, and La Finestra.

The AFA issued a news release on its website Monday that stated:

"Ironically, this sticker represents the very promotion of discrimination…against freedom of religious convictions. Businesses that display this sticker believe Christians should be forced, by law, to embrace homosexuality and deny their faith in personal business practices."

The entire news release can be read on the AFA's website: http://action.afa.net/item.aspx?id=2147545307.

Attorney Alexander Ignatiev of Hattiesburg, who represents the three businesses, issued the following statements in a cease and desist letter to AFA President Timony Wildmon on Wednesday:

"These statements are defamatory and actionable per se under the laws of the State of Mississippi, because they accuse my clients of unlawfully discriminating against persons in violating of the 14th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1965, a felony . . . subjecting my clients to a penalty of up to ten years in prison. They are also materially false, and provably so, in connection with my clients, The Golden Growler, The Keg and Barrel, and La Finestra. These statements have been published with actual malice, which means that they have been published with reckless disregard for truthfulness, or with actual knowledge of their falsity, which removes any First Amendment protection from those statements."

Ignatiev is demanding that AFA remove the "materially false, reckless, unprotected statements" from the release within 7 days.

Rashad Crisler made his official announcement that he is running for Mayor Tony Yarber’s previous position, Ward 6 city councilman, this morning at a press conference outside City Hall.

Crisler said that he is enthusiastic about the prospect of being a part of a young, progressive leadership movement, which he believes was set into motion with Mayor Yarber’s initial election to council in 2009.

“He was only two years older than I am today when he earned the Ward 6 citizens’ trust to lead our community out of the brink of despair,” Crisler said. “I have known Mayor Yarber for many years and admired his leadership as our city councilman. I appreciate the example he has set and I am now prepared to take Ward 6 to the next level.”

It is well known that Crisler’s father, Marshand Crisler, was a big supporter of Yarber’s bids for both city councilman in 2009, and recently, as mayor; hence Rashaad Crisler sees a direct correlation between his bid for the Ward 6 seat and the efforts of Mayor Yarber and the elder Crisler during their respective tenures as city councilmen. http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/weblogs/politics-blog/2014/may/13/after-speculation-crisler-no-not-that-one-announce/

Addressing the ward’s current needs, Crisler said that infrastructure would be his top priority since it is the weakest aspect of the ward. However, he feels that space is the ward’s greatest advantage and will allow for more businesses to move into the area. He also expressed interest in working to decrease crime in the area to make the area more appealing to business.

He admitted that he would like to address problems with council that he saw when his father held the seat previously, expressing a desire to work with the rest of city council to ensure success for the city as a whole.

“I’ve seen in the past, watching my father when he was in this seat, all the problems with communication between city council members, fighting and bickering over issues,” Crisler said.

“I want to bring the council members together, all on one accord, to get a plan done to present to the mayor so he can execute it.”

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2014/may/14/17423/

Wayne Lewis, a Jackson native and longtime resident of Ward 6, called the Jackson Free Press office today to announce that he is entering into the election for the Ward 6 City Council seat. He also emailed the following verbatim biography:

A native of Jackson, MS. Wayne L Lewis was born and raised in the Shady Oaks Subdivision. He has lived in Ward 6 for the past 19 years. A product of the Jackson Public Schools, Lewis received his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Mississippi College in Clinton, MS and a MBA from Millsaps College Else School of Management.

He has served in various leadership roles in the faith based community impacting the lives of families while serving the public as a Jackson Police Office for many years. He is currently employed at Eaton Aero- Space with 17 years of service. He is the Founder of Rhema Word Ministries where he serves as Senior Pastor, and uses this ministry to give back to the community and youth around the city by sponsoring youth initiative programs, including sporting events in Ward 6, where he volunteers to serve as Coach, mentor and counselor for Little League Baseball teams.

Lewis has a wealth of leadership experience from the manufacturing industry and faith based arenas. He has a passion for the youth of the community and gives of himself to take an active role to impact their lives, where he will continue to serve his community as a servant of the people. Wayne Lewis is well connected to Ward 6 where he and his wife, Roberta Lewis are raising two boys.

• Former JPD Officer • Lived in Ward 6 for 19 years • Pastor / Teacher • Wayne Lewis, BSBA, MBA

The Human Rights Campaign has just issued the following verbatim new release detailing HRC President Chad Griffin's tour schedule for Project One America next week:

Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin will Launch ‘Project One America’ at Events in Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas, Beginning an Unprecedented Push for LGBT Rights in the South Griffin is also available for satellite television interviews from Little Rock, AR on Monday, May 12 from 1:00 – 4:00 PM (CT)

Washington, D.C. — Next week, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin will travel to Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas to officially launch Project One America, an unprecedented effort to dramatically expand LGBT equality in the South. This substantial and lasting initiative—with a three year budget of $8.5 million, dedicated staff of 20, and new offices in each state—is the largest coordinated campaign for LGBT equality in the history of the South.

On Monday, May 12th, Griffin will kick-off a three-day tour of press conferences and community gatherings in Little Rock, Jackson, Hattiesburg, Montgomery, and Birmingham. He will be joined by local officials, business leaders, clergy members, and members of the LGBT community at each stop along the way.

Griffin will also be available for television interviews via satellite on Monday, May 12, from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (CT). Please email Nick Morrow at [email protected] and Emily Black at [email protected] to book an interview and receive satellite coordinates.

Download Project One America’s launch video package here, and click here for a high-res Project One America graphic.

Project One America will focus on making progress on three fronts—changing hearts and minds, advancing enduring legal protections, and building more inclusive institutions for LGBT people from the church pew to the workplace. HRC Mississippi, HRC Alabama, and HRC Arkansas will be anchored by full-time local staff and dedicated in-state office space to guarantee a round-the-clock effort. These states have been under-resourced for too long and HRC is making a long-term investment to advance LGBT equality. The program will continue until there is One America.

The first initiative of its kind in the south, Project One America will work to advance equality in areas that do not have existing non-discrimination protections for LGBT people at the state or local level in employment, housing or public accommodations, and where the state’s constitution expressly prohibits marriage equality.

For further information on Project One America, see HRC’s press release and fact sheet.

The full schedule for the Project One America Tour is below. Please RSVP to [email protected] and [email protected] so that we may ensure the necessary space and logistical arrangements are made.

*PROJECT ONE AMERICA KICK-OFF TOUR SCHEDULE *

MONDAY, MAY 12: LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

11:00AM – 12:00PM (CT)

WHAT: Press Conference to Kick Off Project One America in Arkansas

WHERE: State Capitol, Old Supreme Court Chamber

 500 Woodlane Drive, Little Rock, AR 72201 

WHO: HRC President Chad Griffin; Betty and Butch Hightower, mother and stepfather

of Chad Griffin; Sen. Joyce Elliott; Rev. Leroy James, Christian Ministerial Alliance; Rita Sklar, …

Jackson City Council met today to announce that an election for the Ward 6 City Council seat, which was made available by Tony Yarber's election to mayor, will be held June 17, 2014. The qualifying deadline for the election is May 28.

Both Tyrone Hendrix, a longtime Democratic operative, and Robert Amos, who competed in the 2013 Democratic primary for Jackson mayor, have both confirmed that they are considering running for the Ward 6 position: http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2014/may/01/hendrix-amos-among-ward-6-possibles/.

Hendrix helped manage Jonathan Lee's campaign for mayor in 2013 and worked with Regina Quinn during the recent special election for mayor. Amos ran for mayor of Jackson in 2009 and for a seat on the Hinds County Board of Supervisors in 2011.

A runoff election, should it be in order, is set for July 1.

The Greenville City Council met and passed an LGBT-inclusive resolution today, making it the fifth city in the state to pass a resolution of this kind.

Councilman Errick D. Simmons drafted the resolution and presented it at a special meeting, where it passed 6-0.

"Discrimination in any form has no place in our society. In light of recent alleged remarks made my Donald Sterling, owner of the L.A. Clippers and the wave of efforts to treat classes and/or groups of people differently in our nation, it is only appropriate that City of Greenville adopts a public policy of equality, fairness, and nondiscrimination for all," Simmons stated in a press release.

He is the brother of Sen. Derrick Simmons who strongly opposed SB 2681, the Mississippi Religious Freedom Restoration Act, before its passing. Derrick paralleled the bill to Jim Crow legislation and encouraged the House to vote against it.

"If you have never been discriminated against, you don't know how that feels. If you have never been discriminated against, you don't know how to feel discrimination. I urge you to vote against this bill because it legalizes discrimination," Derrick said on the House floor.

Greenville follows Magnolia, in Pike County near McComb, which passed a LGBT resolution just last week: http://jacksonfreepress.com/news/2014/apr/22/magnolia-miss-passes-pro-lgbt-resolution-pike-coun/

Candidates will be hosting post-election parties after the runoff election today.