The bill would expand capitol police into parts of Jackson as well as create a new court with unelected judges. According to the plaintiffs, the law is unconstitutional.
Charles Taylor is the executive director for the Mississippi NAACP. He says the law takes rights away from Jacksonians that every other Mississippi resident has.
"I cannot express how much frustration I have," he said. "the fact that Jackson residents in the capital city won't have the same protections under the law than any other resident in the state of Mississippi, outside of our capital city and the county where our capital city is."
The MacArther Justice Center, ACLU of Mississippi, and Mississippi Center for Justice have filed a suit on behalf of Jackson residents. A statement from the MacArthur center states that "H.B. 1020’s requirement that the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court appoint four judges to the Hinds County Circuit Court runs afoul of the state constitution’s requirement that circuit judges in Mississippi 'shall be elected.'"
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the legislation is racist and oppressive. He says the city is exploring its own legal options, and that challengers have a strong case against the new law.
"I think that they've left a lot on the table. They've left a lot of meat on the bone to attack." he said. "And I'm certain that the residents of Jackson will be impressed with the legal team that comes forward."
Governor Tate Reeves said in a statement that Jackson residents want to "restore law and order to a city that desperately needs it."
