Ricky Dombrowski says Secretary of State Hosemann on a power grab.

MC Journal: Secretary of State's order shuts charity, fines director $25K

The Secretary of State's office ordered a Ridgeland-based charity to close Wednesday and issued $50,000 in fines against the organization and its executive director.

Fine Arts Institute of Mississippi, or FAIM, was ordered to close Wednesday after Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann issued a final order in an ongoing investigation into alleged fraud.

Madison County Journal

Clones are people, too?

It appears that the drive to place an abortion ban on the 2011 ballot in Mississippi has been successful. I don't believe in abortion, personally. And I may come around to participating in the discussion, yet again. But at present this one is getting filed under "Here We Go Again". Don't we know the ultimate ending to this already?

I have to admit I was taken aback by one part of the proposal.

Under the proposal, a person would be defined "to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the equivalent thereof."

So, now we are protecting clones too? That one made me giggle a little. First we don't want science to create life, because that's God's job. But, if they do, then we'll love them just the same.


Abortion opponents in Miss. clear petition bar

Abortion opponents have enough signatures to put an anti-abortion proposal on next year's ballot, making Mississippi the second state in the nation where the initiative has reached that point.

In 2011, voters will be asked to support a ballot initiative that would give unborn fetuses human rights in the state constitution. A similar proposal goes before Colorado voters this fall.

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said Thursday the petitioners got more than the minimum 89,285 signatures required to get the initiative before voters.

The grassroots effort had the support of Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, who recorded a telephone message that was sent to thousands of Mississippians urging them to sign the petition.

Under the proposal, a person would be defined "to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the equivalent thereof."

Keith Mason, co-founder of Personhood USA, a group formed to support similar initiatives across the country, said Mississippi was chosen because "it's the most pro-life state in America."

Mississippi has one of the nation's toughest abortion laws, requiring the consent of both parents for minors and a 24-hour waiting period and counseling before all abortions.

Michele Colon, a social justice activist and a former National Organization for Women board member, said a campaign to oppose the measure would be launched. Colon said she will work with a coalition of groups on community outreach.

"It's unconstitutional. It's harmful legislation against the women of Mississippi regarding their reproductive health care," Colon said.

Read the rest at The Sun Herald

Voter ID push wins spot on Miss. ballot

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann says petitioners gathered more than enough signatures to put a voter ID initiative on Mississippi’s ballot in November 2011.
Hosemann said Monday his office had determined that 131,678 signatures of registered voters were collected. That’s significantly more than the minimum 89,285 needed.

Republican organizers submitted the signatures last month, and the secretary of state’s office spent weeks double-checking the numbers.

Mississippians will be asked to decide whether the state constitution should be amended to require each voter to show a government-issued photo identification at the polls.

Supporters say voter ID would help deter fraud, while opponents say it could decrease turnout among older black voters who were once subject to Jim Crow laws.

The Associated Press

State: Charity used for personal gain

By STEVEN G. WATSON

A Ridgeland-based chairty is being operated for personal gain, in part because it has the highest paid charity bingo director in the state and reports the least amount of charitable giving, according to testimony during a hearing this week.

Bill Murphy is the highest paid charity bingo director in the state according to testimony at a Secretary of State hearing Tuesday to determine if the charity should be closed.

The charity, Fine Arts Institute of Mississippi or FAIM, operates the Boxcar Bingo parlor in Desoto County and has been under fire in recent months for alleged acts of fraud.

Murphy is currently involved in two appeals - one with the state Gaming Commission and another with the Secretary of State's office.

The state Gaming Commission, which governs charitable bingo, would not renew FAIM's license.

The Secretary of State's Office, which governs all charities, is attempting to revoke FAIM's charitable status.

Tuesday, at an appeal hearing with the Secretary of State's office, Murphy's salary was scrutinized by the prosecution which questioned why FAIM paid him $155,000 in 2008 and spent only $22,000 on actual charity.

Madison County Journal