Mississippi lawmakers to take another crack at reinstituting voter ballot initiative

By admin MS MMJ News January 23, 2024

STATE CAPITOL. >> PREVIOUS LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS LAWMAKERS FAILED TO REVIVE THE VOTER INITIATIVE IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI. >> MEMBERS OF BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE SEEMED FAR APART ON WHAT THEY WERE WILLING TO ALLOW VOTERS TO DECIDE IN THIS STATE, LAWMAKERS NOW POISED TO TRY AGAIN. THE HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO BE THE FIRST TO TACKLE THE BALLOT INITIATIVE PROCESS THIS WEEK. THE MEASURE THAT ALLOWED VOTERS TO INTRODUCE LAWS FOR A STATEWIDE VOTE WAS BLOCKED BY THE STATE SUPREME COURT IN THE WAKE OF THE LEGALIZATION OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA. I THINK WE’RE ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT WE OUGHT TO HAVE A BALLOT INITIATIVE PROCESS IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, AND AS IS ALWAYS THE CASE IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE THE DEVIL IS ALWAYS IN THE DETAILS. THE DEVIL FOR THE PREVIOUS TWO LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS WAS IN PART, THAT LAWMAKERS COULDN’T AGREE ON HOW HIGH THEY WANTED TO RAISE, THE NUMBER OF REQUIRED SIGNATURES TO PLACE A MEASURE ON THE BALLOT. YEAH, WE MAY INCREASE IT SLIGHTLY, BUT WE’RE NOT. >> I MEAN, WE’RE NOT WE’RE NOT GOING TO DOUBLE IT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT WE WE MAY ACTUALLY INCREASE IT AND TIE IT TO A PERCENTAGE OF REGISTERED VOTERS IN MISSISSIPPI. >> HOUSE SPEAKER JASON WHITE SAYS IT’S TIME FOR LAWMAKERS TO RETURN THE VOTER INITIATIVE. >> OUR PLEDGE TO VOTERS WHEN WE WERE ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL WAS WE WOULD MOVE A BALLOT INITIATIVE BILL TO RESTORE THAT RIGHT TO THEM FAIRLY QUICKLY. AND SO I WANTED TO DO THAT, UM, KIND OF FIRST OUT OF THE CHUTE AS FAR AS GENERAL LEGISLATION, WHILE THE HOUSE MAY BE THE FIRST TO TACKLE THE MEASURE AGAIN, ONE, I DON’T THINK WE OUGHT TO DO THE CONSTITUTION ON THE BALLOT INITIATIVE. >> THE LEADER OF THE SENATE SAYS THERE ARE STILL POTENTIAL ROADBLOCKS THAT WILL REQUIRE COMPROMISE. >> I THINK CLEARLY WE NEED TO HAVE A REASONABLE NUMBER OF SIGNATURES, TOURS. UM, THE BIG QUESTION, I THINK IN THE SESSION THIS YEAR WILL BE WHETHER OR NOT YOU EXCLUDE THINGS LIKE DO YOU EXCLUDE, UM, RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA OR DO YOU EXCLUDE ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO DO WITH RIGHT TO LIFE? >> BUT VOTERS HAVE NOT HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR A BALLOT INITIATIVE SINCE IT WAS SHOT DOWN IN 2021, SOMETHING THAT HAD BEEN IN THE STATE CONSTITUTION SINCE LAWMAKERS DID APPROVE IT IN 1

Mississippi lawmakers to take another crack at reinstituting voter ballot initiative

Mississippi lawmakers are hoping to take another crack at trying to pass a voter ballot initiative. Voters couldn’t sign off on a ballot initiative since 2021 when the Mississippi Supreme Court struck down the initiative process after voters approved medical marijuana. The state’s high court ruled the initiative process was unconstitutional because the constitution requires a certain number of signatures from each of the five Congressional districts. But there haven’t been five Congressional districts in Mississippi for years.”We are going to work hard on that specifically this week,” said House Speaker Rep. Jason White. “Our pledge to voters on the campaign the trail was to bring back that initiative fairly quickly, so I wanted to do that. It’s kind of the first issue out of general legislation, so I think you will see that move this week.” For the last two legislative sessions, the House and Senate failed to reach an agreement on how to restore the initiative process. The main disagreement between the two chambers is over how many signatures petitioners should be required to gather.

JACKSON, Miss. —

Mississippi lawmakers are hoping to take another crack at trying to pass a voter ballot initiative.

Voters couldn’t sign off on a ballot initiative since 2021 when the Mississippi Supreme Court struck down the initiative process after voters approved medical marijuana.

The state’s high court ruled the initiative process was unconstitutional because the constitution requires a certain number of signatures from each of the five Congressional districts. But there haven’t been five Congressional districts in Mississippi for years.

“We are going to work hard on that specifically this week,” said House Speaker Rep. Jason White. “Our pledge to voters on the campaign the trail was to bring back that initiative fairly quickly, so I wanted to do that. It’s kind of the first issue out of general legislation, so I think you will see that move this week.”

For the last two legislative sessions, the House and Senate failed to reach an agreement on how to restore the initiative process. The main disagreement between the two chambers is over how many signatures petitioners should be required to gather.