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The government mandated shutdowns that decimated the economy in the spring may return if the number of coronavirus cases does not decrease in Mississippi warned Gov. Tate Reeves. 

During his daily press conference, Reeves pleaded with Mississippians to wear face masks, saying this is our best option.

“We’ve looked at every available tool and I promise you this this is the best weapon that we have,” Reeves said. “It’s not fun, but it’s a hell of a lot better than widespread shutdowns and if we don’t do something, that’s where we're headed.”

At the end of March, Reeves issued a shelter in place order that closed non-essential businesses in the state. To many this was an unfair move that left most big box retailers open, while shutting the doors at most small businesses. Over the next two months, Reeves slowly allowed the economy to reopen, and by June 1 the entire state was reopened.

This was a similar path to many other states, who like Mississippi have since seen a similar spike in cases and have had to pause reopenings. 

Yesterday, a new order from Reeves went into effect, requiring face masks when you are in public. The order impacts the following counties: Hinds, Desoto, Madison, Harrison, Rankin, Jackson, Washington, Sunflower, Grenada, Claiborne, Jefferson, Wayne, Quitman. 

Violators of the order face fines of up to $500 and up to six months in jail. 

Also, in those counties no more than 10 people can gather indoors, and no more than 20 people can gather outdoors. 

“My name is Leslie Stingley and I operate Homestead by the Brambles.

“Currently I make homemade breads, and syrups that can be added to teas, lemonades, and cocktails. I have a garden, we make pickles, and I have wild chanterelles mushrooms growing on the property. 

“I started this business when I lost my job at a food manufacturing company in May. I worked 55-60 hours per week before. But because of the new business, I’m now able to be at home with my daughter. 

“We are still really in its startup phase, but I know there is a market for fresh, preservative free goods.  I’ve seen and experienced the beginning of the failure of the food system. I feel strongly that my purpose is to help change the food system. 

“I want to change our culture to one of true sustainability, not this fake sustainability that has been preached by the major food companies the past 10 years. I strongly fear if we have a worse food shortage than we did over the coronavirus pandemic, people will not know how to eat. 

“The legislature allowing cottage food businesses to earn more and advertise online will be a big help.”

Leslie Stingley
Homestead by the Brambles
Morton, Mississippi

A new executive order requires face masks in retail establishments and in all public settings.

The order goes into effect July 13, and lasts at least one week. The order impacts residents and businesses of Hinds, Desoto, Madison, Harrison, Rankin, Jackson, Washington, Sunflower, Grenada, Claiborne, Jefferson, Wayne, and Quitman counties.

Tell us what you think.

The new executive order mandating face masks and limiting public gatherings for Mississippi’s most populous counties can come with a fine of up to $500 and/ or six months in jail for violators. State, county, and local law enforcement, as well as government entities such as the Department of Health, may enforce the order. 

This is according to Mississippi Code 33-15-43.

The order that Gov. Tate Reeves signed today, which will go into effect Monday, impacts residents and businesses of Hinds, Desoto, Madison, Harrison, Rankin, Jackson, Washington, Sunflower, Grenada, Claiborne, Jefferson, Wayne, and Quitman counties. The order lasts one week, though it can certainly be extended before it expires. 

All retail businesses are required to mandate that all employees and customers wear a mask. For people in public, everyone must wear a mask when in a public setting. Additionally, groups are now limited to no more than 10 indoors and no more than 20 outdoors. 

Prior to the order, mask ordinances had been enacted at the local level in Jackson, Tupelo, Starkville, Oxford, Hattiesburg, Greenwood, Columbus, West Point, Natchez, Grenada, and Greenville.

Residents in Mississippi’s largest counties will soon be required to wear a mask in public and gatherings will again be limited.

At a news conference today, Gov. Tate Reeves said the new regulations will impact the following counties: Hinds, Desoto, Madison, Harrison, Rankin, Jackson, Washington, Sunflower, Grenada, Claiborne, Jefferson, Wayne, Quitman. These counties account for more than a third of state’s population. 

Under the new order, which will go into effect next week, no more than 10 people can gather indoors, and no more than 20 people can gather outdoors. All citizens must now wear masks when shopping or in public places. 

Prior to today, Reeves had issued expanded restrictions in Attala, Jasper, Lauderdale, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, and Scott counties. 

Meanwhile, mask ordinances have been enacted at the local level in Jackson, Tupelo, Starkville, Oxford, Hattiesburg, Greenwood, Columbus, West Point, Natchez, Grenada, and Greenville.

Numerous cities throughout Mississippi have face mask requirements. And you could be fined or sent to jail for violating such orders, while businesses could be shut down. 

The mask issue has become increasingly political with Democratic mayors in Mississippi attacking President Donald Trump and Gov. Tate Reeves for not taking a harder stance on the issue. While there isn’t a statewide order, the state is requiring masks in select counties that have seen a more widespread outbreak. This includes Attala, Jasper, Lauderdale, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, and Scott counties. 

Cities with mask ordinances include Jackson, Tupelo, Starkville, Oxford, Hattiesburg, Greenwood, Columbus, West Point, Natchez, Grenada, and Greenville, along with a smattering of smaller cities. 

The punishment for not wearing a mask varies. 

Jackson residents could be fined $300 and sent to jail for six months. Businesses could be shut down for a day. The fine in Canton is steeper. For individuals it’s $500, and $1,000 for businesses. In Columbus and Greenwood, you can be fined up to $1,000. 

The $1,000 fine applies to businesses in Oxford. So far, they have hit at least 12 businesses in the city. 

As we approach the new school year, numerous polls continue to show a newfound interest in homeschooling. Perhaps it’s because parents are nervous about their children getting sick, or maybe they don’t like new regulations at school.

Whatever the case, there is the potential for a major shift in the education landscape in Mississippi and across the nation. 

New polling from Heart + Mind Strategies reveals that 16 percent of government school parents and 10 percent of private school parents are considering homeschooling. This is down slightly from a May peak as parents are closer to making an actual decision, but we could see a lot more homeschoolers this fall.

If those numbers played out in Mississippi, more than 75,000 children would leave government schools and about 5,000 would leave private schools. All to homeschool. Keep in mind that somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 students are homeschooled in Mississippi today. 

Are you one of those families considering homeschooling? My wife and I (mostly my wife) will be going into our third year of homeschooling this fall. We’re no experts but wanted to share our thoughts for those considering or ready to make the switch.

1. Deinstitutionalize

Some call this de-schooling, but the thought is you need to get away from the traditional schooling mindset. The longer you’ve been in a traditional setting, the longer of a break you need to take. 

But the idea is this: You’re probably used to a schedule, calendar, or even grades and will be tempted to bring this to your homeschooling. That’s fine, but you don’t need to. You have more than 40 or 60 minutes to tackle a subject one day. Or you could take less time. Or you could decide your child isn’t getting it and you need to take a break for a few months. Or buy different curriculum. You might like the idea of structure, but homeschooling is about having the freedom to doing what is best for your child to gain an appreciation for learning. 

We’ll often get questions asking how long our homeschool day is. We’re not being flippant when we say it depends. The more flexible you are, the more you will like it.

2. Play to your child’s strengths

This is one of my favorite homeschooling benefits and should become yours. Especially as your children get older. What are they passionate about? Where do they excel? Homeschooling gives you the ability to play that up. It could be as simple as a book series they love or maybe they want to learn about how computers work. 

This might sound silly at first glance, but YouTube has a world of informative videos that will teach you everything from A to Z on how to build computers, websites, or maybe just do graphic design or video editing. The opportunities expand the imagination of you and your child. 

3. Get out and explore

Though many of our favorite places to visit have been closed or limited, take advantage of what is beyond your four walls. Sure, it could be your backyard – a fun place to do school in the fall or spring – but check out museums and zoos. When we go to Gulf Shores or Orange Beach, we still check out the zoo, the state park, or the historical sites. Sure, it’s education on vacation, but it’s still fun. And well worth it. And just to let you know, your local library will likely become your best friend very soon so plan on buying or building more bookcases.

When I was involved as sports as a kid, we had to run for punishment. Therefore, running isn’t something I do for fun as an adult. A lot of kids could have the same approach to learning. In the closed structure of a school, fun isn’t really something we’re supposed to take part in. Or that’s what we’re told. But we know it shouldn’t be that way. Explore. Make learning fun again. 

4. Find homeschool friends  

Homeschooling is the kind of thing you can do as privately or as publicly as you’d like. But for your own sanity, search out homeschool friends. This doesn’t mean you need get involved in a co-op, or something similar, but you certainly can. 

But because of Facebook, you will likely find homeschooling groups. Even unofficial groups plan outings and field trips. If you’re the mom running the show, as is usually the case, find other moms. Keep up with them. Share your struggles. Get advice. Ask questions. Offer feedback. You don’t need to do this alone, unless you want to. 

5. Look for outside activities

If you look around, you will find plenty of activities for your child. Yep, homeschoolers socialize. If you live in more of an urban area, it will naturally be easier for find such activities, but be on the lookout regardless. We do piano lessons from a local instructor who mostly serves homeschool students during the day. We also do P.E. at a local martial arts studio that offers the program for students during school hours.  

These are some of the fun, social, and educational activities that are out there. What your child does is up to you and his or her interest. 

6. Don’t worry if everything isn’t perfect

I would suggest you don’t go to Pinterest to get ideas on the perfect homeschool room or setup. Because there isn’t a perfect room. If you want your room to look a certain way, have at it, but it’s not that important in the grand scheme. 

Instead, focus on the functional. We have a dedicated homeschool room, but it’s more of our office. Most of the instruction takes place on the dining room table with younger brothers gathering around. Maybe for you it’s the kitchen or living room or back porch. And even if you don’t have matching pillows or inspirational signs, everything will be okay. 

7. Take advantage of free online resources

As we mentioned, YouTube is a great platform for educational videos on specific subjects of interest. But if you’re looking for more, free online learning resources, here is a comprehensive list from Kerry McDonald:

Do you want to share your story?

At MCPP, we believe your ability to raise your child as you see fit is a fundamental right that cannot be restricted by government. We have been sharing stories of new homeschoolers who have made the decision to leave public or private school this year. 

Is that you? We’d love to share your story. Just fill out this form and we’ll follow up with you! 

Mississippi has a ways to go before challenging some of the South’s strongest economies, and one key reason is more regulation and red tape than its neighbors. New legislation proposed this session could have helped rein in government red tape, but the most significant bills failed to gain enough traction. Thus, Mississippi has a long way to go if it wants to unburden itself of the moniker “the most regulated state in the South.” 

In 2018, as part of a national review of state regulations, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University found Mississippi has nearly 118,000 regulatory restrictions on the books. All told, the state code book includes 9.3 million words, and it would take about 13 weeks to read if all one did was read regulations as a full time job. 

The biggest regulator in Mississippi, by far, is the Department of Health, with more than 20,000 restrictions. Coming in second is the Department of Human Services, with over 12,000 restrictions. Various state boards, commissions, and examiners have a combined 10,000 restrictions. 

These regulations touch every industry in the state and impact each Mississippian in some form or fashion. The health care and assisted living sectors are particularly highly regulated. Some of these rules keep our senior citizens safe, but surely others, like restrictions on relocating or renovating medical facilities, just make the system inflexible, especially during an emergency. 

The coronavirus pandemic has revealed deep shortcomings in the regulatory system. To ensure an adequate amount of health care coverage, governors around the country have been relaxing—not increasing—regulations. This includes easing restrictions on telemedicine, recognizing medical licenses from other states, and in some states, rolling back requirements that health care facilities obtain permission from regulators before adding new equipment like hospital beds.

Overall, Mississippi’s regulatory load is about average for a typical state, but when compared to some of its neighbors, a clearer picture emerges. A new Mercatus Center analysis summarizes data from eight southern states stretching from Kentucky down to Florida and over to Louisiana. Of these states, Florida has the most regulatory restrictions at 171,000. However, if one adjusts for the fact that a bigger population tends to generate more regulation, Florida is, by that measure, actually the least regulated. Of the group, Mississippi has the most regulations per capita (and the lowest GDP per capita). 

More populous states tend to have more industries, denser urban areas, and other factors that generally contribute to a higher number of regulations. This explains why California, Ohio, New York, and Texas are all among the five-most regulated states in America, despite having very different political environments. 

Mississippi lawmakers recently had an opportunity to reduce regulatory burdens. Several bills were proposed that would have created regulatory reduction pilot programs at various state agencies. The idea is that a small consortium of agencies should have to measure and track how much regulation they impose, and then make sensible cuts based on those measurements. If all goes well, the pilot program can be expanded to other agencies. The state of Virginia has already implemented a pilot program like this, demonstrating that the idea is feasible, affordable, and even bipartisan. 

None of the various Mississippi proposals made it into law this year. However, governors around the country have taken action by issuing red-tape reduction executive orders. Gov. Tate Reeves could start by reviewing regulations suspended in response to COVID-19, as Idaho has recently done. Or he could take a more aggressive approach, like Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, who earlier this year ordered a 25 percent across-the-board regulatory reduction. 

Whatever approach is taken, Mississippians need regulatory relief now. The pandemic continues to ravage the country, and the nation’s regulatory system is simply not up to the task. There is an opportunity to rectify the situation if our leaders will heed the call.

This column appeared in the Clarion Ledger on July 7, 2020.

The limited sale of goat milk will remain legal in Mississippi after an early session attempt to ban the sale came up short.

House Bill 609, sponsored by Rep. Bill Pigott, who is the House Agriculture Committee Chairman, would have removed the current exemption that allows the sale of goat milk. Those who violated the law and continued to sell goat milk could have been sentenced to 60 days in jail with fines of up to $500.

HB 609 quickly and quietly cleared out of the Agriculture Committee but never made it passed the Public Health Committee, its next destination after constituent uproar. Still, the current law had a repealer on it, meaning it would have expired at the end of June without action. The exemption for goat milk was included in Senate Bill 2311, a bill that relates to Department of Health fees. 

Because of that, the small freedom that government gives to goat farmers in Mississippi and those that enjoy goat milk remains on the books. 

Under the current law, milk must be sold directly to the consumer on the premises of the production, you cannot have more than nine goats, and you can’t advertise your milk for sale. 

Still, attempts to expand the freedom to buy and sale raw milk that are introduced regularly never see the light of day, dying – usually in one of the Agriculture Committee’s – without a discussion. Rather, the legislature should begin to trust consumers to start and grow businesses and trust consumers to make decisions for themselves and their families.

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