·1 ·2 ·3· · · · ·VIDEO RECORDING OF HATTIESBURG TOWN HALL MEETING ·4· · · · · · · · DATE OF RECORDING:· October 7, 2020 ·5 ·6· · · · · · · · · · · · ·PERSONS RECORDED: ·7· Secretary of State Michael Watson ·8· Mayor Toby Barker ·9· Angie Calhoun 10· Ed Langton 11· Pastor Anthony McCullum 12· Jamie Grantham 13· David Singletary 14· Dr. David Allen 15· John O’Hara 16· Dr. Mark Horne 17· Chad Edmonson 18· Representative Omeria Scott 19· Jennifer Cvitanovich 20· Dr. Thad Waites 21· Jonathan Brown 22· Jeremy George 23· Thomas Brett Barham 24 25 ·1· · · · · ·(background) ·2· · · · · ·MR. WATSON:· · · · ·Good evening. ·3· · · · · ·(everyone present responds good evening) ·4· · · · · ·MR. WATSON:· · · · ·I’m, uh, Michael Watson, the ·5· ·City’s 36th Secretary of State, and on behalf of the State ·6· ·of Mississippi, I’d like to welcome you to the public ·7· ·hearing regarding Initiative Measure No. 65 and Legislature ·8· ·Alternative 65A. ·9· · · · · ·Our Office will host a series of (inaudible) all 10· ·five congressional districts, as required by state of law, 11· ·to allow voters the chance to express their opinions and 12· ·learn more about the initiative prior to election day. 13· · · · · ·Tonight is the third of five public hearings. I 14· ·would like to thank the Jackie Dole Sherrill Community 15· ·Center for letting us use their facility, as well as the 16· ·mayor for welcoming us into his town and, uh, the 17· ·Mississippi Highway Patrol, who is, uh, providing security 18· ·for tonight’s event.· You might not see them, but they’re 19· ·here. 20· · · · · ·This year, Mississippi voters will have the 21· ·opportunity to decide if they want -- sorry.· This year, 22· ·Mississippi voters will have the opportunity to decide if 23· ·they want to amend the Mississippi Constitution to add a 24· ·medical marijuana program.· If they do, they have the 25· ·opportunity to vote for one of two measures -- ·1· · · · · ·(unknown male adjusts microphone) ·2· · · · · ·MR. WATSON:· · · · ·(inaudible) -- one of two ·3· ·measures:· uh, Initiative Measure No. 65, which was placed ·4· ·on the ballot when over 17,237 registered voters from each ·5· ·of the five congressional districts signed a petition asking ·6· ·that the State Constitution be amended; or Alternative ·7· ·Measure No. 65A, which was placed on the ballot by the ·8· ·Mississippi Legislature as a competing amendment. ·9· · · · · ·Tonight’s hearing, along with the other hearings we 10· ·have hosted around the state, are part of the initiative 11· ·process we refer to as “voter education (inaudible).”· In 12· ·addition to these public hearings, our agency also has 13· ·published an informative brochure that you may have seen on 14· ·the table as you walked in.· And if you haven’t, please ask 15· ·one of our team members to get you one of those brochures 16· ·because it’s loaded with information, and, uh, information 17· ·you can share with your neighbors and your family. I 18· ·encourage you and all Mississippians to educate themselves 19· ·on this issue prior to election day, which is Tuesday, 20· ·November 3rd. 21· · · · · ·In addition to the medical marijuana initiative, we 22· ·also have two other initiatives on your ballot.· Uh, you may 23· ·recall the State flag, uh, is going to be on the ballot. 24· ·The Flag Commission chose a new design to be on the ballot 25· ·on November 3rd, so please take a look at that and make sure ·1· ·that you, uh, pick, if that’s what you want to do, or not, ·2· ·if you don’t.· Uh, and also how we select our statewide ·3· ·elected officials will be on the ballot.· So please take the ·4· ·time to learn those initiatives. ·5· · · · · ·Uh, many of you will probably be staring at my ·6· ·socks tonight.· Let me show you those.· They’re very nice. ·7· ·If you’re jealous of sock game, I want you to see those. ·8· ·But my socks say “trusted information,” and so I want to ·9· ·tell you all make sure that you’re getting your information 10· ·from a trusted source, be it your Circuit Clerk’s Office, be 11· ·it our office, but make sure you’re educated voters.· That’s 12· ·important.· Not just to go vote, but that you take the time 13· ·to do your homework and make sure that your voice is 14· ·properly heard and reflects your opinions as you see fit. 15· ·So please take the time to educate yourself on that. 16· · · · · ·So many of you have heard a great deal on these two 17· ·measures already; for some, this may be your first time 18· ·hearing this information.· But, hopefully, each of you will 19· ·learn something new tonight as the comments are made. 20· · · · · ·Before we get started, there are a few things I 21· ·need to go over.· First, anyone who wishes to make a public 22· ·comment and speak on the record, either for or against 23· ·either measure, is welcome to do so.· Please make sure you 24· ·have signed up to speak.· In the back, there will be one of 25· ·these cards, so if you wanted to speak, make sure you have ·1· ·signed up, uh, and obtained a speaker card from one of our ·2· ·members.· We will recognize each of our speakers, ·3· ·alternating pro and con in order of the way you registered ·4· ·at our check-in table.· So please keep in mind everything ·5· ·that is said tonight will be transcribed and posted to our ·6· ·website for public viewing.· With that being said, please ·7· ·speak slowly and clearly so we have an accurate record to ·8· ·post on our website. ·9· · · · · ·If you do not want to speak, but you want to 10· ·express your opinion, you may submit comments in writing. 11· ·There are also written comment cards in the back.· So, 12· ·again, if you’re not comfortable getting up here to the 13· ·microphone and speaking, uh, you can have your voice heard 14· ·in your comment here.· Uh, those will also be shared on our 15· ·website.· So on the comment card, make sure that you place, 16· ·uh, either for or against Initiative Measure No. 65 or 17· ·Measure No. 65A and, again, we will reflect that on our 18· ·website. 19· · · · · ·Public comments allow you to share your thoughts 20· ·with individuals across the state.· It’s very important that 21· ·we have an informed electorate, so please do not be shy.· Be 22· ·assured that your comments and oral statements are welcome, 23· ·so please know that we want you to engage. 24· · · · · ·The format for tonight is as follows: 25· · · · · ·First we will discuss each initiative measure, ·1· ·beginning with Initiative Measure No. 65 and then ·2· ·Alternative Measure 65A.· You will hear presentations from ·3· ·individuals who are for the initiatives and presentations ·4· ·from individuals who are against the initiatives. ·5· · · · · ·Then, after a very short break, we will open the ·6· ·floor for public comment.· You will be asked to come and ·7· ·speak at the microphone in the order in which you registered ·8· ·at the entrance of the event.· For the safety of you and ·9· ·others, protective covers will be placed on the microphone 10· ·and changed out after each speaker. 11· · · · · ·Every speaker who is registered should have a 12· ·numbered card.· I will call you by name when it’s your turn 13· ·to speak, and please give the card to one of our team 14· ·members in the audience before you begin speaking.· I’ll 15· ·read the name of the individual to speak, and I’ll also read 16· ·the name of the person who is next to speak.· The person who 17· ·is on deck should be standing nearby while keeping a safe 18· ·distance so we can move quickly and efficiently. 19· · · · · ·Each speaker will have a maximum of five minutes, 20· ·uh, to comment, and the lovely Leigh Janous here with us, 21· ·who taught Vanna White everything she knows, uh, will show 22· ·you a 2-minute and then a 30-second warning.· So, Leigh, I 23· ·don’t know if you have those cards with you, but when you 24· ·see those cards, that means your time is winding down, so 25· ·please be respectful of others’ time. ·1· · · · · ·Uh, remember these initiatives are already on the ·2· ·ballot, so your public comment tonight should be about why ·3· ·you’re either for or against the measure. ·4· · · · · ·Lastly, let me remind all of you that voting is a ·5· ·precious right.· So many men and women fought and died both ·6· ·at home and abroad for that right.· We talk about the civil ·7· ·rights era in Mississippi; we talk about this year is the ·8· ·100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.· So, so many people ·9· ·have fought and died for the right to vote, so please take 10· ·advantage of that.· It’s such a precious right.· We want you 11· ·to show up on November 3rd and cast your ballot. 12· · · · · ·When it comes to the measures you support or 13· ·oppose, casting a ballot is the most important way to make 14· ·your voice heard.· Be sure to exercise your right to vote in 15· ·this 2020 general election. 16· · · · · ·Let me say this before we get started.· We’ve lost 17· ·a sense of civility in America, so I just want to encourage 18· ·you to respect others as they speak.· Let’s make sure we are 19· ·civil and we are friends.· We can -- we can disagree on 20· ·issues and still be friends.· That’s okay.· Uh, but I want 21· ·to make sure that everyone is civil tonight, respect their 22· ·friends here who are, uh, both for and against, and we can 23· ·talk more about that later.