Blackmon champions secrecy

The Sun Herald noted Representative Ed Blackmon, Jr. "single-handedly killed legislation last week that would have strengthened Mississippi’s Open Meetings law."

David Hampton at the Clarion Ledger wrote "Blackmon's claims that the amendment to improve the bill somehow violated the unwritten sovereign honor code of the committee system is as bogus as his claims this bill could be a hardship on local officials who might not know the law. His colleagues, other committee chairmen and the House speaker should have called his hand on this obvious abuse of power. Such acts undermine the credibility of the House and the internal process."

Friday we called Blackmon's move an "arrogant abuse of power."

The House of Representatives voted for this legislation 98-22. The Senate voted for this legislation 49-0. Who gave Ed Blackmon the power to defeat the measure? Not the voters of his district because while they elected him, they did not give him the power to thwart the majority. House Speaker Billy McCoy is the one who vested that power in Ed Blackmon.

Blackmon kills Open Meetings Reform

Representative Ed Blackmon, Jr. killed the Open Meetings Reform bill in the House of Representatives this week.

The bipartisan measure passed the Senate 49-0. Once in the House, Blackmon amended it in committee (pulling the teeth out of the bill). On the floor, the full House amended it (66-44) back to the strong bill the Senate crafted. Then the full House voted overwhelmingly to pass the bill 98-22.

Blackmon then killed the reform with a procedural move in an arrogant abuse of power. Thank-you House Leadership.