Jackson Free Press

Former city employee Francis Smith will officially announce his candidacy for mayor of Jackson Sat., March 2 at 1 p.m. at 5472 Watkins Drive, Suite A.

The Jackson Free Press interviewed Smith about his candidacy in February. The interview will be available soon in print and at JFP.ms.

A U.S. Navy veteran and pastor, Smith is joining a crowded field that already includes the incumbent mayor, two city councilmen, two local business men, an attorney and a former police officer.

The press release announcing the event called Smith "A man with vision to press Jackson upward by moving forward — without looking backward."

For more information concerning Smith's candidacy, call 601-209-5980 or visit francissmithformayor.com

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2013/feb/15/10303/

Thursday, Feb. 14, I attended Jackson State student Corinthian Sanders' city council candidacy announcement on the JSU campus.

Sanders, a 20-year-old Jackson native, received permission to host his announcement from school administrators several days earlier. The fact that a students needs permission to hold such an announcement is a troubling indicator of where our Constitutional rights stand here in the United States. Apparently, the leaders at our institutions of higher learning believe they have the right to grant or deny students their 1st Amendment rights to free speech and free assembly.

Just for review the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution read as follows: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Now, the 1st Amendment doesn't expressly prohibit university officials from creating policies that abridges the freedom of speech or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, but administrators at public universities are agents of the government. Do these agents have rights to abridge freedoms that even our own Congress doesn't?

I'm not picking on Jackson State here. When I attended Ole Miss, and I assume it is still the case, there were designated "free speech zones" where students could assemble and speak as freely as they pleased. The reasoning for these designations, the university said, was to prevent free speech where it might infringe on the educational process taking place in classrooms around campus.

Again, I must have overlooked the part of the 1st Amendment that states: "unless there's a good reason to abridge such rights, such as public education taking place nearby." Besides, isn't free speech a vital part of the educational process?

Unfortunately for Corinthian Sanders, the questionable treatment of his 1st Amendment rights didn't stop with needing permission.

Sanders had a podium and speakers set up in front of Ayers Hall when I arrived about noon Thursday. Shortly after, he began playing music through the speakers. The music continued for about 30 minutes, after which another City Council candidate, mayoral candidate Chokwe Lumumba and Sander's aunt spoke briefly.

Sanders took the podium about 12:45 for his announcement. Moments after he began to speak to the crowd of 15 to 20 people, three campus police officers stopped him. Campus patrolman Troy Nix, decked out in uniform and Dolce Gabbana sunglasses, pulled Sanders to the side, in the middle of his speech, and asked if he had permission to hold his announcement there.

Not only did Sanders have to get permission to express the most basic of human rights protected by our Constitution, he had to prove that he had that permission to a police officer, because the police officer was apparently unable to confirm the permission himself. Though campus police had more than 40 minutes to check on the status …

The following is a verbatim statement from the Mississippi Democratic Trust:

Jackson, MS- This afternoon, the House Rules Committee killed S.B. 2207, a measure that would extend the repealers on various provisions of Mississippi’s Medicaid program and allow for the consideration of Medicaid expansion.

Proponents of Medicaid expansion say that in the long-term, expansion will save both state and federal dollars while extending healthcare coverage to thousands of lower-income Mississippians. In Mississippi, expansion would also mean jobs by improving Mississippi’s healthcare workforce.

By tabling S.B. 2207, House Republicans are attempting to shut down the conversation on Medicaid expansion in Mississippi. As a result of the Rules Committee’s actions, the only remaining Medicaid bill is H.B. 560, a measure that failed to pass in the House and is currently being held on a Motion to Reconsider. H.B. 560 does not contain any of the code sections that would allow for Medicaid expansion.

House Democratic Caucus Leader Bobby Moak (D-Bogue Chitto) said, “Republicans are again proving that they are not interested in an open and honest discussion on Medicaid. If they were, they would allow Mississippians the benefit of considering this important issue with all options on the table.”

Moak added, “House Democrats will not abide false deadlines or political ploys on this issue. We are ready to kill every bill that comes before us that does not allow for a full vetting of the crucial question of Medicaid expansion. Any attempt by Republicans to suggest that they don’t have options to revive a Medicaid bill is nonsense. They have the Governor’s mansion, the Senate and the House. If a Medicaid bill doesn’t pass in the next month its because Republicans are more interested in playing politics than doing their jobs.”