Speaker Gunn supports special session to fix ballot initiative process
House Speaker Philip Gunn says he supports Gov. Tate Reeves calling a special session to allow legislators to reinstate the state’s initiative process after the Mississippi Supreme Court struck it down in a landmark 6-3 decision last week.
“We 100% believe in the right of the people to use the initiative process to express their views on public policy,” Gunn said in a statement. “If the legislature does not act on an issue that the people of Mississippi want, then the people need a mechanism to change the law. I support the governor calling us into a special session to protect this important right of the people.”
Gunn did not comment on whether he believes medical marijuana also should be taken up in a special session if Reeves calls one. The Supreme Court struck down an initiative where voters approved medical marijuana in the same opinion where it voided the whole initiative process.
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, has been unavailable to comments on questions from Mississippi Today about whether he wanted the governor to call a special session.
Read more: https://mississippitoday.org/2021/05/17/special-session-ballot-initiative-mississippi/