David Owen, a Columbus attorney, had a surprise for Market Street Festival attendees downtown Saturday. He helped them register to vote.
In 2012, Mississippi had a voter turnout of 74.8 percent. It was among the few states that had a higher voter turnout than 2008, when 69.7 percent of eligible Mississippians exercised their right to vote. The state also increased its number of registered voters 7.2 percent from 2008.
That turnout did not carry over into the 2014 mid-term elections that saw Republicans retake the U.S. Senate. Mississippi posted the 45th best voter turnout, with 29.7 percent of eligible voters participating. But the first step to voting is registering, and that’s what Owen wanted to offer Saturday.
“I think everybody needs to register to vote, and then exercise that right,” Owen said. “It’s so easy to do. It takes literally two minutes.”
Owen, who has been practicing law for more than 30 years, signed people up outside his Fifth Street law office, across from the Trotter Convention Center. When people completed the process, Owen offered them a cup of lemonade. Some people registered just to get one, he joked.
Amanda Landon of Columbus did not know she was going to have an opportunity to register Saturday, but when it came she took advantage.
“This is a very intelligent place to be because people are going to see it who haven’t been thinking about registering,” she said.
Jeff Matthews, 21, moved to Columbus from North Carolina to attend East Mississippi Community College on scholarship. He said registration in Mississippi was a much easier process than his home state. He hadn’t planned on registering Saturday. He set a tiny American flag on the table while he filled out the form.
“I saw it, and I’m a big fan of voting, so why not?” Matthews said.
Marijuana initiative offered to voters
Those stopping by to register to vote at Owen’s booth also had an opportunity to sign a petition to get marijuana legalization in Mississippi on the 2016 ballot.
Ballot Initiative 48 would legalize the use, cultivation and sale of cannabis and industrial hemp statewide. It would regulate the sale of marijuana in the same way alcohol is distributed, through licensed vendors. All recreational cannabis sales would be taxed 7 percent. Like alcohol, cannabis would be sold to persons 21 and older. Cannabis sold for medical purposes and industrial hemp would not be subject to taxes. Those wishing to grow more than nine cannabis plants would be required to buy a $25 annual permit from their local circuit clerk. Anyone farming more than 500 plants would pay $1,000 annually
Taxes collected from cannabis under the initiative would go directly to Mississippi public schools until 2020, when the direction of the money can be reviewed by state lawmakers. The initiative also calls for the pardoning of non-violent cannabis offenders from the governor.
“Team Legalize,” the Hernando-based group pushing for the ballot initiative statewide, estimates income from cannabis with seven percent sales tax would be $17 million in the first seven months of sales.
Joe Rauhoff has been gathering signatures in Lowndes County. He said thus far, progress has been slow. He told The Dispatch in April he has verified 120 signatures on the petition via Lowndes County Circuit Clerk Haley Salazar. He had many more full sheets to submit to Salazar at the time.
Statewide, about 7,000 signatures have been gathered. The petition needs to gather 107,216 signatures by October to put Ballot Initiative 48 in front of voters in 2016. The state is divided up into its five former congressional districts, each requiring 21,433 signatures.
“It’s a long-term goal,” Rauhoff said. “It’s not going to happen overnight. I have doubts it’s going to pass this time around…hopefully with this Market Street Festival, some people show and are interested.”
About 20 people had come and signed the petition at Owen’s booth by 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Owen said he sees marijuana legalization as a choice that the state should “let the public decide.”
But he doesn’t have a strong opinion either way. Reaction to the initiative being offered, however, did elicit a response from most people who passed by.
“The reaction has been very splintered,” Owen said.
He said either people wanted to sign right away, or were put off by it.
Whitney Ford, 24, said she was excited to sign the petition.
“I think it’s a natural substance,” Ford said. “I think legalizing would help the legal system. It would help the economy. I think it could do amazing things.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 45 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 45 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
