Tag: State Politics

Closing Thought–10May24

From time to time I give news from my state of Mississippi not that anyone would give a crap but rather to show just how goddamn backwards it is here in the ‘New South’….

After months of rhetoric the legislature passed a bathroom bill….wasted time and wasted days….but let me ask will there be ‘bathroom monitors’ to see who is using the ‘right’ bathroom?  If so is that not a privacy issue?  Who decides who will be the ‘pervert’ of the day?

Then the worthless bunch of panty waste passed a bill on what is known as ‘squatted cars’….I know….HUH?

Squatted vehicles — also called Carolina Squat — are those whose front fenders are 4 inches or higher than their back fenders, making the vehicles appear to be squatting. Lawmakers say the vehicles pose a danger to the driver and to others on the roads.

Several states throughout the South have banned “squatted” vehicles in recent years. Now, Mississippi is included in that list.

Gov. Tate Reeves signed House bill HB349 into law that prohibits squatted vehicles from public streets and highways. The new law takes effect July 1.

Other states that have banned squatted vehicles include North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Tennessee this year enacted a similar ban, which also takes effect in July. Alabama legislators are currently considering whether to ban squatted vehicles.

Fines for violating the new laws vary from state to state. In Mississippi, citations will come with a $100 fine the first offense. Subsequent violations will come with higher fines. Even though the new law goes into effect July 1, the fines will not start until January, to allow squatted vehicle owners time to have their vehicles put back to their original form. Law enforcement will still issue citations, which will count toward the number of offenses when it comes to the amount of the fines.

(aol.com)

First take a look at the states that have banned these tricked out cars.

Is it me or is it the states with a large black population?

Now I ask….what about all these rednecks and their trucks that are 9 feet off the ground?  Why are those not dangerous?

While we are at it….how about a ban on those 20 foot luxury 4 door pick-ups….no one needs a truck that big.

How about our newest 4th district representative?

Our last election saw the do-nothing representative, Palazzo, lose a bid for re-election to some jerk wad and a bigger douche, Ezell….well Rep. Ezell is in hot water for being stupid….

A Palestinian-American activist is pressing charges against U.S. Rep. Mike Ezell of Mississippi for allegedly assaulting her on Capitol Hill.

Ezell, who is currently running for reelection, was shown in a video posted Tuesday with Sumer Mobarak, a member of a feminist political advocacy group based in California called Code Pink.

One of the activists can be heard asking Ezell about the Israel-Hamas war and whether he thinks Israel should accept a ceasefire proposal or if he wants “this genocide to continue?”

Another person off-camera asks: “You want the killing of my people, my Palestinian people?”

“Oh, why don’t you shut up?” Ezell says in response. “Knock it off!” He then appears to reach out with his hand and knock the cellphone filming him to the ground.

“These China-backed protesters want to harass and intimidate Members of Congress into ending our support for Israel and our opposition to Hamas terrorists,” Ezell said in a statement. “I will not be harassed or intimidated by the Chinese Communist Party, Hamas, or their supporters, and I will continue standing with our Israeli allies against terrorism.”

Code Pink says on its site that “China is not our enemy.” According to a 2023 New York Times investigation, the group—which describes itself as a “feminist grassroots organization working to end U.S. warfare and imperialism, support peace and human rights initiatives”

(mississippitoday.org)

This old dinosaur, Ezell, is using a tired old meme of a communist party.  A question was asked….that is no intimidation in my book…why not not give a straight answer instead of some hilly-billy bully reaction?

Apparently he has to wait for his staff to try and cover his ass for he is too dim to do it himself.

This is what us peasants in Mississippi have to deal with…..stupid waste of time on laws that apply to only a certain quarter of the population.

I hope you have a great Mother’s Day weekend….and as always…..Be Well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–11Apr24

My next door neighbor, I live in Mississippi, is trying to criminalize librarians….Alabama has a law in consideration that would do just that…..

The Alabama Library Association and other critics on Wednesday called out the state’s Republican policymakers for pushing a new bill that opponents warn will unfairly jail librarians and have a chilling impact on collections.

House Bill 385, introduced Tuesday by state Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-43) and 30 other legislators, says that “under existing law, certain obscenity laws do not apply to public libraries, public school libraries, college libraries, or university libraries, or the employees or agents of any such libraries.”

“This bill would provide that these criminal obscenity laws do not apply to college or university libraries or their employees or agents, but do apply to public libraries, public school libraries, and their employees or agents,” the legislation continues.

H.B. 385 would also add the following language to the definition of sexual conduct: “Any sexual or gender-oriented material that knowingly exposes minors to persons who are dressed in sexually revealing, exaggerated, or provocative clothing or costumes, or are stripping, or engaged in lewd or lascivious dancing, presentations, or activities in K-12 public schools, public libraries, and other public places where minors are expected and are known to be present without parental consent.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/alabama-library

So sad that politicians are turning schools and libraries into political battlefields….when they should be more concerned with educating their citizens and not hindering the teachers and librarians.

It is a pathetic day when the destruction of schools take the lead in state politics.

Turn The Page!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Barred From Re-Election

We have states attempting to bar Trump from the November ballot and then there is the state of Oregon….in an attempt to bar dissenters from re-election….

The Oregon Supreme Court said Thursday that 10 Republican state senators who staged a record-long walkout last year to stall bills on abortion, transgender health care, and gun rights cannot run for reelection. The decision upholds the secretary of state’s decision to disqualify the senators from the ballot under a voter-approved measure aimed at stopping such boycotts. Measure 113, passed by voters in 2022, amended the state constitution to bar lawmakers from reelection if they have more than 10 unexcused absences, the AP reports.

Last year’s boycott lasted six weeks—the longest in state history—and paralyzed the legislative session, stalling hundreds of bills. Five of the 10 GOP senators who racked up more than 10 absences sued over the secretary of state’s decision. “We obviously disagree with the Supreme Court’s ruling,” said one of them, Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp. “But more importantly, we are deeply disturbed by the chilling impact this decision will have to crush dissent.” Democratic Senate President Rob Wagner welcomed the decision. “Today’s ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court means that legislators and the public now know how Measure 113 will be applied, and that is good for our state,” he said in a statement.

Political advocacy groups that backed Measure 113 had similar reactions, per the AP. “Walkouts allow a relatively small number of lawmakers to nullify the will of the majority, and that is to the detriment of our democracy,” said Alejandro Queral of the Oregon Center for Public Policy. All parties in the suit had sought clarity on when the ineligibility takes effect before the March filing deadline for candidates who want to run in this year’s election. Oregon voters approved the measure by a wide margin following Republican walkouts in the legislature in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

While I enjoy any time a GOPer gets in hot water I just do not see this as an answer…..but if the people decided then I guess we must go along with their decision, after all it is their state and their elections.

Any thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergpo scribo”

Open Letter To The Voters Of Mississippi

This was originally posted in my other blog, Gulf South Free Press, I post it here for all my visitors that may not be following my other blog.

What are you thinking?

For decades you have voted for Republican candidates and what has that giving the state after all those years in power?

Let’s look at where the state of Mississippi stands in relation to the country.

Total living standards Mississippi ranks 48th

Health care–ranks 48th

Obesity–1st

Teen Pregnancies–#1

Education–#45

Children’s poverty—-28.7%

People living with hunger–15%

Disposable income–$37,834 ranks 50th

Minimum wage at $7.25 per hour which is the lowest possible wage.

Per capita disposable income, also known as disposable personal income (DPI), is the amount of money that a person has available for spending and saving after accounting for income taxes. Disposable income is regarded as a key economic indicator used to gauge the overall state of an economy. Mississippi’s DPI in 2018 was $37,834 which places it 50 out of all 50 US states.

State budget depends on Federal funds for 34.8% of the total which ranks 3rd

Our economic outlook we rank 49th

Our Fiscal stability we are not that good……Mississippi ranks 41 out of 50

The Gross State Product (GSP) does not look promising and has not for the last 5 years…growth rate during that time was 0.8%…..that is less than 1% growth.

Mississippi’s GSP in 2019 reached $104.2bn, with growth of 0.8% over the five years to 2019. Mississippi’s GSP growth ranks 44 out of all 50 US states. GSP is a measurement of a state’s output, or the sum of value added from all industries in the state. It is a common indicator used to track the health of an economy.

Where is that lie of ‘economic development’ we are promised with every election?

So far the only true economic development has been for land speculators, real estate agents and contractors.

Whatever gains anticipated for the year are expected to even out by the start of the new year. The forecast report shows that the number of Mississippi workers on payroll jobs is expected to remain stagnant for the next four years.

(mississippitoday.org)

Sorry for the length but this illustrates what you have got for your vote….very little.

Mississippi to rank at the bottom or near to the bottom of almost every economic sector….and yet the voter continues to believe the lies and vote the purveyors of the lies into office.

Why?

Easy answer…..wedge issues.

The voter is duped by issues like bathrooms and education and other such silliness….none of these moves the people of this state forward.

Please before you vote look around at your neighbors has all the economics of the past actually done anything to make their lives better?

Your vote is sacred….please use if wisely.

Our future does not look bright for the near future…..but you can change all that….your wisely placed vote can make all the difference for your and your family.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

Chuq  (Gulfport)

2024–A Look Ahead

I know the general election is a couple of months down the road…..but the way this situation is setting up there are a few things we need to look at before the day.

Let’s say that Biden runs against Trump and wins (again)…..but with all the leis about a stolen election will repeat itself and grow louder.

Could we have yet another insurrection similar to 06 January?

I think not. Those mental midgets may have learned a valuable lesson. No I think it will be more of a legislative assault of the election results. By that I mean there is a chance that some states could actually succeed where the rabid mob failed.

Late last month, in one of its final acts of the term, the Supreme Court queued up another potentially precedent-wrecking decision for next year. The Court’s agreement to hear Moore v. Harper, a North Carolina redistricting case, isn’t just bad news for efforts to control gerrymandering. The Court’s right-wing supermajority is poised to let state lawmakers overturn voters’ choice in presidential elections.

To understand the stakes, and the motives of Republicans who brought the case, you need only one strategic fact of political arithmetic. Six swing states—Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina—are trending blue in presidential elections but ruled by gerrymandered Republican state legislatures. No comparable red-trending states are locked into Democratic legislatures.

Joe Biden won five of those six swing states in 2020. Donald Trump then tried and failed, lawlessly, to muscle the GOP state legislators into discarding Biden’s victory and appointing Trump electors instead. The Moore case marks the debut in the nation’s highest court of a dubious theory that could give Republicans legal cover in 2024 to do as Trump demanded in 2020. And if democracy is subverted in just a few states, it can overturn the election nationwide.

Republican lawyers, taking note of their structural advantage among battleground-state lawmakers, set forth the “independent state legislature” (ISL) doctrine. The doctrine is based on a tendentious reading of two constitutional clauses, which assign control of the “Manner” of congressional elections and the appointment of presidential electors in each state to “the Legislature thereof.” Based on that language, the doctrine proposes that state lawmakers have virtually unrestricted power over elections and electors. State courts and state constitutions, by this reading, hold no legitimate authority over legislatures in the conduct of their U.S. constitutional functions.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/07/moore-harper-scotus-independent-state-legislature-election-power/670992/

There is a real possibility that SCOTUS will help in the desire for the election to be overturned….

The voter needs to consider many things before they vote (most do not) and now there is more that they need to be aware of before they vote.

Pay attention and vote for the country not some orange tinted dipshit.

Turn The Page!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Mississippi Primaries.

Today is voting day in Mississippi….the primaries that is. It will be another sweltering day of 105+ temps so the turn out will probably be low and unimpressive.

One must vote straight ticket during the primaries…..if you like a certain candidate then you will vote for all in that party.

That brings me to one certain candidate but it pretty much sums up what most Repubs in this state are pushing in their campaigns…..he is running for Lt. Gov, Chris McDaniels (GOP).

I have written about the issues and the voters in Mississippi…..

Is Poverty A Political Choice?

Now armed with that information….this info is straight from the Daniels Campaign….

He Fought to secure our elections by pushing for a stronger voter ID law (meaning….make it harder for people of color to vote)

Led the challenge against Obamacare

Protected rights of our children to religious expression in schools (meaning….forced prayer)

Promoted school choice and parent’s rights in the classroom

Spearheaded legislation to protect children who have been sexually abused and kidnapped, increased sentences against anyone who has killed a minor (this sounds great and is needed but in the same bill was the usual diversion of bathrooms and squashing transgender rights)

Passed EVerify and introduced bills that would prohibit the creation of a sanctuary cities and federal and state benefits for undocumented workers (the last part is pure illusion….there are no undocumented workers getting any kind of state benefits)

Finally voted against any bill that he believed was wasting taxpayer money (you mean like everything above this line?)

Not one word on this flyer about jobs he created (very few) or the business that he helped come to Mississippi….basically he did little to help the economic picture of Mississippi.

Why would anyone vote for this clearly racist asshole?

There is more….his opponent is another Repub, Delbert Hoseman…..McDaniels accuses Delbert….

Being a secret Democrat

Did not support Trump

Supported Obamacare

Supported forced vaccinations

All in all sounds like Delbert might have been looking out for all Mississippians…but that is just a cursory observation….after all he is a Repub.

The sad situation in Mississippi will not change for these people will not alter their ignorance and neither will the voter.

This is what we get in Mississippi….manure spread by idiots.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Mississippi Stands Alone

I have pointed out many times that my state, Mississippi, is always at the bottom of every good situation and the top of every bad….once again Mississippi will remain the one state that stands against fornication.

Michigan was in the running as a pillar of unlawful coitus….that is until recently….

Unmarried couples in Michigan are a step closer to being able to legally live together as lewdly and lasciviously as they want to. The state Senate voted 29-9 Wednesday to repeal a law that makes it a misdemeanor for an unmarried man to live with an unmarried woman, the Detroit News reports. The bill would strike a provision against “lewdly and lasciviously associating and cohabitating together,” though it would retain a provision banning any individual from “engaging in open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior,” reports WWJ. The law hasn’t been enforced for a long time, but under federal law, a person can’t claim somebody as a dependent on their taxes if their relationship violates state law.

Unmarried couples are now free to cohabitate in Michigan. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation repealing a 1931 law that banned unmarried couples from living together, with penalties of up to a year in prison and a $1,000 fine, per the Michigan Advance. Though it’s been a long time since the law was enforced, some Republican lawmakers wanted it to remain in effect, fearing the societal effects of a decline in marriage. Still, the bill easily passed the state House and Senate. Democratic Sen. Stephanie Chang, who sponsored the bill, said the signing brings Michigan “into the current century”—one marked by a record-low US marriage rate. Mississippi is now the only state left with a similar law on the books.

Mississippi stands alone…..there will be no unlawful fornicating in my state.

We still think it is 1950….not long ago Mississippi got rid of the ban on interracial marriages.

There should be a sign on the borders of Mississippi advising people to set their clocks back 150 years.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Magical Time In Mississippi

College of Political Knowledge

Mississippi series

In about a month Mississippians will go to the polls and vote in their respective primaries.

2023 is election year for Mississippi….it is magical because the idiot voters will fall for the manure spread….every election the voter falls for the crap….

For instance there is Delbert Hoseman running for re-election as lt gov…..this from his campaign.

Lieutenant Governor Hosemann is committed to serving the public with open and fair government. Since he was elected, he has worked to enact the largest tax cut in the State’s history, provide teachers with a competitive salary, support law enforcement to ensure safe communities, and make Mississippi more business-friendly and attractive for economic development. Lieutenant Governor Hosemann is not a lifelong politician. His career in the private sector has made him a proven and effective leader uniquely qualified to move the State forward.

Business friendly?

If it is so damn good then why is Mississippi at the bottom of the economic list if it is so friendly where are the companies rushing to the state?

When it comes to the US economy, a variety of factors underlie its health (or lack thereof), with the economies of individual states playing a significant part. WalletHub wanted to see which ones are really pulling their weight when it comes to contributing to the national coffers, so it looked at all 50, plus the District of Columbia, examining more than two dozen metrics in three main categories: economic activity, meaning factors such as GDP changes, exports per capita, and startup activity; economic health (e.g., unemployment rate, median household income, and share of the local population in poverty); and innovation potential, which looks at such factors as the share of high-tech jobs and entrepreneurial activity.

Mississippi ranks 48 out of 50 in economic activity…..in start up activity it ranks 49….ranks 47th in household income….high tech jobs we are at 48 out of 50….

And yet the GOP politicians talk to us about business friendly….nothing about their grand plan has done anything to help the average Mississippian and yet they are voted in almost unchallenged.

Just one question for the voters of Mississippi….what are you people thinking?

Is it ignorance?  Or just massive laziness?

There will be more from me on this election in my state.

Learn from Mississippi’s laziness/stupidity….don’t let this infect your state.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Mississippi New Laws

It is Friday I am hot, it is 107 outside and I am lazy….so this is my lazy post.

My state of Mississippi has ended its latest legislative session….and these are our new laws…..

Mississippi Laws That Take Effect July 1

Absentee ballots — Senate Bill 2358 prohibits handling large numbers of absentee ballots. A lawsuit filed by Disability Rights Mississippi and other plaintiffs seeks to block the law, arguing that it could disenfranchise voters who have disabilities by preventing them from receiving help from people they trust.

Postpartum Medicaid — Senate Bill 2212 ensures an entire year of Medicaid coverage for women after they give birth. Mississippi usually allowed two months of postpartum Medicaid coverage. The state allowed a full year of coverage after the COVID-19 public health emergency started in 2020, although many patients said the state did little to let them know coverage continued after two months. The longer coverage was approved after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down federal protections for abortion in a ruling on a Mississippi case last year. Conservative lawmakers across the country have pivoted on Medicaid expansion as part of an anti-abortion agenda.

State fruit — House Bill 1027 designates the blueberry as Mississippi’s official state fruit. Fourth graders from Madison County lobbied for law.

School Guardians — Senate Bill 2079 authorizes school employees to carry concealed guns on campus if they have a concealed-carry license, complete firearms training from a law enforcement agency and are trained in CPR and first aid. Identities of so-called “school guardians” are exempt from public disclosure.

Online porn — Senate Bill 2346 requires people to verify they are at least 18 before using websites or apps where at least one-third of the content consists of pornography. An adult entertainment group is suing over a similar law in Louisiana. House Bill 1315 says vendors providing online resources or databases to K-12 schools must block access to pornography.

Fentanyl testing — House Bill 722 specifies that fentanyl testing materials are no longer considered illegal drug paraphernalia.

Adoption — Senate Bill 2696 creates an income tax credit of up to $10,000 for adopting a child who lives in Mississippi and $5,000 for a adopting a child from outside the state.

Foster families — House Bill 510 is designed to increase transparency for foster parents and make employees from the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services more readily available to them.

Sexual assault evidence — House Bill 485 is intended to set faster timelines for law enforcement agencies to process evidence kits from sexual assault cases. One section of the bill becomes law July 1, and other sections become law Dec. 1.

Real estate — Senate Bill 2073 allows people to enter contracts to purchase real estate at age 18; the previous minimum age was 21, unless the minor was emancipated.

Pet insurance — Senate Bill 2228 authorizes the sale of pet insurance.

Pecan theft — Senate Bill 2523 increases the penalties for stealing pecans that are being grown as crops. Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson says thieves have taken loads of pecans from some farmers.

Laws That Took Effect Earlier

Gender-affirming care — House Bill 1125 bans gender-affirming health care for transgender people younger than 18. It became law when Reeves signed it Feb. 28.

Pregnancy centers — House Bill 1671 expands a tax credit from $3.5 million a year to $10 million a year statewide for people or businesses who donate to centers that provide diapers, clothing and other assistance for pregnant women. The law is retroactive to Jan. 1.

Baby drop-off — House Bill 1318 allows cities and counties to establish safe drop-off boxes for babies who are up to 45 days old. The bill became law when Reeves signed it April 19.

State gemstone — Senate Bill 2138 designates the Mississippi Opal as the state gemstone. It became law when Reeves signed it March 3.

Laws That Take Effect Jan. 1, 2024

Elections — House Bill 1310 authorizes the secretary of state to conduct audits of election results. It also speeds up the process for local election commissioners to remove the names of inactive voters from the voter rolls. Critics say the “use-it-or-lose-it” approach endangers the rights of people who want to vote in some but not all elections.

Campaign finance — House Bill 1306 bans candidates for running for office if they have failed to file all required campaign finance reports within the previous five years. It also says fraudulently requesting or submitting an application for an absentee ballot is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Read them and comment on the ones you think are odd or called for…..

Have a great weekend and holiday….be well and be safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

A Win For Anti-Banning

There is been a spat of states that are leading the movement to ban certain books that they say are offensive….is anyone fighting back, well besides us bloggers that rant constantly about the moronic idea of banning or burning of books?

Illinois lawmakers greenlighted a bill Wednesday that says libraries in the state must adopt an anti-book banning policy to receive state funding, in a vote that fissured along party lines. The measure, spearheaded by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, represents a counter-movement to growing efforts to restrict books on topics such as race, gender, and sexuality in schools and libraries across the US. The legislation has passed both chambers and now heads to the desk of Gov. JB Pritzker, who said he looks forward to signing it, the AP reports. “This landmark legislation is a triumph for our democracy, a win for First Amendment rights, and most importantly, a great victory for future generations to come,” said Giannoulias in a news conference Wednesday.

The bill requires libraries, to be eligible for state funding, to adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, which holds that “materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation,” and “should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.” Libraries may also develop an alternative policy prohibiting the practice of banning to receive the funds. The measure cleared the Senate on a party-line vote, per the AP. Democratic Sen. Laura Murphy, one of the bill’s sponsors, celebrated its passage.

“Librarians are trained professionals, and we need to trust that they will stock our libraries with appropriate materials—they were hired for their expertise, and they deserve our respect,” Murphy said in a statement. All 19 Senate Republicans voted against the measure, including Sen. Jason Plummer, who called it an effort by Democrats “to force their extreme ideology on communities across this state” and would wrest control from local libraries. Attempted book bans and restrictions at school and public libraries hit a record high in 2022, according to a March report from the American Library Association.

Good for them!

Somebody needs to do something to counter the morons that are afraid of books and any ideas they may present.

If you celebrate the Cinco de Mayo then drink carefully and Be Well….Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”