The city of Jackson has a long history of violating people’s civil liberties. For a great many years, the city’s abuses focused on your race. Now, sadly, the city’s abuses focus on your beliefs.

Last year, the Jackson City Council passed a new law that makes it a crime for those who oppose abortion inside the city limits to exercise what most of us would believe are fundamental – and constitutionally guaranteed – rights of speech and the press. The city has criminalized the conduct of its citizens through the use of nice-sounding terms like “buffer zones,” “bubble zones” and “quiet zones” around abortion centers, by creating such “zones” around all health care facilities in the city.

Here are some examples of things that will make you a criminal in the city limits of Jackson:

• Coming within eight feet of another person (even the pandemic gives us six feet!) if you want to talk or distribute printed material if you are within 100 feet of the property entrance to an abortion center;
• Congregating or demonstrating within 15 feet of the property where an abortion center is located, regardless of whether you are on public or private property.
• Playing a radio or television or the drums or using an amplifier, even on your own private property, if you are within 100 feet of the property line of a lot where an abortion center is located.

In Jackson, Mississippi today, any of those acts could get you fined $1,000 and sent to jail for 90 days. Oh, but if you work for the abortion center, you are allowed to do any of those things that are illegal for the rest of us.

These are just some of the reasons I am pleased to join Aaron Rice and the team of the Mississippi Justice Institute in representing individual citizens who have the courage literally to fight city hall. A group of ordinary citizens have brought a suit against the city on the grounds that the anti-free speech/anti-free press ordinance passed last year violates their rights under the Constitution of the State of Mississippi.

Our state constitution provides even a higher degree of protection of the free speech and press rights of Mississippians than does the First Amendment to the US Constitution for all Americans. Here in Mississippi, our constitution says that “[t]he freedom of speech and of the press shall be held sacred.” 

Of course, freedom of speech and freedom of the press don’t mean very much if you can’t talk to someone or give someone what you wrote or printed. And those rights only matter anyway, right, when we say or write things the government doesn’t like. No one ever gets charged for saying or writing something the government likes to hear or read.

On the other hand, just because we have the right to free speech doesn’t mean that anyone has to listen. And no one has to read – or even take – what you write. But the government can’t make you a criminal for talking to people or giving them printed materials just because the government doesn’t like what you say, write and believe.

Before I became involved in the case, the city of Jackson had already tried to discourage its citizens from pursuing their lawsuit against the city, by procedural steps designed to increase the cost of the case and to drag it out. But all the city succeeded in doing was getting itself penalized by a federal judge for its trouble.

Now, it is time for the city finally to respond to its citizens’ claims that their rights to free speech and free press are being violated, in the face of state constitutional protection that describes those rights as “sacred.” 

I look forward to being a part of their fight.

This column appeared in the Madison County Journal on August 20, 2020.

Ridgeland-based attorney Andy Taggart has joined Mississippi Justice Institute’s lawsuit against the city of Jackson’s ban on free speech around an abortion clinic. 

Last October, MJI and members of Sidewalk Advocates for Life – Jackson, Mississippi launched a constitutional challenge to Jackson’s prohibition on pro-life counseling and other free speech outside the state’s only abortion facility. Taggart will now serve as pro bono co-counsel for the plaintiffs.

“Andy will be a tremendous asset in MJI’s challenge to Jackson’s unconstitutional ban on free speech,” said MJI Director, Aaron Rice. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the law and courtroom practice before our state’s highest courts.”

The new ordinance bans individuals who are near health facilities from approaching within eight feet of any person without consent, for the purpose of engaging in various forms of speech such as counseling, education, or distributing leaflets; bans people from congregating or demonstrating within 15 feet of the abortion facility, and bans any amplified sound. Violations of the ordinance could result in fines of up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail. 

“I am honored to join Aaron Rice and the team of the Mississippi Justice Institute in representing individual Mississippians who have the courage literally to fight city hall,” Taggart said.

“Jackson’s ordinance bars private citizens from peacefully communicating to fellow citizens about a profound moral issue on a public sidewalk,” said Rice. “This violates well-established protections for free speech under the Mississippi Constitution, and we are confident that our clients will prevail in court.”  

Taggart is a founding partner in Taggart, Rimes & Graham. He was previously a partner in the state’s largest law firm and has held an “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell for over twenty years. Taggart has served on numerous boards and committees, has several times been a gubernatorial appointee, and was Co-Chairman of the Mississippi Department of Corrections Task Force on Contract Review and Procurement in 2014. Taggart is highly published, including two popular books, which he co-authored: Mississippi Politics: The Struggle for Power, and Mississippi Fried Politics: Tall Tales from the Back Rooms. 

“Our clients’ rights to free speech and free press are being violated, in the face of a constitutional protection that describes those rights as ‘sacred,’” Taggart added. “I look forward to being a part of the fight to vindicate their rights.”  

The case is pending in Hinds County Circuit Court. 

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A Jackson city councilman called for a ban on gun shows as the city deals with a rapid increase in the number of homicides. 

Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks is proposing a one-year moratorium on gun shows in Jackson. According to WAPT, Banks wants to use that time to investigate “how and if gun vendors are conducting background checks on people who buy firearms from gun shows.”

Each year, multiple gun shows are held in Jackson and attended by thousands. The next show will be held on August 29 and 30 to coincide with the state’s Second Amendment Tax Free Holiday, which allows consumers to purchase firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies without having to pay sales tax.  

If gun shows were put on hold in Jackson, they would likely only move to Pearl, Ridgeland, or other surrounding cities. 

But are these gun shows to blame for Jackson’s rise in homicides? No. Studies from the federal government have repeatedly shown that less than one percent of inmates who have been incarcerated for gun crimes acquired their guns at shows. As we know, most criminals acquire their guns illegally – either through theft or the black market. 

But we have heard a common refrain from gun control advocates about a “gun show loophole.” Can criminals walk into a gun show and acquire a stash of guns and ammo? Not likely. All licensed firearm dealers, which make up more than 99 percent of dealers at gun shows, are required to perform the same background check that is completed at a sporting goods store or a pawn shop. 

So to answer Banks’ question, yes background checks are being conducted. 

The “loophole” relates to an individual selling personal guns. This is what makes it legal to sell or gift a gun to a family member. If we wanted to close the “loophole,” we’d not only make it illegal for a father to give his gun to his daughter, but for that father to let his son use his gun on a weekend hunting trip if a background check is not completed.  

While that sounds ridiculous, that is what gun control advocates are pushing when they talk about this “loophole.”

All we’d be doing is making life more difficult for law-abiding citizens without actually helping to reduce crime in Jackson, which should be our goal. 

We’re happy to be part of the discussion in reducing violent crime in Jackson. We want to see licensing and regulatory burdens that make it difficult to start a career or business removed because we know meaningful work is a deterrent to crime. We’re in favor of criminal justice reforms that get nonviolent offenders out of jail, in the workforce, and home providing for their family. We agree that education needs to be improved. That is why we would love to see charter schools expanded and why we support providing parents with the ability to use their tax dollars to send their children to a private school if they are unhappy with their current situation 

These are all solutions that can and would make a practical difference. Making it more difficult to legally purchase guns will earn applause from certain crowds, but won't actually solve Jackson's larger crime problems.

“In May, we had to make the tough decision to permanently close Sweet Rolls.

"After a year of trials we finally opened on December 6th. We had 24 employees and were doing pretty good. Just making it through our startup phase and excited about spring and spring break. 

“Then COVID and all the mandatory requirements, hit us hard. We didn’t even get a chance to see our sweet spot for foot traffic and the stay at home orders came. 

“We closed up March 15th, never to open back up. We qualified for some PPP and EIDL but the uncertainty of it all and not knowing what was next was enough for us to pull the plug. And here we are in August and we are still at 50 percent capacity in Hattiesburg. 

“We were going to go under no matter what because of all this.

“It sucks, and we never got the grant funds from Mississippi. Where did that $1.4 billion go? Not to our business.”

Bobby Mitchell
Sweet Rolls
Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Gov. Tate Reeves announced today that he will be signing a statewide mask mandate for residents in every county in the state. Previously, mask requirements had been in place in about half the counties in the state, which included the most populous counties. 

“Every leading indicator says we are starting to see improvement,” Reeves said. “But that does not mean we can declare victory and take a step back.”

During today’s news conference, Reeves made the announcement along with an update on school reopenings amidst a push by some to delay the start of school or move to virtual only. Some schools will be delayed per an order from Reeves.

The start of school will be delayed for two weeks for grades 7-12 for districts in Bolivar, Coahoma, Forest, George, Hinds, Panola, Sunflower, and Washington counties. The order does not effect private schools.

These counties had more than 200 cases and 500 per 100,000 residents in the last two weeks. 

Additionally, all students and staff will be required to wear masks during school.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba issued an executive today closing bars to indoor guests. 

Saying he was “prioritizing saving lives,” bars in the state’s largest city can no longer serve guests inside. Instead they can only provide takeout or drive-thru services. This includes all bars, nightclubs, lounges, taverns, and private clubs located in the city of Jackson.

Bar tops in restaurants must also close, though employees can still work behind the bar to prepare drinks. They can then serve those drinks to customers at a table. Additionally, restaurants can continue to serve alcohol. 

The order goes into effect Tuesday night. 

Previous, Gov. Tate Reeves has signed an order that closed bars at 11 p.m. and mandated customers be seated before they can be served alcohol.

Over the past two decades, the number of homeschoolers in Mississippi – and in America – has more than doubled as this education choice has moved from the fringes of society to a practice that is legal in every state. 

But even with that growth, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, homeschoolers represent just three percent of the student population. However, that was before the coronavirus pandemic shut down more than 100,000 schools for over 55 million children last spring. 

Even if it was government led with government curriculum, every family in Mississippi had a taste of homeschooling. Some sarcastically quipped that would end homeschooling. But then polling started to tell us otherwise. Almost overnight, homeschooling favorability rose. Twenty, thirty, even forty percent said they wouldn’t be sending their kids back to school in the fall.

While the strongest advocates of homeschooling know that we probably won’t see numbers like that, we are all expecting a large departure from both public schools, and potentially from private schools as well. Why? There’s an interesting mix of parents who feel that sending their children into a large school setting isn’t safe, while another large group doesn’t like the restrictions that will be coming, limiting interaction with friends, while requiring face masks in many (or perhaps all) school settings. 

Fortunately, it is easy to get started homeschooling in Mississippi. For a state that has generally shown little interest in education freedom, the freedom to homeschool is broadly supported and protected by law. The one thing a parent must do is file an annual certificate of enrollment with your local school district’s school attendance officer. All you need on the form is your child’s name, address, phone number, and a simple description of the program such as, “age appropriate curriculum.”  

When you do that, your child and you are now exempt from the state’s punitive compulsory education laws. There are no requirements on curriculum or testing or who can teach. Parents, instead, have the freedom to choose the educational system, style, and setting that works best for them and their children. 

The Department of Education “recommends” parents review state curriculum guidelines and maintain a portfolio of their child’s work, thought that is not required. As opposed to following a government curriculum that tells your child what he or she must learn at what age, homeschooling allows you to let your child learn at their own pace. 

That means a child who is excelling can move forward at a quicker pace, cover additional topics, or take in material at a deeper level. If a child is struggling, you can slow down, switch your teaching style, or bring in new materials. If your child has a unique interest, the world is literally at their fingertips with scores of free, online training materials. Yes, YouTube is filled with funny cat videos. But it also provides a library of instruction on virtually any topic you can think of.      

Thanks to today’s technology, a quick Google search can help you get more comfortable with homeschooling. There is an abundance of homeschool Facebook groups with veterans who are willing to share their ideas on getting started, curriculum, extracurricular activities, maintaining your sanity, and much more. Connection to these groups is also a venue to plan an endless variety of outings and field trips. It won’t take long to realize your child will receive as much “socialization” as you would like.  

There are also options such as co-ops, where families gather together and share teaching responsibilities among parents. Similarly, we have seen the emergence of microschools this year in which a small group of parents pool their resources together to hire a teacher. 

If you’re on the fence about homeschooling, worried about what homeschool might look like in your family, or just not sure you can do it, at least take a closer look. Fill out the necessary forms, do your research, and talk with other homeschool families. 

You might find what many homeschool families did long ago: Giving children time and freedom to pursue their individual interests while utilizing a curriculum consistent with the values of your family, rather than following forced government mandates created by faceless bureaucrats, tends to produce very positive results.

This column appeared in the Daily Corinthian on August 2, 2020.

“We made the decision to homeschool when our school district decided online learning would only be for students who have a medical need to stay home. And we didn’t want our daughter to wear a mask all day long. 

“We've thought about homeschooling before because we move a lot for the military and it seems easier to just pack up and go. 

“We decided to homeschool with Abeka so we do have the monthly cost of that. But that is definitely a choice! We know there are cheaper options. 

“I hope to be able to say we did our best no matter what. I hope my daughter excels in all of her subjects and hopefully can return to school after the pandemic."

Taylor Crawford
Gulfport, Mississippi 

“The decision to homeschool our children was made for multiple reasons. 

“Having homeschooled our oldest for a few years before moving to Pearl, we knew what it was like to truly homeschool, and that the crisis schooling that happened in the spring semester of 2020 was not an accurate representation of homeschooling. Knowing another shut down in the fall was possible, my husband and I decided that if I was going to potentially be teaching our children at home, they were going to learn what we wanted them to learn and be on our own timetable. 

“We had a lot of good discussions with our oldest child when he noticed some things in his end of the year Covid project that were more like propaganda and repeating a narrative than what we’ve been teaching our children. As a former public school teacher, I already had issues with some policies and procedures already in place in some schools pre-Covid, like taking away recess and special programs, especially around test prep time, fully silent lunches each day, and putting so much emphasis into testing. Knowing that return to school policies were going to be varied and possibly include compulsive hand sanitizing, social distancing, mask mandates, etc., we knew that would not be the best learning environments for our children. 

“We want them to love, or at least enjoy learning, not dread getting up and going to school each day. We have already started on our curriculum this summer because they wanted to, and they are enjoying it and the ability to have so much free time once they’re finished.

“I have had to put my own career as a doula and student midwife aside in order to homeschool because the hours and being on call are not conducive to me personally caring for my family of six and homeschooling four children.

“But I love teaching and this is a way I can still teach as well as invest time in my children’s lives. For my children, I want them to enjoy learning, be well educated, be critical thinkers, learn responsibility, independence, and how to make wise choices, and learn life skills instead of how to regurgitate information.”

Heather Roberts
Pearl, Mississippi