Recent editorials from Mississippi newspapers:
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July 8
The Greenwood Commonwealth on initiatives that Mississippi voters can expect to see on November ballots:
Mississippi voters are going to have an interesting ballot to consider come this November.
In addition to weighing in on the presidential race, they will have three major state referendums to consider.
One they already know a lot about - the decision on whether to approve a still-to-be-designed state flag to replace the recently shelved Confederate-themed one.
One they can expect to hear a lot about - whether to legalize medical marijuana in Mississippi. There is going to be a lot of money and advertising thrown at that question, especially by the prolegalization forces.
One referendum, though, that might fly under the radar, but is arguably just as important as the other two, would enact a much-needed change to the rules by which Mississippi elects statewide officials.
Although most voters don’t realize it, Mississippi operates a two-tiered election system that requires the winning candidate for statewide office - governor through agriculture commissioner - to receive not only a majority of the statewide vote but also the most votes in a majority of the state’s 122 House districts. The reason most voters don’t know about this complicated “electoral college” rule is because it has rarely come into play and when the tabulation is completed for it, it’s several days, or even weeks, after the voting has ended.
The history of the provision, just like the history of the recently retired state flag, rightfully raises suspicions. It was added when Mississippi adopted a post-Reconstruction constitution in 1890, much of which was written to roll back economic and political gains that Blacks had made following the Civil War. It is believed that the two-tiered system was designed to thwart the chance of a Black candidate being elected to statewide office, since failure to clear both hurdles would throw the election into the House, where whites would presumably maintain a majority for generations to come.
The two-tiered system has been challenged in federal court. A decision there is on hold while the judge apparently waits to see what Mississippi voters do in November.
It’s anticipated that if voters reject the initiative - which would dump the “electoral college” and leave statewide contests solely to the popular vote - the judge will rule against the state.
Even if voters approve the change, though, Mississippi may not be out of the woods. That’s because the initiative would require a runoff of the top two candidates if neither one receives a majority of the votes cast - that is, 50 percent plus one vote.
Although this is the system used in primary contests in Mississippi, in federal general elections, the winning candidate only needs to win a plurality - that is, the most votes, even if the total comes out to less than 50% of all votes cast.
Using plurality as the bar, rather than majority, would be more conducive to the election of a minority candidate, not only a racial minority but also a partisan minority. That’s how Republicans from Mississippi won their first U.S. Senate seat in the 1970s, when the Democratic vote got split between a white Democrat and a Black independent.
Mississippi voters should approve the initiative, but it would be better if it went by the same rules as federal elections.
Online: https://www.gwcommonwealth.com
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July 7
The Vicksburg Post on lessons learned during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic:
Monday marked the 100th day since a Warren County resident was first confirmed to have the COVID-19 virus. And since March 29, the day that first case was reported, we have endured and overcome so much.
We have also learned so much in that long 100 days.
In the way we have supported one another, stood by one another and prayed for one another, we have again learned how giving and resilient a community we truly are.
In the way we have endured and continue to endure economic hardships because of the pandemic, we have again learned how inter-dependent we are and how important it is to focus first on our local businesses who employ and provide financial stability to so many of our friends and neighbors.
In the way we were able to turn our public education system on its ear on a moment’s notice, converting from in-person learning to online learning in a matter of days, shows how versatile we are as a community and how well-prepared our school district truly is in facing such obstacles.
These 100 days have also proven that government must never be too quick to act, but instead be thoughtful in its response.
In the early days of the pandemic, local, state and federal officials were at times hectic in their response, while at other times tremendously organized and synchronized. Mistakes were made and to their credit quickly corrected.
This pandemic showed - on a local, state and federal level - that we were in many ways woefully unprepared for such a sweeping virus and even more unprepared in how to make tough decisions, such as closing down the economy, shuttering businesses and choosing who and what was essential.
Mayor George Flaggs Jr. in retrospect said closing down businesses was the most difficult decision he has ever faced during his long career in public service. Gov. Tate Reeves has admitted mistakes he and his team made in the early days as well
And, we can all agree that the way data has been reported and shared between agencies and the public has been an abject failure from the very beginning.
But as we move past this 100-day milestone, desperately hoping that we are on the downside of this virus - or at the very least the plateau - we must also remember what we have learned or relearned in a time so often called “unprecedented.”
We have learned that we are stronger together than we are as individuals. We are beer when we work together than work apart. And, when we focus on ourselves, our community and taking care of one another, that we can and will overcome any challenge, any disease or any other threat we encounter.
There is no telling what the next 100 days will hold, but it is comforting in knowing that we have overcome so much already and have the experience and the knowledge to do it again.
Online: https://www.vicksburgpost.com
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