Mississippi

State Rep. Andy Gipson (R-Braxton), a Mississippi legislator and Baptist minister, has revealed that he and his family have been receiving death threats after he posted a Facebook comment citing a Bible passage that says homosexual acts were punishable by death.

Gipson has since written a statement to news station WLBT-TV clarifying that he has "never publicly or privately called for the killing of any people. I believe all people are created in the image of God and I stand firmly on the sanctity of all human life. All people are entitled to the protection of the laws of our nation and state protecting human life."

"Any reasonable person who reads the actual post can see that both scriptures were cited only for the proposition that same-sex marriage is morally objectionable -- sin. I believe this reflects the values of the vast majority of Mississippians and the people of District 77 whom I represent," the statement adds. more >>

The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a bill that would require authorities to crack down on illegal immigration, in keeping with a trend in the South and the West to enact such measures.

The Republican-dominated House voted 70-47 to pass the "Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhood Act," which requires police to check the immigration status of people who are arrested, and prohibits undocumented residents to renew a driver's license or get a business license, CNN reported Friday.

The bill is likely to be approved also in the state Senate, which too has a majority of Republicans. It was passed after the removal of a clause that provided for police to also check the immigration status of people involved in traffic violations, as well as students at public schools. more >>

The Supreme Court of Mississippi has ruled that the pardons of more than 200 convicts granted by former Gov. Haley Barbour during his last days in office were valid.

The court rejected Attorney General Jim Hood's argument that the pardons were not notified to the public as required by law, and ruled that the final decision rested "solely with the governor," CNN reported Friday.

In the 77-page, 6-3 ruling, the court said the pardons "may not be set aside or voided by the judicial branch." "We are mindful that the victims and their families are entitled to be interested in the subject matter of this case, and they are undoubtedly – and understandably – concerned with its outcome," Justice Jess Dickinson wrote for the majority. But the judge added that in the cases before them, "It fell to the governor alone to decide whether the Constitution's publication requirement was met." more >>

The Mississippi State Legislature is considering a bill that could see parents who "spank" their children face either 10 years in jail or life imprisonment depending on the intention and bodily harm caused to the child, but critics of the bill say its intentions are not clearly defined. 

Senate Bill 2180, an act to amend a section of the Mississippi Code of 1972, aims to revise the "offense of felonious abuse or battery of a child; and for related purposes." The bill is sponsored by Senator Brice Wiggins of District 52.

Dewitt Black, Senior Counsel for the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), believes that there are problems with the bill's language. Black told The Christian Post that the words "bodily harm" and "reasonable discipline" are not properly defined. more >>

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour on Sunday lambasted his Democratic opponents for "misrepresenting" the pardons he granted to over 200 people before leaving office this month.

"Sure, we could have done it better because we had no idea that the reporting of it, in particular some of the misstatements by political opponents, would let the public think we were letting 200 some people out of the penitentiary," Barbour said during CBS's "Face the Nation" program Sunday.

The two-term governor left on Jan. 10 after filing the pardons and sentence commutations, including that of 17 murderers, with the secretary of state's office. Attorney General Jim Hood, a Democrat, alleged the pardons violated the Constitution and went to court to stop the releases on the ground that they were not notified to the public as required by law. The release of 21 inmates was put on hold pending an enquiry. more >>

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour responded to criticism over his decision to grant clemency to 215 people, saying as an evangelical Christian he believes in forgiveness and the power of a second chance.

“The historical power of clemency by the governor to pardon felons is rooted in the Christian idea of giving second chances,” said the two-term governor who left office last week after filing the pardons and sentence commutations, including that of 17 murderers, with the Secretary of State’s Office.

“I’m not saying I’ll be perfect, that nobody who received clemency will ever do anything wrong. I’m not infallible and nobody else is,” Boston Herald quoted him as saying Friday. more >>