Latest news with #MississippiHouse
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State prosecutor blocked by Hyde-Smith for judgeship may challenge her in 2026 Senate Race
Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom may challenge Cindy Hyde Smith for U.S. Senate in 2026. Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Cheikh Taylor said Colom recently told him that he intends to run, and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in an interview with the New York Times, said he wants Colom to run. Several other sources, including high-ranking Democrats and those close to Colom said he is heavily considering a run against Smith. If he does, Colom would be joined in the primary by Democrat Ty Pinkins, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate last year against Republican incumbent Senator Roger Wicker. Pinkins announced his intention to run in 2026 earlier this year. "(Colom is) a very experienced attorney, very experienced DA, and I think the caveat that separates the two is the ability to raise money," Taylor said. Several of Colom's party colleagues and at least one GOP political strategist have concerns over his name recognition and chance of beating a two-time winning incumbent. In 2020, Smith beat Mike Espy, a well-known Mississippi Democrat and former congressman who raised millions on the campaign trail. Philip Gunn running for governor? Is former Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn running for governor in 2027? 'It makes it extremely difficult for someone who has virtually no statewide name ID to run against an incumbent U.S. senator in Mississippi," said Austin Barbour, a political strategist and lobbyist. Colom did not respond to a request for comment on Schumer's endorsement or for this story. Colom was elected to be the district attorney for Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and Noxubee counties in 2015, becoming the district's first Black prosecutor. In 2023, he beat Republican challenger Jase Dalrymple with more than 55% of the total votes. Taylor and Mississippi House Minority Leader Robert Johnson both said Colom is a middle-of-the-road Democrat, with moderate views, family values and has a public service-oriented career to fall back on. That would also, in some areas, be the case for Pinkins, who was a career military man and attorney in the Delta for years before running for both statewide and federal office. Johnson said Colom would stand out from Pinkins because of his roughly 10 years in public office. However, both Johnson and Taylor acknowledged it would be difficult to build campaign funds, but they are confident Colom is up for it. "I think Brandon Presley proved (we can receive large campaign donations) when running against an incumbent in 2023," Johnson said. "That was the beginning of a movement, and I think that the framework has been put out there, but I think that's the only thing that we're still lacking, are resources (for upcoming races)." Earlier this week, The New York Times published an article revealing the national Democratic Party's intent to tackle several Southern states with strong candidates and a wallet full of campaign cash. Taylor confirmed Mississippi is part of the play, and he is talking with national Democrats on investment figures and projects. In elections past, the party has received millions from Democratic supporters. "National donors are willing to actually look at the South as a whole in a way like never before, especially the state of Mississippi," Taylor said. "We're being coined the new Georgia." Taylor and Johnson said they also hope to absorb disgruntled Mississippi conservatives unhappy with President Donald Trump's policies. '(Trump's) approval rating is taking an all-time low, and if (his endorsement and support) is what (Smith is) relying on, that may adhere to the benefit of Scott Colom by the time of this election," Johnson said. Barbour said while Democrats in some states might capitalize on shifting political allegiances, it wouldn't happen as quickly as state Democrats need to overcome serious challenges in a 2026 Senate race. State redistricting case decision: Judge panel approves new redistricting plan in Desoto County. See election schedule 'I think his popularity in Mississippi is going to be slower to diminish than it is in other states, and that's obviously a benefit for Cindy," Barbour said. Barbour said Smith has already curried favor with both the state electorate and the president. Trump earlier this year endorsed Smith. If Colom were to defeat Pinkins in a primary race, his complicated history with Smith could be rehashed on the campaign trail. In 2022, former Democratic President Joe Biden appointed Colom to serve on an unfilled federal judge seat in Mississippi, but Smith blocked it. Smith did that by not submitting a blue slip, which serves as a form of approval to a president's appointee. The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee typically does not hold confirmation hearings if home state senators do not both give the nod via a blue slip. At the time, Smith said she did not approve of progressive groups, such as those led by George Soros, that donated to his campaign when he first ran for district attorney. She also said she was concerned about his opposition to 'legislation to protect female athletes,' according to the Associated Press. In a letter written to Smith later that year, Colom refuted her claims and said he was unaware of where the 'progressive' money came from. Grant McLaughlin covers the Legislature and state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@ or 972-571-2335. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Scott Colom pursued by state, national Democrats to run for US Senate
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayoral candidates in Gulfport want to tackle crime problem, detail plans for city
Both Democratic candidates for mayor in Gulfport see crime as the No. 1 issue in the city. Sonya Williams Barnes, a former member of the Mississippi House, said she would hope to reduce the crime rate by building relationships between the community and law enforcement and establishing intervention programs to reach young people. Ronald 'Ronnie' Henderson, a businessman and former basketball standout, wants cameras installed throughout the city to catch criminal activity, stricter punishment for offenders and more police officers. The winner of the Democratic primary faces Republican Hugh Keating in the general election. Incumbent Billy Hewes decided against running for a fourth term. Municipal primaries will be held April 1 across the state, with the general election scheduled June 3. Winners take office July 1. In Gulfport City Council races, Wards 1 and 3 winners of Democratic primaries face no opposition in the general election. In Ward 7, the Republican primary winner faces no further opposition. Wards 2 and 6 will have contested Democratic and Republican primaries, with winners advancing to the general election. Ward 5 has a contested Republican primary but only one candidate running in the Democratic primary. Ward 4 has no contested primary, with the Republican incumbent and an independent on the general election ballot. The two Democratic mayoral candidates discussed with the Sun Herald their plans if elected and how they would approach governing. Summaries are below, with candidates in alphabetical order. As mayor, Sonya Williams Barnes would work to make Gulfport more inclusive for all residents, she said. She believes city wards where minorities are in the majority, Wards 1 and 3, receive less funding and fewer projects than do the city's other wards. 'I have watched Gulfport — even before my term in the Mississippi state Legislature — pick and choose what areas of Gulfport and what people in Gulfport they want to thrive,' said Barnes, a funeral director at family business Lockett Williams Mortuary Inc. in Gulfport. She said favoritism doesn't just harm minorities but also white residents not connected to a political power structure that favors their 'pet projects.' The city will thrive when all its wards thrive, she said. Barnes also wants to make it easier for developers to get projects going in Gulfport. She said builders have told her they are submitting plans and waiting more than 90 days for permits. They're giving up and moving to other areas, she said. She wants to identify why permitting takes so long and take action to correct issues. Barnes also wants to continue working with business owners to bring more shops downtown, but she'd also like to see Gulfport develop hubs in other areas where residents can congregate to shop, eat and enjoy green spaces. Encouraging development of affordable housing, she believes, would help with the growing homeless problem. People who are earning $22,000 a year, she said, can't afford rent of $1,300 a month. Barnes said she also would look for grants and loans that small businesses could tap into to help grow Gulfport's tax base. She wants to involve the community in decision-making through quarterly town hall meetings in each ward, with the involvement of each ward's council member. 'I think that there have just been a few people making decisions for our city and everyone has been here to accept whatever decisions are made,' she said. 'People have not been included in the process.' Over the last few years, Henderson said, people have been asking him to run for mayor. After thinking about it, he said, 'I just wanted to be a part of the change I wanted to see come.' In addition to public safety, Henderson said, he wants to focus on economic development. He'd work to recruit more 'kid friendly' businesses to Gulfport, he said. He offered theme parks as an example and said families should not have to travel to Alabama or Florida to entertain their children. Henderson also believes the city has been too slow in working with builders and developers. Henderson, who's owned or worked at a variety of businesses over the years, currently has a property development and management company, KRH Enterprises LLC. He said that he's been waiting five months to get plans approved for a rental property. 'It's just a long process,' Henderson said. 'Time is money.' He wants plans reviewed by city employees, as opposed to a third-party contractor, and said the process needs to be streamlined. He also said builders are looking at cities other than Gulfport because of the delays. Henderson thinks his idea to install more cameras for public safety would also help stop dumping in the city. He wants fines levied and enforced, he said, as the city is in sore need of beautification. He said that he's seen tires dumped by a sign that prohibits dumping. 'There's no reason we should see tires on the side of the road,' Henderson said. 'There's no reason we should see trash — I'm talking about trash bags on the side of the road. And this is sometimes on the main roads.' He also believes empty buildings could be refurbished to create more affordable housing. And he wants to see more recreational outlets for children, including ball parks and basketball courts. How to pay for it all? 'You've got to bring in more businesses,' Henderson said. 'You have to give businesses more incentive to come.'
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
His father broke barriers in MS politics. Bryant Clark carries on that historic legacy
In his second term as a member of the Mississippi House, Bryant Clark presided over the chamber — a rare accomplishment for a sophomore in a chamber that then and now rewards experience. The Holmes County Democrat presided in the House as if he were a seasoned veteran. In a sense he was. Bryant Clark is the son of Robert Clark, the first Black Mississippian elected to the state Legislature since the 1800s and the first Black Mississippian to preside over the House chamber since Reconstruction. Robert Clark rose from being a House outcast to serving three terms as pro tempore, who presides in the absence of the speaker. With Clark's death earlier this month at age 96, much has been written and said about Robert Clark, the civil rights icon. While his accomplishments were groundbreaking in the history of the state, the measure of the man is, unbelievably, much more. Before being elected to the House, Clark was a schoolteacher and landowner in Holmes County. Both of those accomplishments played key roles in Clark's election in 1967. As a teacher, Clark went before the all-white Board of Education to ask that the school district participate in a federal program that provided adult literacy classes. The board said it would do so only if the superintendent supported the program. The superintendent said he did not. Clark said at that time he was going to challenge the superintendent in the next election. True to his word, Clark went to the Holmes County Courthouse to qualify to run for superintendent. But officials there chuckled, telling Clark that the state House member from Holmes County had changed the law to make the post appointed rather than elected. Clark, not deterred, chose to run against that state House member, who he defeated in an election that made national news. At the time, Holmes, like many counties in Mississippi, had a Black-majority population and the times were changing as Blacks were finally granted the right to vote. But that change happened quicker in Holmes because at the time the county had one of the highest percentages of Black property owners in the nation. Black Mississippians who did challenge the status quo — such as voting or God-forbid running for political office — faced the possibility of violence and economic consequences. Black residents of Holmes County had at least a little protection from economic consequences because many owned property thanks in large part to government programs and efforts of national groups to help them purchase land. 'It might have just been 40 acres and an old mule, but they said it was their 40 acres and old mule,' Bryant Clark said. But there is more that makes Robert Clark's accomplishments notable. As he served in the House under watchful and sometimes hateful eyes as the first Black legislator, he had the added burden of being a single father raising two boys. When Clark's wife died in 1977, Bryant Clark was age 3. The Clark boys essentially grew up at the Capitol. Bryant remembers sitting in the House Education Committee room where his father served as chair (another significant civil rights accomplishment) and listening on the Capitol intercom system to the proceedings in the chamber when the House was in session. Years later, the father would watch from his home in Holmes County via the internet as his son presided. 'He was proud,' Bryant Clark said, adding his father would at times offer critiques of his rules interpretations. But Robert Clark probably did not have to offer many critiques. His son most likely learned the rules at least in part through osmosis. At one point, Clark was home schooling his son during the legislative session. But Bryant Clark, now an attorney, said his father was chastised for not enrolling him in school by then-Rep. Alyce Clarke, D-Jackson, the first Black woman elected to the Legislature and childhood friend of Bryant Clark's late mother. So to say Clark was a typical sophomore in terms of knowing the rules and the nuances of the Capitol by the time he got to preside would be an understatement. Bryant Clark recalled then-Speaker Billy McCoy calling him into his office and telling him he was being named vice chair of the Rules Committee for the term beginning in 2008 and most likely would preside as his father had made history by doing. 'He said he expected me to be speaker one day and he would be an old man back at his home in Rienzi reading about me in the newspaper. But times change. The state turned red,' Bryant Clark said. His son's speakership would have been another historic chapter for Robert Clark the father and for all of Mississippi. This column was produced by Mississippi Today, a nonprofit news organization that covers state government, public policy, politics and culture. Bobby Harrison is the editor of Mississippi Today Ideas.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mississippi will lower flags to honor late Rep. Robert Clark
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Governor Tate Reeves ordered flags to be lowered at half-staff in honor of late Mississippi Rep. Robert G. Clark. 'Representative Robert Clark was a devoted public servant and trailblazing leader who made our state better. His unwavering commitment to Mississippi will always be remembered. To honor his legacy, I directed flags to be lowered at half-staff from sunrise to sunset tomorrow (March 11),' said Reeves. Mississippi House, Senate split on tax reforms Clark was elected in 1967 as Mississippi's first Black lawmaker of the 20th century and rose to the second-highest leadership role in the state House of Representatives. Clark died March 4 at age 96, his son said. Rep. Bryant Clark, who succeeded Robert Clark, said his father died of natural causes at home in Holmes County. A lifelong advocate for education and Black representation in government, he played a pivotal role in expanding opportunities for all Mississippians. Honored at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in 2018, Clark's legacy is one of resilience and progress. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill seeks to bolster 2019 law expanding Mississippi workforce
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – A Mississippi Senate Bill seeks to expand the scope of a 2019 law that has struggled to expand job opportunities to Mississippians. That 2019 law, Mississippi Senate Bill 2781, sought to bar criminal convictions from being a barrier to employment for jobs requiring licensed certification. However, proponents soon argued that shortcomings related to the bill's applicability and scope meant that stronger legislation was necessary. The legislature's latest attempt to reinforce the Fresh Start Act in recent years passed in the Mississippi Senate. Mississippi bill requiring rape kits for hospitals dies The 2025 bill is 470 pages longer than the six-page law passed in 2019; still, the two bills cover many of the same things. However, SB 2248 better illustrates how the Fresh Start Act impacts Mississippi law. It also reiterates that the 2019 law supersedes any conflicting laws. This clarity would, in theory, make the original goals of the Fresh Start Act easier to enforce. Among other things, SB 2248 reemphasizes that licensing authorities cannot use ambiguous terms like 'moral turpitude' or 'good character' when setting qualifications for licensure. Additionally, such authorities must apply a clear and convincing standard of proof when determining if a person with a criminal record is disqualified from licensure. The provisions of SB 2248 or the original Fresh Start Act do not apply to those convicted of crimes seeking to practice law, nursing or similar professions in Mississippi. One convicted of felonies other than manslaughter or a violation of the Internal Revenue Code would still be unable to practice law in Mississippi if SB 2248 passes. Senator Daniel Sparks (R-District 5) and David Blount (D-District 29) authored the 2025 legislation. Blount helped to author the 2019 law. The Mississippi House received SB 2248 on February 14. If passed, the law would go into effect on July 1. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
