News & Commentary

The ACLU of Mississippi remains your Capitol’s watchdog and this year we knew we would need all hands on deck. Our legislative strategy sent all of the advocacy staff to the Capitol to lobby legislators using their specific expertise. With a robust legislative agenda, this year’s session was yet another challenge to the rights of individuals in Mississippi. Having the support of the full team made a huge difference.

Experts and Prisoners Testify to Extreme Deficiencies at East Mississippi Correctional Facility in Security, Health Care, Food, and Sanitation, Conditions that Create Dangerous, Violent Environment for Prisoners and Staff

We are keeping an eye on two criminal justice reform bills that are currently in conference, SB 2841 & SB 2197. Conference on a bill occurs when further discussion is needed by members of both the House and Senate. A conference consists of three Representatives and three Senators who work together to finalize a bill. Once a bill is out of conference, it must go to both the House and Senate for a vote before heading to the Governor. The deadline for bills to come out of conference and pass the House and Senate occurs this week. Any bills passed out of conference will then be sent to the Governor to be signed into law.

Today, Governor Bryant signed into law House Bill 387, a bipartisan measure designed to improve the criminal justice system in Mississippi. In response, the ACLU of Mississippi issues the following statement, which can be attributed to Jennifer Riley Collins, Executive Director of the ACLU of Mississippi.

This week, Governor Bryant signed the Gestational Age Act (HB 1510) into law. This law prevents women from seeking an abortion in the state after 15 weeks, even in cases of rape or incest. At signing, Governor Bryant stated that he wanted to make Mississippi the safest place for an unborn child. Yet, Mississippi has not expanded Medicaid, and has the highest infant mortality rate in the nation.

By Jennifer Riley Collins, Executive Director

By Carl Takei, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU’s Trone Center for Justice and Equality

By Malaysia Walker, TEAP-MS Advocacy Coordinator

Throughout American history, students have participated and often times lead protests that ignited social movements and ultimately led to social change. In Mississippi, students played an integral part in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1961, a group of students, known as the Tougaloo Nine, organized and participated in Mississippi’s first “sit-in” in a public facility. Their actions of civil disobedience helped to abolish the Jim Crow laws of the South.