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Senate chairman 'extremely disappointed' by Hyde-Smith's effort to block judicial nomination

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Senate chairman ‘extremely disappointed’ by Hyde-Smith’s effort to block judicial nomination

A spokesperson for U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, said is he “extremely disappointed” with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s effort to block the nomination of Scott Colom of Columbus as a federal judge for the Northern District of Mississippi.

The question is whether that disappointment could result in Durbin ignoring Hyde-Smith’s objections and taking up the nomination of Colom, a state district attorney for an area of northeast Mississippi.

“Chair Durbin has continually reminded his colleagues that it is imperative they engage with the White House in good faith to advance district court nominees — just as he did when former President Trump was in the White House,” said Emily Hampsten, a spokesperson for Durbin, who also is the majority whip.”He is extremely disappointed in Sen. Hyde-Smith’s lack of communication and ultimate obstruction of a highly qualified nominee. In the coming days, he’ll be assessing and will respond more fully.”

Hyde-Smith threw a wrench in the Senate confirmation of President Joe Biden’s nomination of Colom when she refused to return the so-called “blue slip.” Under unwritten Senate rules, refusal of either home state senator to return a blue slip signaling approval of a presidential appointee has at times blocked nominees to the federal bench.

While Hyde-Smith refused to return the blue slip of Colom, Mississippi’s senior U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker did, signaling his approval.

For most of the 20th century, the refusal to return the blue slip has not been an absolute in blocking nominations. Various groups and politicians, including U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson of the 2nd District of Mississippi, have urged Durbin to forgo the unwritten rule that refusal by a home state senator to return the blue slip blocks the nomination.

READ MORE: Democrats: Ignore ‘blue slip’ custom to get federal vacancies filled in Republican states like Mississippi

While Durbin has not said exactly how he will approach the Colom nomination, a spokesperson for the Senate Judiciary Committee noted that Democrats returned 130 blue slips during the tenure of Republican President Donald Trump. And Durbin himself returned eight blue slips during Trump’s presidency.

The Colom instance illustrates how partisan and polarizing the federal judicial appointment process — and congressional governing at large — has become. Hyde-Smith, a staunch conservative Republican, invoked several hot-button political issues in her statement about the Democratic district attorney’s record of service in Mississippi.

“I visited with the district attorney recently, and I recognize that he is smart and well liked in his district,” Hyde-Smith said in a statement Tuesday. “However, there are a number of concerns I have regarding his record. As someone with a strong interest in protecting the rights of girls and women, I am concerned about Scott Colom’s opposition to legislation to protect female athletes.”

Hyde-Smith seems to be referring to a letter Colom signed condemning the criminalization of gender-affirming care, rejecting the prosecution of the families of transgender individuals seeking treatment to help them transition. He and dozens of other prosecuting attorneys made the statement in the aftermath of an onslaught of legislation across the country attempting to block trans youth from receiving the care.

While the letter did condemn anti-trans legislation generally, the prosecutors’ statement did not discuss “legislation to protect female athletes,” which refers to attempts to prohibit trans women from competing in women’s sports. There is no public record of Colom taking a stance on trans women competing in women’s sports.

In her statement about refusing to support Colom’s nomination, Hyde-Smith also said: “The significant support his campaign received from George Soros also weighs heavily against his nomination in my view. I simply cannot support his nomination to serve on the federal bench in Mississippi for a lifetime.”

Soros, a New York billionaire who has advocated for various criminal justice reforms and for other progressive and governmental transparency causes, did provide funds in support of the Colom campaign through a political action committee in 2015 when he was first elected district attorney. But Colom did not receive support from Soros in 2019 when he ran for reelection.

Soros has become a pariah among national Republicans. Hyde-Smith’s statement about Colom came on the same day Trump appeared in New York state court on a 34-count indictment for falsifying business records in a scheme during his 2016 presidential campaign to conceal that he’d had an affair with an adult film star.

Following the charges, Trump and many of his supporters attributed the probe to Soros, who supported the Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg leading the case.

Colom, when reached by Mississippi Today, declined to comment on Hyde-Smith’s refusal to support his nomination. Federal judges receive a lifetime appointment. Colom was nominated by Biden to replace Mike Mills, who is stepping down from full-time service on the judiciary.

Despite Hyde-Smith’s partisan objections to Colom’s appointment, Colom had received endorsement letters and support from numerous Mississippians who had worked with him in his role as chief prosecutor of the 16th Circuit Court District.

The mother and the sister of James “Fluffy” White, a Clay County man who was murdered in 2015, submitted a letter to the Judicial Committee praising Colom for his successful prosecution of the man accused of murdering their loved one.

“Prior to trial, Mr. Colom’s staff regularly communicated with us and kept us informed about the legal process and what to expect. We also personally observed Mr. Colom prosecute Roderick Johnson, the person arrested for shooting and killing Fluffy, and his knowledge of the law and legal procedure were impressive during the trial as was his passion for justice for Fluffy. As a result of his and his team’s hard work, Mr. Johnson was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

“Based on our observations and experience with Mr. Colom, we have no doubt he would be a well-informed, ethical, fair and independent judge,” the women wrote.

Rhea Ann Pace detailed how Colom successfully prosecuted the man who murdered her daughter and shot her 4-year-old grandson multiple times.

“After the trial, Scott created a college savings plan for my grandson…and for the last four years he has been putting money in that plan so that when he graduates high school he can go to college,” she wrote to the Judiciary Committee. “To me this goes well beyond the scope of a district attorney. This makes him a man who truly cares about the people in his district.”

READ MORE: Biden’s pick for US Attorney, in charge of welfare probe, gets approval from Mississippi senators

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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https://www.biloxinewsevents.com/on-this-day-in-1915/

Mississippi Today

Speaker White wants Christmas tree projects bill included in special legislative session

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Speaker White wants Christmas tree projects bill included in special legislative session

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-18 10:38:00

House Speaker Jason White sent a terse letter to Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on Thursday, saying House leaders are frustrated with Senate leaders refusing to discuss a “Christmas tree” bill spending millions on special projects across the state. 

The letter signals the two Republican leaders remain far apart on setting an overall $7 billion state budget. Bickering between the GOP leaders led to a stalemate and lawmakers ending their regular 2025 session without setting a budget. Gov. Tate Reeves plans to call them back into special session before the new budget year starts July 1 to avoid a shutdown, but wants them to have a budget mostly worked out before he does so.

White’s letter to Hosemann, which contains words in all capital letters that are underlined and italicized, said that the House wants to spend cash reserves on projects for state agencies, local communities, universities, colleges, and the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

“We believe the Senate position to NOT fund any local infrastructure projects is unreasonable,” White wrote. 

The speaker in his letter noted that he and Hosemann had a meeting with the governor on Tuesday. Reeves, according to the letter, advised the two legislative leaders that if they couldn’t reach an agreement on how to disburse the surplus money, referred to as capital expense money, they should not spend any of it on infrastructure. 

A spokesperson for Hosemann said the lieutenant governor has not yet reviewed the letter, and he was out of the office on Thursday working with a state agency. 

“He is attending Good Friday services today, and will address any correspondence after the celebration of Easter,” the spokesperson said. 

READ MORE: Mississippi lawmakers end 2025 session unable to agree (or even meet about) state budget: Legislative recap

Hosemann has recently said the Legislature should set an austere budget in light of federal spending cuts coming from the Trump administration, and because state lawmakers this year passed a measure to eliminate the state income tax, the source of nearly a third of the state’s operating revenue.

Lawmakers spend capital expense money for multiple purposes, but the bulk of it — typically $200 million to $400 million a year — goes toward local projects, known as the Christmas Tree bill. Lawmakers jockey for a share of the spending for their home districts, in a process that has been called a political spoils system — areas with the most powerful lawmakers often get the largest share, not areas with the most needs. Legislative leaders often use the projects bill as either a carrot or stick to garner votes from rank and file legislators on other issues. 

A Mississippi Today investigation last year revealed House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar, a Republican from Sentobia, has steered tens of millions of dollars in Christmas tree spending to his district, including money to rebuild a road that runs by his north Mississippi home, renovate a nearby private country club golf course and to rebuild a tiny cul-de-sac that runs by a home he has in Jackson.

There is little oversight on how these funds are spent, and there is no requirement that lawmakers disburse the money in an equal manner or based on communities’ needs. 

In the past, lawmakers borrowed money for Christmas tree bills. But state coffers have been full in recent years largely from federal pandemic aid spending, so the state has been spending its excess cash. White in his letter said the state has “ample funds” for a special projects bill.

“We, in the House, would like to sit down and have an agreement with our Senate counterparts on state agency Capital Expenditure spending AND local projects spending,” White wrote. “It is extremely important to our agencies and local governments. The ball is in your court, and the House awaits your response.”

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Advocate: Election is the chance for Jackson to finally launch in the spirit of Blue Origin

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Advocate: Election is the chance for Jackson to finally launch in the spirit of Blue Origin

mississippitoday.org – @BobbyHarrison9 – 2025-04-18 10:05:00

Editor’s note: This essay is part of Mississippi Today Ideas, a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share fact-based ideas about our state’s past, present and future. You can read more about the section here.


As the world recently watched the successful return of Blue Origin’s historic all-women crew from space, Jackson stands grounded. The city is still grappling with problems that no rocket can solve.

But the spirit of that mission — unity, courage and collective effort — can be applied right here in our capital city. Instead of launching away, it is time to launch together toward a more just, functioning and thriving Jackson.

The upcoming mayoral runoff election on April 22 provides such an opportunity, not just for a new administration, but for a new mindset. This isn’t about endorsements. It’s about engagement.

It’s a moment for the people of Jackson and Hinds County to take a long, honest look at ourselves and ask if we have shown up for our city and worked with elected officials, instead of remaining at odds with them.

Pauline Rogers

It is time to vote again — this time with deeper understanding and shared responsibility. Jackson is in crisis — and crisis won’t wait.

According to the U.S. Census projections, Jackson is the fastest-shrinking city in the United States, losing nearly 4,000 residents in a single year. That kind of loss isn’t just about numbers. It’s about hope, resources, and people’s decision to give up rather than dig in.

Add to that the long-standing issues: a crippled water system, public safety concerns, economic decline and a sense of division that often pits neighbor against neighbor, party against party and race against race.

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has led through these storms, facing criticism for his handling of the water crisis, staffing issues and infrastructure delays. But did officials from the city, the county and the state truly collaborate with him or did they stand at a distance, waiting to assign blame?

On the flip side, his runoff opponent, state Sen. John Horhn, who has served for more than three decades, is now seeking to lead the very city he has represented from the Capitol. Voters should examine his legislative record and ask whether he used his influence to help stabilize the administration or only to position himself for this moment.

Blaming politicians is easy. Building cities is hard. And yet that is exactly what’s needed. Jackson’s future will not be secured by a mayor alone. It will take so many of Jackson’s residents — voters, business owners, faith leaders, students, retirees, parents and young people — to move this city forward. That’s the liftoff we need.

It is time to imagine Jackson as a capital city where clean, safe drinking water flows to every home — not just after lawsuits or emergencies, but through proactive maintenance and funding from city, state and federal partnerships. The involvement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the effort to improve the water system gives the city leverage.

Public safety must be a guarantee and includes prevention, not just response, with funding for community-based violence interruption programs, trauma services, youth job programs and reentry support. Other cities have done this and it’s working.

Education and workforce development are real priorities, preparing young people not just for diplomas but for meaningful careers. That means investing in public schools and in partnerships with HBCUs, trade programs and businesses rooted right here.

Additionally, city services — from trash collection to pothole repair — must be reliable, transparent and equitable, regardless of zip code or income. Seamless governance is possible when everyone is at the table.

Yes, democracy works because people show up. Not just to vote once, but to attend city council meetings, serve on boards, hold leaders accountable and help shape decisions about where resources go.

This election isn’t just about who gets the title of mayor. It’s about whether Jackson gets another chance at becoming the capital city Mississippi deserves — a place that leads by example and doesn’t lag behind.

The successful Blue Origin mission didn’t happen by chance. It took coordinated effort, diverse expertise and belief in what was possible. The same is true for this city.

We are not launching into space. But we can launch a new era marked by cooperation over conflict, and by sustained civic action over short-term outrage.

On April 22, go vote. Vote not just for a person, but for a path forward because Jackson deserves liftoff. It starts with us.


Pauline Rogers is a longtime advocate for criminal justice reform and the founder of the RECH Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting formerly incarcerated individuals as they reintegrate into society. She is a Transformative Justice Fellow through The OpEd Project Public Voices Fellowship.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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On this day in 1959, students marched for integrated schools

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On this day in 1959, students marched for integrated schools

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-18 07:00:00

April 18, 1959

The Youth March for Integrated Schools on Oct. 25, 1958. A second march followed on April 18, 1959.

About 26,000 students took part in the Youth March for Integrated Schools in Washington, D.C. They heard speeches by Martin Luther King Jr., A. Phillip Randolph and NAACP leader Roy Wilkins. 

In advance of the march, false accusations were made that Communists had infiltrated the group. In response, the civil rights leaders put out a statement: “The sponsors of the March have not invited Communists or communist organizations. Nor have they invited members of the Ku Klux Klan or the White Citizens’ Council. We do not want the participation of these groups, nor of individuals or other organizations holding similar views.” 

After the march, a delegation of students went to present their demands to President Eisenhower, only to be told by his deputy assistant that “the president is just as anxious as they are to see an America where discrimination does not exist, where equality of opportunity is available to all.” 

King praised the students, saying, “In your great movement to organize a march for integrated schools, you have awakened on hundreds of campuses throughout the land a new spirit of social inquiry to the benefit of all Americans.”

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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