No More Rallies Inside Mississippi Capitol, Leaders Say
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Top Mississippi lawmakers said Thursday that they take full responsibility for an event that violated a policy against rallies being held inside the state Capitol.
Hundreds of people gathered in the Capitol rotunda Tuesday for an event promoting "school choice" allowing people to pay for private school with public money.
Empower Mississippi, the group that organized the event, promoted it as a "rally," and some participants carried posters. Gov. Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn, all Republicans, spoke in favor of school choice at the event, receiving cheers and applause from the crowd that included school children wearing bright yellow scarves provided by the organizers.
In a statement Thursday, Senate President Pro Tempore Terry Burton of Newton and House Speaker Pro Tempore Greg Snowden of Meridian, also Republicans, said news conferences with 25 or fewer participants are allowed inside the Capitol, but rallies are supposed to be outside.
Read more: http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2018/jan/25/no-more-rallies-inside-mississippi-capitol-leaders/