A protest to open Mississippi is scheduled for Saturday in downtown Jackson, and Gov. Tate Reeves says he supports the right of the protestors, even during the pandemic with much of the state shut down.  

The Open Up Mississippi Freedom Drive will meet in the parking lot of the Mississippi Farmers Market off High Street at 12 p.m. and drive by the Governor’s mansion. 

This is the latest organic freedom protest that has sprung up in response to government shutdowns of most states. Some of these protests have garnered national headlines, such as this tweet from the Raleigh, North Carolina police department: 

When asked about the protestors, Reeves said he would rather people not protest, but he supports their right to do so.

“I would rather people not be protesting, but I support and appreciate their right to do so,” Reeves said. “I think one of the fundamental foundational principles is individuals have the right to protest their government and their leaders. America is not China. Period.

Reeves announced today that he would be partially lifting the state’s stay at home order.

“People are upset and frustrated because of the challenges. We have 150,000 people on unemployment assistance. A large majority who had never been on government benefits. I get it. I understand their concern. 

“I support their right to gather and protest. I hope and pray they protest in a smart way. A drive by protest, honking their horn, is the right approach.”

Beginning Saturday, everyone working at or visiting a business will be required to wear a mask in Oxford.

According to the Oxford Eagle, the city updated their emergency order today. Businesses must monitor all points of interest and prohibit those not wearing a mask from entering their establishment. If businesses are not following the ordinance, they could be issued a ticket and subsequent fine from a municipal judge. 

According to Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill, the city adopted the ordinance because city residents called government officials to complain of people in stores not adhering to proper social distancing guidelines and not wearing masks. 

The order will remain in effect until May 18. 

The Greenville City Council has updated their ordinance that previously prohibited drive-in church services less than a week after Mississippi Justice Institute filed a lawsuit on behalf of the King James Bible Baptist Church. 

As members recently arrived at church, they were greeted by virtually every member of the Greenville police department and threatened with fines as they arrived for drive-in church services that evening.

MJI, a non-profit constitutional litigation center and the legal arm of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy, along with First Liberty Institute, the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans, then announced a challenge to the city’s ban on drive-in church services. 

On Tuesday, the city revised their policy to expressly permit churches to host drive-in services.

King James Bible Baptist Church, and others, will be able to continue to freely worship in a way that is safe and consistent with their religious beliefs and practical needs. 

“I have owned my business for 33 years. My husband and I both have small businesses. I know there are a lot of people struggling that are also self-employed.

“I will say that the help has been very disappointing. No SBA loan, no PPP loan, no stimulus check, and no unemployment. 

“Right now, there is no income for our family. We have to open soon, or we will not have any businesses. They both will be gone. Our economy cannot hold out any longer. So please open it up so we can survive. 

“I don’t know how this will turn out, but I keep my faith and I will survive.”

Deshea Dilmore
Gaeleria The Salon
Ridgeland, Mississippi

“I have short-term and long-term rental properties in Oxford. 

“At this point I have only seen my Airbnb take a hit, but I'm pretty worried about the rumors for football to not come back or even a possible cancelling of the fall semester. I can handle the loss in Airbnb revenue, though that's about $6,000 this summer alone. I can't handle the loss of the five other homes and that rental roll being taken away. 

“I also have an ownership interest in a company that's a Grove vendor. We set up TVs and satellite dishes for other tent vendors across the Grove. Bookings are pretty dead right now as everyone waits to see what is going to happen. 

“I don't know of any business that plans on 3-6 months of zero revenue. I understand having cash reserves and trying to be prepared for contingencies in business, but no business owner plans for losses of revenue ranging from 50-95 percent for months. 

“I'm just ready to see the economy turned back on and the government to get out of the way.”

Nathan McCartney
Real estate investor
Oxford, Mississippi

Gov. Tate Reeves said today that the state will make final decisions about the current shelter-in-place order within the next 36 to 48 hours.

"We will take the position that every business is essential to the person that works there, and that it is certainly essential to the small business owners who employ those individuals," Reeves said.

The current order expires on April 27.

Reeves said it was too early to provide a definitive statement on what the order will look like, but that they will rely on data from various industries, while taking a localized approach, either regionally or on a county-by-county basis.

"I do not think there is a high probability that we will extend the shelter-in-place in its entirety," Reeves added. "As we look at various regions, industries, its fair to say we will continue to loosen restrictions from state government with respect to shelter-in-place."

The recovery will likely be rolled out, much as the original order was as it was put in place.

"We were slower than most, intentionally so, and I would argue correctly so, in putting the shelter-in-place order in effect," Reeves said. "We took measures throughout that process, which eased us into it. I think what you will see over the next two, three, four weeks is measures that incrementally get us out of it."

As for restaurants, Reeves hasn't made a final decision on how or when they will be able to open.

“We own Little Yazoo Sports Bar & Grill in Yazoo City. 

“They say we are non-essential, but I beg to differ. We provide a place where people can come to and get away from all of their troubles. 

“We have trunk or treat every year for the kids, a womanless beauty pageant for Yazoo county kids in foster care, and also provide a drop off point for the Girls Scouts of America cookies. We help sort out the orders and help deliver them. 

“We hold benefits for people in need. Over the past five years, we have raised over $20,000 to help our community. So, it's vital not just for my family but our community. We volunteered to close before the order because we would be taken care of by the SBA grants and loans. We have received nothing!

“We can't continue to be closed or we'll lose everything.”

Edward and Kristi Ferrell
Little Yazoo Sports Bar & Grill
Yazoo City, Mississippi

"Saving Mom’s Sanity, LLC is a ministry that helps moms keep their households running smoothly.

"We offer task-specific packages named for biblical women. Appointments were made through our Facebook page. Since the shelter-in-place, we have been unable to work, unable to come alongside moms, unable to earn income.

"The last month has been extremely difficult. We’ve gone from serving 15 to 20 families per month to zero. As a ministry, cost has never hindered service: we work within each family’s budget.

"We’ve lived on a shoe string budget ourselves in order to serve others. With no income, it has been extremely difficult.

"Beyond the infringement issue, it’s well beyond time to put our people back to work. Those who are afraid should stay where they are most comfortable and let the rest of us resume business with common sense protocols in place."

Tia McArthur
Saving Mom's Sanity
Clinton, Mississippi

"I own and run a small catfish farm.

"I cannot sell my catfish to the processing plant because catfish sales are down. The plant I sell to predominantly sells to restaurants which are closed.

"Catfish can grow to big to be processed if we cannot keep restocking and growing catfish. When the economy is reopened, there may not be enough catfish to supply the restaurants that depended on our products."

Wendell Schmidt
Catfish farmer
Clarksdale, Mississippi