The Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation says it will deliver more than 118,000 certified signatures of registered voters to the secretary of state's office Thursday in hopes of forcing a statewide vote on eminent domain.
The measure is designed to let voters decide on a proposal to prevent the taking of private property to give to private developers. Opponents warn it could stifle some economic projects.
The federation had faced an Oct. 6 deadline to submit at least 89,285 certified signatures to get the issue on the November 2011 ballot.
In 2009, the Legislature by an overwhelming margin passed a bill similar to the Farm Bureau's initiative. Republican Gov. Haley Barbour vetoed it, saying it could hurt the effort to recruit major manufacturers.
CL
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
MCH: Operation Jaguar to aid MC's military
Madison Central High School is commencing Operation Jaguar.
The community-wide project aims to reach out to Madison Central graduates and the uniformed men and women serving with them in war zones with a little touch of home.
"Currently, there are 369,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines located at duty stations outside the United States. Of those, 94,000 are deployed to Afghanistan and 56,000 are deployed to Iraq, some of whom are Jaguars," MC teacher Aaron King said.
One of those Jaguars is First Lt. Brian King, 2003 graduate of MC, 2008 graduate of the United States Military Academy and the brother of Aaron King, a 2005 graduate of West Point.
"It is the mission of Operation Jaguar to provide some of the basic comforts we all take for granted," said King, who is joined by Lt. Col. Mike Gentry of the school's Air Force Junior ROTC program, in leading the drive for donations of money and items for the troops.
Madison Central is first targeting Bull Company, which has about 200 soldiers, for the wave of toiletries, foods and fun items, Gentry said. "Then, based on recommendations from faculty and staff, we want to hit as many others as we can."
Donations will go toward deployed military personnel.
"It would be hard to say just how many former students are serving or have been deployed, but everyone knows someone who has either been overseas or is on the way," King said.
Read more: MCH
The community-wide project aims to reach out to Madison Central graduates and the uniformed men and women serving with them in war zones with a little touch of home.
"Currently, there are 369,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines located at duty stations outside the United States. Of those, 94,000 are deployed to Afghanistan and 56,000 are deployed to Iraq, some of whom are Jaguars," MC teacher Aaron King said.
One of those Jaguars is First Lt. Brian King, 2003 graduate of MC, 2008 graduate of the United States Military Academy and the brother of Aaron King, a 2005 graduate of West Point.
"It is the mission of Operation Jaguar to provide some of the basic comforts we all take for granted," said King, who is joined by Lt. Col. Mike Gentry of the school's Air Force Junior ROTC program, in leading the drive for donations of money and items for the troops.
Madison Central is first targeting Bull Company, which has about 200 soldiers, for the wave of toiletries, foods and fun items, Gentry said. "Then, based on recommendations from faculty and staff, we want to hit as many others as we can."
Donations will go toward deployed military personnel.
"It would be hard to say just how many former students are serving or have been deployed, but everyone knows someone who has either been overseas or is on the way," King said.
Read more: MCH
New Ridgeland Zoning Ordinances take affect in October
The City of Ridgeland’s stricter requirements for new payday lenders, pawnshops and other businesses takes effect in October.
Formal approval of the zoning changes by alderman came last week. The restrictions will take effect in 30 days.
The Clarion-Ledger reports that the new rules also affect tattoo parlors, title loan businesses, check-cashing establishments, cash-for-gold entities, nail salons and bail bondsmen.
The restrictions prevents such businesses from coming within 2,000 feet of each other. Those businesses cannot exceed 3,000 square feet of space, and they can’t combine into a single office to sidestep the new rules.
Ridgeland aldermen also extended the city’s moratorium on such establishments until Nov. 2, preventing any from moving to the area until after the new zoning rules go into effect.
The new rules don’t effect those already in business.
Ridgeland aldermen originally adopted a temporary ban on these establishments in Aug. 2009. That October, the moratorium was extended for nine months for aldermen to decide whether they wanted stricter or more permanent bans.
Other areas have adopted or are considering such zoning rules.
MBJ
Formal approval of the zoning changes by alderman came last week. The restrictions will take effect in 30 days.
The Clarion-Ledger reports that the new rules also affect tattoo parlors, title loan businesses, check-cashing establishments, cash-for-gold entities, nail salons and bail bondsmen.
The restrictions prevents such businesses from coming within 2,000 feet of each other. Those businesses cannot exceed 3,000 square feet of space, and they can’t combine into a single office to sidestep the new rules.
Ridgeland aldermen also extended the city’s moratorium on such establishments until Nov. 2, preventing any from moving to the area until after the new zoning rules go into effect.
The new rules don’t effect those already in business.
Ridgeland aldermen originally adopted a temporary ban on these establishments in Aug. 2009. That October, the moratorium was extended for nine months for aldermen to decide whether they wanted stricter or more permanent bans.
Other areas have adopted or are considering such zoning rules.
MBJ
Sheriff Trowbridge tells state lawmakers illegals are a "security problem", Commissioner Simpson disagrees
Immigration proposal sparks legislative hearing
A Mississippi sheriff told state lawmakers Tuesday his deputies take illegal immigrants into custody on a nearly hourly basis, and the booking process has burdened his department.
Madison County Sheriff Toby Trowbridge told a Senate panel it's difficult to keep track of illegal immigrants because they don't have identification and they may use variations of their names each time they're picked up.
"We encounter one or two people an hour in Madison County," Trowbridge said. "It's a security problem. Anytime you encounter anyone without identification, we view it as a homeland security problem." Not all of them face charges in Mississippi; many are being held for immigration authorities, he said.
The Senate Judiciary A Committee was holding hearings this week to gather information for a plan to introduce a bill like the law in Arizona that allows police officers to check the status of people they think might be in the country illegally.
Some lawmakers have said they would support such a measure during the 2011 session that starts in January. Opponents say the proposal could foster racial-profiling and harassment.
Mississippi isn't a border state like Arizona. Officials don't know the size of the state's illegal immigrant population, but most agree it is far smaller than Arizona's.
Trowbridge said the proposed law would help police and sheriff's departments by forcing immigrants to pursue legal status and get identification. But Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Steve Simpson said he doesn't want legislators to pass an unfunded mandate.
Simpson said state troopers routinely ask for identification after stopping someone for a violation. He said detaining illegal immigrants isn't a "widespread" problem for troopers.
"We're stretched very thin right now and do not need a lot of unfunded mandates on us," Simpson said.
Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, who observed the hearing, said the federal government's lawsuit to block Arizona's law shouldn't prevent Mississippi from pursuing its own legislation "that would stand up to a federal challenge."
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, said the hearing would help determine how the proposal could be tweaked to fit Mississippi's needs. After the hearing, Fillingane said the proposal "had merit."
Karla Valez, a case worker who works with immigrants for Catholic Charities, said immigrants already live in fear of being harassed. She said many would leave the state if a tougher law was enacted.
"Mississippi would be hostile," Valez said. "They would be targeting people who don't look white or African American."
Read more: TU
A Mississippi sheriff told state lawmakers Tuesday his deputies take illegal immigrants into custody on a nearly hourly basis, and the booking process has burdened his department.
Madison County Sheriff Toby Trowbridge told a Senate panel it's difficult to keep track of illegal immigrants because they don't have identification and they may use variations of their names each time they're picked up.
"We encounter one or two people an hour in Madison County," Trowbridge said. "It's a security problem. Anytime you encounter anyone without identification, we view it as a homeland security problem." Not all of them face charges in Mississippi; many are being held for immigration authorities, he said.
The Senate Judiciary A Committee was holding hearings this week to gather information for a plan to introduce a bill like the law in Arizona that allows police officers to check the status of people they think might be in the country illegally.
Some lawmakers have said they would support such a measure during the 2011 session that starts in January. Opponents say the proposal could foster racial-profiling and harassment.
Mississippi isn't a border state like Arizona. Officials don't know the size of the state's illegal immigrant population, but most agree it is far smaller than Arizona's.
Trowbridge said the proposed law would help police and sheriff's departments by forcing immigrants to pursue legal status and get identification. But Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Steve Simpson said he doesn't want legislators to pass an unfunded mandate.
Simpson said state troopers routinely ask for identification after stopping someone for a violation. He said detaining illegal immigrants isn't a "widespread" problem for troopers.
"We're stretched very thin right now and do not need a lot of unfunded mandates on us," Simpson said.
Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, who observed the hearing, said the federal government's lawsuit to block Arizona's law shouldn't prevent Mississippi from pursuing its own legislation "that would stand up to a federal challenge."
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joey Fillingane, R-Sumrall, said the hearing would help determine how the proposal could be tweaked to fit Mississippi's needs. After the hearing, Fillingane said the proposal "had merit."
Karla Valez, a case worker who works with immigrants for Catholic Charities, said immigrants already live in fear of being harassed. She said many would leave the state if a tougher law was enacted.
"Mississippi would be hostile," Valez said. "They would be targeting people who don't look white or African American."
Read more: TU
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)