Mississippi Initiative 63 Marijuana Legalization Amendment (2019)
| Mississippi Initiative 63 Marijuana Legalization Amendment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 5, 2019 | |
| Topic Marijuana | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
The Marijuana Legalization Amendment, also knowns as Initiative 63, was not on the ballot in Mississippi as an indirect initiated constitutional amendment on November 5, 2019.
The measure was designed to legalize the use, sale, and cultivation of marijuana and industrial hemp for people 21 years of age or older.[1][2]
A similar initiative was filed by the same sponsor targeting the 2018 ballot, but it expired prior to the submission of signatures.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The proposed ballot title was as follows:[2]
| “ |
Should the Mississippi Constitution be amended to legalize the use, taxation, cultivation and sale of cannabis and industrial hemp.[3] |
” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary was as follows:[2]
| “ |
Initiative Measure No. 63 proposes to legalize the use, taxation, cultivation and sale of industrial hemp and cannabis for adults 21 or older. Cannabis crimes would be punishable in a manner similar to alcohol related crimes. The initiative requires the Legislature to adopt an expungement process for qualified non-violent cannabis crimes and requires the Governor to pardon non-violent cannabis offenders upon request. The initiative delegates enforcement authority to the Chancery Courts.[3] |
” |
Sponsors
David R. Singletary is sponsoring Initiative 63.[2]
Singletary also submitted Initiative 60 targeting the 2018 ballot, but the initiative expired without signatures being submitted.[1]
Path to the ballot
The state process
In Mississippi, the number of signatures required to qualify an initiated constitutional amendment for the ballot is equal to 12 percent of the total number of votes cast for governor in the last gubernatorial general election immediately preceding the signature deadline—not necessarily the gubernatorial election immediately preceding the targeted election date. Beginning with the day the sponsor receives the ballot title and summary, proponents have one year to circulate petitions and receive certification from the county circuit clerks. Petitions must be submitted to the secretary of state at least 90 days prior to the beginning of the regular session—which begins in the first week of January.
The requirements to get an initiated constitutional amendment certified for the 2019 ballot:
- Signatures: 86,185 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was October 4, 2018.
Petition sponsors must submit signatures to the appropriate county circuit clerks. There are no mandatory deadlines for this review and sponsors are recommended to coordinate with local clerks to ensure timely certification. Once the circuit clerks have certified the signatures, proponents must file the entire petition with the secretary of state. Sponsors must also pay a $500 fee upon filing.
Details about this initiative/referendum
- David R. Singletary submitted Initiative 63, and it was received by the office of the secretary of state on November 15, 2017.
- Signatures must be submitted within a year of the secretary of state's office providing a ballot title and summary for the initiative.
- On October 12, 2018, the Mississippi Secretary of State's office confirmed to Ballotpedia that proponents had not submitted signatures before the deadline and therefore did not secure a place on the 2019 ballot.[4]
State profile
| Demographic data for Mississippi | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 2,989,390 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 46,923 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 59.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 37.4% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 1.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 2.9% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 82.3% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 20.7% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $39,665 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 27% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Mississippi. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
Mississippi voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, two are located in Mississippi, accounting for 0.97 percent of the total pivot counties.[5]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Mississippi had two Retained Pivot Counties, 1.10 of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Mississippi coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Mississippi
- United States congressional delegations from Mississippi
- Public policy in Mississippi
- Endorsers in Mississippi
- Mississippi fact checks
- More...
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Mississippi Initiative Process: Initiatives," accessed January 14, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Initiative 63," accessed January 14, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, telephone communication with Holly at the Mississippi Secretary of State's office, October 12, 2018]
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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