I’m headed off to the Mississippi 2015 LP convention today, and if the wifi cooperates, hope to bring you live coverage this afternoon in the comment section of this post. If the wifi doesn’t work, I’ll do my best to summarize it later. I did not attend the social event they had as part of the convention last night (I’m still in Alabama as of this writing). If anyone has photos or video from that, please send them to me via email or facebook (see the about IPR page linked at the top). Here’s the schedule as posted at http://www.mslp.org/#!2015-mslp-convention/c23ww:
2015 MSLP State Convention Weekend
Friday Night Social
When: June 19, 2015
Where: Rafters Bar and Grill
1000 Jackson Ave E
Oxford, MS 38655
Time: 7:30pm – Til
Saturday Convention
When: June 20, 2015
Where: Oxford Conference Center
102 Ed Perry Blvd.
Oxford, MS 38655
Registration begins at 1:00pm
Adult Tickets:
All adult ticket prices come with dinner*
Bronze Ticket Tier: Entry and Dinner – $50
Silver Ticket Tier: Entry, T-shirt** and dinner – $65
Gold Ticket Tier: Entry, T-shirt**, dinner and 2 drink vouchers – $75
College Student and Under 18 Ticket Prices:
College Students and Under 18 NO DINNER – Entry only – $10
College Students and Under 18 WITH Dinner: Entry and Dinner – $15 College Students MUST bring their student ID at check-in or will have to upgrade to a Bronze ticket price
The site doesn’t provide additional details about the convention schedule, but Leigh Lachine (Alabama LP and Libertarian State Leadership Alliance chair) will be speaking, and perhaps some other people. I think they will also be doing the usual business of state conventions such as electing state party officers and perhaps considering bylaws proposals. If anyone has links to news coverage elsewhere, social media or blog coverage, phtostreams, etc., please let us know in the comments or send them to me.
According to the national listing of state LP conventions, this will be the last one for several weeks (North Dakota is next on July 13), and one of the last ones overall this year. At this time I have no personal plans to cover any of the remaining ones after this in person, although we would welcome it if others can. If I happen to find myself in the vicinity of one of the ones coming up I’ll do my best to attend and report, but this will most likely be it for me for this calendar year.
I’m hitting the road in a few minutes; hope to talk to you all from Mississippi. It’s about a 3-4 hour trip each way according to mapquest. If anyone needs to get a hold of me sooner than that the number to call is 205-534-1622.
>Thanks as always for the reporting, paulie. Congrats to all the new MSLP leadership.
I second (or third) the motion! 🙂
@Richard Winger
Thanks! That’s good to know. I’ll keep it in mind if we ever reconsider our by-laws.
Andy Craig, the US Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 1989 in Eu v San Francisco County Democratic Central Committee that governments cannot tell parties how to organize themselves. As a result of winning this case, the California LP was free to organize itself using our own regions, rather than county boundaries.
A John Grisham novel could easily be based on the life of Danny Bedwell. Or a bunch of Grisham novels.
He sounds like a pretty interesting guy.
LaChine is the king of jokes. Doug Stanhope and Tim Slagle have some competition they need to watch out for….
….raffling off leftover liquor from the cash bar….
A John Grisham novel could easily be based on the life of Danny Bedwell. Or a bunch of Grisham novels.
LaChine speaks next (last speaker)
Thanks for the reporting, Paulie.
Based on that photo, Danny Bedwell looks like he stepped right out of a John Grisham novel! 🙂
Looks like a great day in MS!!!!
https://www.facebook.com/paulie.cannoli
If anyone has anything I missed or got wrong, anything to add, spelling corrections on names, links to any coverage elsewhere, photos videos or anything else post in the comments at this post. First comment or anything with more than one link per comment has to be approved, then you can post freely. Email or FB me photos [email protected] or tag me if you have any on your fb wall or wherever.
More photos by Kevin Knight
Danny Bedwell
Leigh LaChine
Mwah
Re: the structure of the state committee.
In WI, state law says we have to have CD reps on the excom. There are 8 districts, so between primaries, alternates, and officers that’s 21 people on the executive committee, in other words more than 10% of the current membership. Way too many, but there’s not much we can do about that (and yes that’s an abysmally low membership figure, we’re working on that too)
Sounds like they have a freer hand in MS, but dealing with such organizational laws written with the big-two in mind is one of the relatively unremarked ways minor parties get messed with. Sometimes poor drafting of by-laws can have the same effect, but at least the party itself can change those.
Thanks as always for the reporting, paulie. Congrats to all the new MSLP leadership.
Now doing the raffle. Next year’s MSLP convention will be in February.
CD 2 (northwestern portion of MS) contains Blues Alley, a fairly poor, rural section of the country which, not coincidentally, generated some of the best blues music in the last century.
I now have actual food in my stomach, not only drinks.
They have a petition here available for people to sign. As far as I know they have no more money as the sponsor has withdrawn and are way, way short but I’ll ask.
Any word on what is going on with the ballot initiative petition drive to legalize marijuana in Mississippi?
The phone number I found for the campaign online has been disconnected, and I read an article that said a major donor to the campaign had decided to pull their money out of it, so I am wondering what is going on, if anything.
Reference to districts above. MSLP districts are the same as their congressional districts.
It definitely wasn’t this decade though and probably not this millenium
I’ve been here before but it’s been a while. There aren’t too many places in the US with more than say 10,000 people in the city or county that I haven’t been to.
food’s here
Well, maybe next time.
It’s still a lovely town in a relatively poor state (with lots of govt.).
Gee, what a coincidence!
Unfortunately I will not really get a chance to hang out since I got here just in time for the convention and it sounds like my ride will be leaving immediately afterwards. Not that I really want to pay for two motel rooms on the same night..
Paulie–
I’ve been to Oxford, MS.
It’s where Rowan Oak, William Faulkner’s home, is located so of course I had to see it.
Enjoy your day/evening there. A lovely town.
I accidentally read the first few words of Dave Terry’s irrelevant comment.
The June open thread was posted within minutes of midnight on June 1st and has been updated multiple times since then to keep it (almost, including right now), constantly on the front page. It is at https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2015/06/june-2015-open-thread/. I’ll give Mr. Terry a reasonable amount of time to repost his comment on the open thread and will then delete it. I’ll delete it anyway if he posts several more comments on IPR and doesn’t repost that one on the correct thread.
Example #_ _ _ _ _ about why no one should ever read, much less reply to anything Mr.Terry ever writes. Ever. Anywhere.
As is always the case when I accidentally read the first three or four words of his comment, I am sorry that I did.
Dave.
There is June Open Thread; I posted on two days ago. Just go to home page and scroll down four or five entries.
Whereas there is no “open list” for June, I am forced to put this on THIS particular string!
(editor’s note from paulie: the above is the only part of Dave Terry’s irrelevant commet I have read (accidentally), and it falsely states that there is no June open thread and opnly states that this comment was not relevant to this thread. I gave Mr. Terry a link to the June open thread and plenty of time to re-post his comment there. He has posted at IPR since then. Thus, the balance of the irrelevnt comment has now been deleted. I don’t know or care whether the subsequent comment on the open thread by Dave Terry is what I just deleted. If it wasn’t, too bad, he had fair warning.)
Guest speaker Sharon, didn’t catch last name. Was chair of this county (Lafayette). Talking about some LP activism in the local area here.
Sherri Bedwell is next….running for circuit clerk of Lowndes county
Speeches from candidates for government office.
Boyd Kendall District 51 Jackson Co.
Another fundraising pitch. Business portion of convention adjourned. Break til 5.
Coverage of last year: https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2014/04/mississippi-maryland-and-nc-lp-state-conventions-this-weekend/
Next year MSLP convention will be in Columbus LP area
Danny Bedwell plugs National convention in Orlando next year
candidate list: https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2015/04/mississippi-lp-running-eight-candidates-this-november/
Last term’s district reps:
District Representatives
District 1 Rep – Vance Justice
Oxford, MS
District 2 Rep – Jack Gannon
Greenville, MS
District 3 Rep – Denise Cranford
Starkville, MS
District 4 Rep – Lester Thompson Jr.
Pascagoula, MS
Contents of my stomach:
All names are verbally cued so apologies for any spelling errors on those.
Jeffrey Mortenson District 4
Jason Thomas District 2
Jason Benelli (sp)? District 3
Denise Cramper (sp)? Ditrict 1
(this time it sounded more like Cranford rather than Cramper)
Seat 2: Wilson 14 so Kendall votes are not counted. Now districts.
Brim….13
that’s a majority so others are not counted
More at large: Boyd Kendall. 2 positions. Vote one at a time.
At Large nominated Regina Brim, Chase Wilson
The existing/sec treasurer is re-elected ..Jon Barnett
Ellisville, MS 19 votes.
District elections next elected by each district
Motion to split Secretary and Treasurer positions and expand the state committee to 11 people including more (at large? district?) reps. Motion withdrawn.
Vance justice elected Vice. I believe 16 votes.
Vice chair nominations: Denise Cramper (sp?), Vance Justice
13 for Barksdale, including Bedwell did not vote for himself. Bedwell votes were not counted.
Danny Bedwell nominated. Vance Justice nominated; declines. Ross Scalise nominated and declines. Barksdale is not here due to aforementioned death of his father but his interest is confirmed online. Danny is willing but not eager, at least that is what I think he said.
Barnes declines.
Aaron Barksdale is nominated for chair. Mario Barnes nominated for re-election.
Correction 22 voting delegates.
Voting on state officers. Chair is first.
Danny Bedwell moves to waive 60 day prior membership restriction on voting. 21 voting delegates.
Got distracted. They vote on FB because ex com is spread around the state. Said exec com is easy to reach.
Secy/Treasurer is up. I think he said their annual budget is around 12k. Targetting people on FB. Much of the budget spent on national convention. Asks for money.
Morgan Stringer, Chase Wilson and Amy Brogan went to LPEX
Some candidates and a few new organized counties in the past year. Membership is growing.
Almost getting underway a little over half hour late. Moment of silence for county chair Aaron Barksdale’s father who passed away. Mario Barnes, state chair thanks hosts Lafayette Co, introduces booths/sponsors: OAI, Initiative 48 (marijuana), MSLP candidates (8 are running but not all have booths).
Leigh is here
Pretty good contingent here from Alabama: myself, Kevin Knight, treasurer Ross Lowe, Vice Chair Charles Kessler. Leigh has not been seen yet but will speak later. At least one guy from Georgia, David Shock. Not sure about any other states yet.
Schedule (all times central)
2-3:45 business meeting
4-5 business meeting
5-6 dinner, raffle tickets and drawings
6-6:30 Chase F. Wilson, USM College Libertarians
6:30-6:45 Acknowledgements
6:45-7:15 Noel Fritsch, National Association for Gun Rights
7:30-8 pm Leigh LaChine (see above)
Thanks to Kevin Knight for transportation, and I think he will also be helping me with photos and video as well.
I’m here in Mississippi on the ground and wifi works as well as outlet, so we should be underway sometime before too long. Registrations going on now.