| The past few months have been unusual to say the least. But while many things have changed, our passion for individual liberty and freedom at Mississippi Center for Public Policy has not. Our work has continued, and in many cases, accelerated and shifted as the issues of the day required.I wanted to take a minute to share a couple recent stories with you.
1. Ideas on police reform
We’ve seen a variety of reactions to the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests. As a public policy organization, MCPP’s Brett Kittredge laid out a series of reforms designed to bring accountability and restore trust in law enforcement in an op-ed last week in the Clarion Ledger.
The proposals included ending the practice of qualified immunity, requiring liability insurance for law enforcement, ending the militarization of law enforcement, requiring body cameras be worn, and requiring reporting of misconduct by fellow officers. We dive into the ideas in the op-ed. It’s just a start, but part of a conversation whose time has come. This should not be understood as a stance in opposition to law enforcement. We are strong believers in fair, legal, and unbiased enforcement of our laws, but we also know there are important reforms that will benefit citizens and law enforcement in the long-term.
2. The session continues with good bills still alive…for now
The on-again, off-again legislative session has reconvened, and while we don’t know exactly what the outcome will be, MCPP’s Jameson Taylor is busy working on liberty legislation at the capitol. A couple bills of note:
- House Bill 1510 would require the state to recognize an occupational license from another state for military families who move to Mississippi. If you received a license in another state, you shouldn’t have to again jump through government hoops to work in Mississippi.
- House Bill 1422 would create a pilot program to reduce state regulations at four agencies: Mississippi Departments of Health, Transportation, Agriculture and Commerce, and Information Technology Services. This is a good start at reigning in the state’s 117,000 regulations that make it harder and more expensive to start and run a business in the state.
Both bills will die today if they are not acted on in the Senate.3. Policy lessons from the pandemic
In the earliest days of the pandemic, we saw one bright spot from government officials: they began removing regulations in an effort to ensure access to healthcare and to make sure we can use technology to its fullest advantage.
Basically, in a time when our main concern was “health and safety,” we began cutting regulations in the name of “health and safety,” which is usually the battle cry among regulatory proponents. At MCPP, we’ve long called for reducing our regulatory burden and for the freeing of markets. One quick point: any regulation that repealed during the pandemic should never see the light of day again.
In response to what we’ve learned, we produced a short report: A 10-item agenda for recovery in Mississippi. We hope you’ll check it out and let us know what you think.
4. MJI making waves
Our litigation arm, the Mississippi Justice Institute, is developing a national reputation for its effectiveness in litigating constitutional issues. Recently, MJI Director Aaron Rice was a panelist at the bi-annual Legal Strategy Forum held by the Heritage Foundation. The heads of every conservative litigation group in the country attend this event, and this year they were able to hear Aaron’s perspective on winning strategies for economic liberty litigation. Earlier this year, Aaron also taught a continuing legal education course on effective strategies for litigating constitutional issues related to COVID-19 at an event hosted by the Goldwater Institute. We are proud to see that constitutional litigators from all over the country are viewing MJI and Aaron Rice as leaders in this field.
When we walk into the office each day, our team’s focus is on how we can best defend and promote the constitutional rights and liberties of every Mississippi citizen. From legislation to litigation and everything in between, we are committed to carrying on that fight and we do so with great joy because we know that this is a cause worth believing in. I want to thank each of you who join us in this effort. The maintenance of liberty necessitates an eternal watch from the public, and each of you has proven an important part of that watch. Thank you for supporting our mission of limited government, free markets, and personal responsibility.
Yours in Liberty,
Jon Pritchett
President & CEO
(601) 969-1300 |
