One of the best things about the attention medical marijuana is commanding these days is diverting attention from another issue that emerged when the Mississippi Supreme Court struck down the Constitutional Amendment passed by a 3-1 margin in November.

In a single politically-motivated, tone-deaf ruling, the state Supreme Court essentially threw the baby out with the bath water. The court ruled that outdated language in the amendment  process invalidated the will of the people as expressed at the polls.

At the time of that May ruling, as many Mississippians were as outraged over the Supreme Court’s decision that stripped citizens of directly amending the state constitution than the fate of medical marijuana.

State legislators expressed horror — we suspect mock horror — in the decision that denied citizens the right to change the constitution. Many called for an immediate special session to update the language in the initiative process. Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley said all that would be required was changing a single word.

But we haven’t heard a peep from legislators on this subject for months. Now, all the talk is about a plan to establish a medical marijuana program through a special session.

As legislators await a decision by Gov. Tate Reeves on whether or not he’ll call a special session, not one legislator that we know of has asked that the special session include a bill that would amend and restore the initiative process.

We suspect we know the reason why: Just as the idea of medical marijuana was repulsive to the Legislature before the people’s initiative that was ultimately sabotaged by the Supreme Court, there’s another popular idea out there that is supported by the people but abhorred by the conservative majority in both the House and Senate.

Last August, a nonprofit promoted by the Mississippi Hospital Association began an initiative campaign  that would expand Medicaid coverage to anywhere from 200,000 to 300,000 low-income working Mississippians. Polling shows the support for Medicaid expansion rivals that of the support for medical marijuana.

While the Legislature’s attitude about medical marijuana has shifted from opposition to grudging support, the conservatives who dominate both chambers of the Legislature hate Medicaid expansion with the heat of a thousand suns.

With no citizens initiative option, the Legislature can continue to ignore the will of the people on Medicaid expansion without fear of reprisal.

As long as the possibility exists that the people will bypass the Legislature to expand Medicaid, there is zero chance of the Legislature restoring the initiative process unless it’s a corrupted version that would somehow eliminate Medicaid expansion. It’s much easier to ignore it altogether, of course. This appears to be the plan.

Four months ago, Legislators from one end of the state to another blathered on about restoring the right of the people to amend the constitution at the ballot box.

Their silence — and the disdain for the voters the silence shows — speaks volumes now.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.

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