Jackson Free Press

Attorney General Jim Hood sent a letter to legislative leaders today reminding them that they must release the EdBuild contract to the Transparency Mississippi website, despite their own House Management Committee rules.

Last week, several news organizations attempted to get access to the contract between the Mississippi Legislature and the nonprofit EdBuild that the state is contracting with to examine the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. The contract with EdBuild is paid in part by the state and in part by private donors. The state is paying $125,000 of the cost, while undisclosed private donors are paying another $125,000, the AP reported.

The House Management Committee changed their rules last week, allegedly keeping all contracts private and not accessible via the state's Public Records Act.

Hood's letter says that while lawmakers do have the power under the Public Records Act to limit access to legislative records, they are not exempt from the Mississippi Accountability and Transparency Act, which requires all agencies to let the Department of Finance and Administration access their data and post the contracts on the Transparency Mississippi website. Hood told legislative leaders that they have two weeks to give DFA access to that information, as is prescribed in the Mississippi Accountability and Transparency Act.

The Senate has not changed their management rules yet to come into compliance with the House's new rule, but the Senate Rules Committee is scheduled to meet this week.

Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Greg Snowden and Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Terry Burton released a statement after Hood's letter was sent.

“When the agreement was approved in October, the terms of the Legislature’s contract with EdBuild to review school funding was shared with the public,” the joint statement says. “Over the last four days as House and Senate leadership continued to study the issue, Legislative legal staff concluded the contract should be posted to the Transparency Mississippi website. The contract has been released to the Department of Finance and Administration to be posted on the Transparency Mississippi website.”

The contract is up and available on the Transparency Mississippi's website this morning or you can read it here.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued updated enforcement guidance on national origin discrimination to replace its 2002 compliance manual section on that subject today.

“EEOC is dedicated to advancing opportunity for all workers and ensuring freedom from discrimination based on ethnicity or country of origin,” said EEOC Chair Jenny R. Yang said in a press release. “This guidance addresses important legal developments over the past 14 years on issues ranging from human trafficking to workplace harassment. The examples and promising practices included in the guidance will promote compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws and help employers and employees better understand their legal rights and responsibilities.”

On June 2, the EEOC published a proposed guidance for public input, and the guidance issued today reflects the Commission’s consideration of feedback received on the proposal from approximately 20 organizations and individuals.

The new guidelines define a "national origin group," or an "ethnic group," as a group of people sharing a common language, culture, ancestry, race, and/or other social characteristics. For example, Hispanics, Arabs, and Roma are ethnic or national origin groups, the guidelines say.

The guidance also addresses developments in the courts since 2002, as well as topics such as job segregation, human trafficking and intersectional discrimination. In fiscal year 2015, approximately 11 percent of the 89,385 private sector charges filed with EEOC alleged national origin discrimination, a press release from EEOC says. These charges alleged a wide variety of Title VII violations, including unlawful failure to hire, termination, language-related issues, and harassment.

In a long e-mail to supporters, Elizabeth Warren outlined the positions that Democrats will stake out in opposition to and in support of potential policies put forth by a President Trump.

Gov. Phil Bryant isn't sending his resume to Washington D.C. to work in the Trump administration just yet, but he told reporters today that the offer would be "hard to say no to."

"Of course, I’ve got the best job in the world, and I love being governor, and I do not expect to receive that phone call," Bryant said. "I played a minor part actually in the grand scheme of things but we will see what the president has to say. It’s not something I'll be applying for, my resume will stay in the drawer."

Bryant was hesitant to speculate too much about a possible role, but pointed to past offers he's taken.

"I just can’t say just now (whether I’d consider it) because I’ve been called by a governor and asked to take an appointment," he said. "Governors and presidents are hard to say no to, and I would say that this one would be particularly hard to say no to."

When asked about the agricultural or energy departments, Bryant discussed agriculture.

"Agriculture is near and dear to my heart, being a young man from Sunflower County whose grandparents grew up in a difficult time farming land that belonged to other people, so any way I could help farmers and agriculture in this country, I would be willing to do so if asked, but again, I think it’s something that just won’t happen."

Bryant also said that First Lady Deborah Bryant would have to give the okay as well.

"That’s the other thing, he’d have to convince her (First Lady Deborah Bryant), and I’m not sure that even Donald Trump’s that good."

So far, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann has received reports of very high voter turnout and long lines at the polls as Mississippians began casting their ballots this morning.

“Despite poor weather in parts of the State, voters are getting out to vote for our next elected leaders,” Hosemann said in a press release.

Two minor problems were reported at select polling places across the State including:

·Jackson County: In some precincts, electronic pollbooks were not operational at 7 a.m. and did not have paper back-ups, which delayed checking in voters. The problems have been rectified.

·Madison County: At the Ridgeland Recreational Center polling place, machines were not operational promptly at 7 a.m. Voting continued by paper, and now the machines are fully operational.

Polls are open until 7 p.m., and if you're in line at 7 p.m. you are entitled to vote.

Problems at the polls or other questions should be directed to the Secretary of State’s Election Hotline at (800) 829-6786.

Nov. 8 is Election Day. Here are some tips, tricks and (most importantly) voter laws in Mississippi to remember tomorrow (via the Secretary of State):

·Polling Place Hours: Polling places are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A voter is permitted to cast a ballot if he or she is standing in line at 7 p.m.

·Polling Place Locations: A voter can visit the Secretary of State’s Polling Place Locator to find out the address of the location where he or she is required to cast a ballot. Voter registration cards also list polling locations. Additionally, your Circuit Clerk’s Office can provide assistance.

·Voter ID: Voters are required to show photo identification at the polls. Acceptable photo identification includes a driver’s license; state or federal government-issued photo ID; U.S. passport; firearms license; student photo ID from an accredited Mississippi college, university, or junior and community college; U.S. military ID; tribal photo ID; or free Mississippi Voter ID card. A voter without proper identification will be allowed to cast an affidavit ballot. An affidavit ballot is counted if the voter provides proper identification to the Circuit Clerk or obtains a free Mississippi Voter ID card within five business days (November 16, 2016) after the election. For more information, visit www.MSVoterID.ms.gov.

·Campaigning: It is unlawful to campaign for any candidate or party within 150 feet of a polling place, unless on private property.

·Loitering: It is unlawful for any person to loiter within 30 feet of a polling place, including within a polling place. Voters should please leave the polling place after voting.

·Privacy: A voter is not permitted to show his or her marked ballot to any other person.

·Poll Watchers: Parties are permitted two credentialed poll watchers in each polling place, and candidates are permitted one credentialed poll watcher. Individuals not authorized as a credentialed poll watcher by a party or a candidate will not be permitted to observe or loiter inside the polling place. Circuit clerks, election commissioners, pollworkers, and authorized observers are also permitted to remain in polling places.

·Observers: The Secretary of State’s Office will have observers at polling places in at least 32 counties throughout the State. The Attorney General’s Office will also have observers stationed throughout the State. Observers do not have the authority to rectify any problems arising at the polls, but they can contact the Secretary of State’s Office and any relevant local election official, District Attorney, or law enforcement official.

·Write-In Votes: Write-in votes are only counted in the event of the death, resignation, withdrawal, or removal of any candidate whose name was printed on the official ballot.

Several Mississippi nonprofits have called on Gov. Phil Bryant to address the several incidents of race-based violence in the past month from the Emmett Till Tallahatchie River marker covered in bullet holes to the African American Delta church set on fire and spray painted with the words "Vote Trump," which has since been ruled an arson that the FBI is investigating.

Gov. Bryant declared October "Racial Reconciliation Month," but since then, community activists have called on the governor to act on those words by supporting the removal of the Confederate battle flag in the canton corner of Mississippi's state flag. Bryant addressed the Delta church burning on his Facebook but did not mention race or hate crimes.

"Law enforcement responded last night to a suspicious fire at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville. First, anyone who burns a place of worship will answer to almighty God for this crime against people of faith. But they should also answer to man's law. Authorities are investigating and we expect a suspect will be identified and brought to justice," the Facebook post says.

The Mississippi Center for Justice, Southern Poverty Law Center, Mississippi NAACP State Conference, the Children's Defense Fund's Southern Regional Office and the ACLU of Mississippi released a letter today calling on Gov. Bryant to "condemn each of the recent acts of race-based violence as unacceptable and contrary to Mississippi’s goal of racial reconciliation."

"We also call upon Governor Bryant and Mississippi’s legislative leaders to demonstrate the ideals of racial reconciliation by supporting the removal of the Confederate emblem from the Mississippi state flag, which is a constant reminder of racial oppression and injustice," the letter says.

The City of Jackson ordered a precautionary boil-water notice for some streets in Eastover affected by low water pressure.