Columbus Dispatch. October 12, 2022.
Editorial: Our view: Schools’ decisions on guns keep kids safer
When the Mississippi State Board of Education voted in September to allow school districts to make their own gun policies, we were anxious to learn how our districts would respond.
We live in a time and place where Second Amendment rights are viewed by many as sacred, even to the point of absurdity, so there was no guarantee our school districts might be persuaded to alter their existing policies, which allow only law enforcement to carry guns on school campuses and events.
The uncertainty over who could legally be allowed to carry guns on school campuses emerged in 2011, when the state legislature passed a law allowing those with enhanced carry permits to carry guns virtually everywhere, including school campuses, a law that defies federal gun-free zones.
So it comes as a relief to learn that Columbus Municipal School District, Lowndes County Municipal School District and Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District will stay the course on this matter and allow only law enforcement to carry guns at schools and school events.
LCSD superintendent Sam Allison and SOCSD superintendent Tony McGee said they have no intention of altering the existing policy. CMSD interim superintendent Dennis Dupree said the CMSD board does not intend to take any action on changing the policy, either, but he and the board members are researching the MDE’s policies to determine the best course of action.
We believe our school districts have made wise decisions on this subject, decisions that keep children safe.
In much the same way that you don’t combat drowning by calling for more water, our schools should not seek to mitigate the danger of school shootings by allowing people with limited training to carry guns. Granted, there have been instances where a private citizen with a gun has intervened to stop a shooter. But there are also instances where a well-intentioned private citizen with a gun has made a tragic situation even worse.
All that is required to qualify for an enhanced carry permit in Mississippi is eight hours of training, far, far short of what is needed to effectively intervene in a school shooting.
Sadly, we have hundreds of school shootings to learn from. In each case, survivors speak of the terror and chaos these events produce. It takes a highly-training professional to respond effectively to these events.
Most police departments have SWAT teams to respond to these incidents because of the advanced tactical response needed. If a patrol officer isn’t fully prepared for these incidents, it strains credulity to suggest that a math teacher with only eight hours of training would be.
We support efforts to make our schools as safe as possible.
Keeping guns in the hands of only well-trained professionals is good common sense and is consistent with that goal. We are pleased to know our school districts agree.
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Tupelo Daily Journal. October 15, 2022.
Editorial: Mental health must remain priority for Mississippi leaders
A federal court is set to rule on whether the U.S. Department of Justice has the standing to sue Mississippi over multiple failures in the state’s mental health care system. It is the next step in the long-running dispute between the federal government and the state over the issue of mental health care.
While the state has made an interesting argument, it completely distracts from the real issue at hand: the mental health care of thousands of Mississippians who continue to struggle with a system that is uneven, disjointed and — in some places — broken.
Regardless of how the court rules on the standing to sue, the state should remain absolutely committed to addressing what are undeniable problems. Unfortunately, we have serious doubts that some state leaders will do so.
The Mississippi Department of Mental Health has made great strides since the Justice Department began its investigation a decade ago and found that Mississippi was violating federal law by segregating people with mental illnesses into state-run hospitals instead of utilizing community-based treatment centers.
After years of unfruitful mediation, the Justice Department sued Mississippi in 2016. Three years later, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves ruled that the state had violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and ultimately appointed a state monitor to provide regular evaluations of the state’s progress in addressing numerous shortcomings.
The monitor last month acknowledged the progress; he also pointed out areas that continue to pose issues, including a lack of statewide regulations outlining coordinated care between the state hospital and local treatment centers.
People with severe mental health issues deserve the very best care; historically, they have not received it. Mississippi is behind many other states in correcting this wrong. Good-faith and righteous efforts by mental health leaders have been hamstrung by lack of funding from legislative leaders and the realities that come with providing local care in rural areas, where any kind of health care is challenging.
If the federal court rules in favor of the state, which seems likely, it would be easy for state leaders to turn a blind eye to ongoing — and admittedly costly — efforts to improve mental health care in the state. After all, even as the federal government was threatening to sue and force change years ago, state leaders took few proactive steps. What’s to stop state leaders from taking a victory in federal court as a signal their work is largely complete, even though such a victory would be on little more than a procedural point?
The Legislature must be committed to funding mental health services at a higher level. The Department of Mental Health must continue their efforts to improve on issues great and small. And mental health advocates must continue to fight for the best level of care possible.
Whatever the federal court decides on the standing of the Justice Department to sue has absolutely nothing to do with the state of Mississippi’s mental health care system. And by any honest measure, far more work is left to be done.
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Greenwood Commonwealth. October 18, 2022.
Editorial: Don’t Bet Against Incumbent Gov.
Bobby Harrison, a veteran observer of Capitol politics, has been floating the idea that incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves could be ousted by his own party in next year’s Republican primary.
It’s an interesting conjecture, but we wouldn’t bet on it, no matter what the polls presently say about Reeves’ popularity, or lack thereof.
In a column elsewhere on this website, Harrison, who reports and opines for Mississippi Today, cites such a public opinion poll to make his case.
Indeed, the poll by Morning Consult about all of the nation’s governors was less than flattering about Mississippi’s chief executive.
The poll, taken over three months this summer, rates Reeves the fifth most unpopular governor in the nation, with a 48% approval rate and a 42% disapproval rate.
Put another way, the poll ranks Reeves 46th out of 50 governors. The column noted that he was among only eight governors with an approval rating below 50%. It also said, “Of the many Republican governors running for re-election within the next four years, Reeves ranks last in America.”
This, of course, leads to informed speculation that other prominent Republicans are seriously considering challenging Reeves in 2023. Starting with House Speaker Philip Gunn, the list of current GOP officeholders who are thinking about doing this is getting longer.
Along with Gunn, Harrison’s column mentions four other Republicans who might be thinking about taking on Reeves in next year’s party primary: Secretary of State Michael Watson, Attorney General Lynn Fitch, State Auditor Shad White and Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson.
Before any of the five formally seek a promotion, they ought to ask themselves if running against an incumbent from the same party is a winning strategy. Because no matter what the Morning Consult poll says, it’s still hard to see Reeves losing next year — in either the Republican primary or the general election.
Reeves does have his flaws. He has a mean streak and enjoys flexing his political power. This led to frayed relationships with many legislators during his eight years as lieutenant governor. But it’s hard to see how he has fatally strayed from the Republican playbook of limited government and low taxes — with the exception of when he listened to medical experts during the COVID-19 pandemic and kept mask mandates and other restrictions active longer than many expected.
Some voters may hold that against him. But enough for him to lose? That seems unlikely.
Keep in mind that Reeves has won five straight statewide elections, starting as treasurer. He has strong name recognition. And, according to Harrison, Reeves has at least $5 million in cash awaiting deployment for re-election in 2023 — at least five times more than any of his potential GOP challengers.
Those intraparty rivals lack not only the money but the name recognition that Reeves possesses. Both would be significant hurdles to overcome for any Republican who chooses to run against Reeves.
Another thing: Any of those five people who runs for governor automatically gives up his or her current job if the effort is unsuccessful. What’s the point of that? The far better strategy is to wait until 2027, when Reeves — assuming he wins a second term — would have to leave office because of term limits.
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