Why Is It Unanimous?

During the 2025 Mississippi legislative session, the legislature passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 531. SCR531 recognizes the creation of the Mississippi-Israel Joint Legislative Caucus with the specifically stated goal of strengthening political, economic, and cultural bonds between the state of Mississippi and the nation of Israel.

SCR531 was swiftly and unanimously ushered through both chambers with bipartisan support early in the 2025 legislative session. The Senate voted in favor by a count of 39-0 and the House voted in favor 113-0. Very few pieces of legislation pass with unanimous, bipartisan support.

SCR531 was passed on February 25, 2025.

It had become blatantly obvious American military aid was being used by Israeli forces to slaughter women and children in Gaza.

Hamas is responsible for killing at least 1,200 Israelis during the attack on October 7, 2023. In response, the state of Israel has killed at least 50,000 people in Gaza. Among those killed approximately 60% have been Palestinian women and children.

Even still, forging an alliance with Israel took priority over addressing the most pressing needs of Mississippians in the 2025 legislative session.

We have major socioeconomic problems that will take generations to address in Mississippi.

Of the 50 poorest counties in America, 10 are in Mississippi. Mississippi has the second highest statewide poverty rate in the nation. Jackson has the highest per capita homicide rate. Mississippi depends on federal tax dollars more so than any other state in the Union. 42% of Mississippi’s $31 billion budget stems from federal sources. 65% of these federal funds are earmarked for social welfare purposes.

These statistical nightmares indicate Mississippi should focus on strengthening herself from within.

We must implement statewide school consolidation reform and adopt universal school choice. We should fully eliminate the income tax in a more aggressive manner. We should make a concerted effort to improve Jackson and Meridian, two of our state’s most cherished and historical cities.

These are just a few examples of issues that are vital to improving Mississippi.

There is a laundry list of issues Mississippians prefer the state legislature to act on. But, forging an alliance with a foreign country responsible for murdering women and children is not on that list.

The voter initiative process was invalidated in 2021 and needs to be restored immediately.

No bills that would implement universal school choice were introduced in 2025.

Although the legislature did manage to pass a bill designed to fully eliminate the income tax, the tax on work will not be totally eliminated until 2040.

Within the 90-day 2025 legislative session, our educational future, political rights, nor budget could be agreed upon.

But one thing was made crystal clear early in the session: Israel deserved unanimous, unquestionable, and unwavering support from the Mississippi legislature.

As Mississippi politicians gather at the Neshoba County Fair this week, keep in mind that each of you took an oath to pursue what is in the best interest of Mississippi and America. Not a foreign country.

We, the people, must recognize that if we fail to hold our politicians accountable they will continue taking advantage of our political agency to satisfy their self interests.

This letter is to serve as a public condemnation of SCR531.

The people of Senate District 18 and House District 44 deserve a substantive explanation, from Senator Lane Taylor and Representative C. Scott Bounds, outlining why they support SCR531.

Sincerely,

Lee Carleton Smith

Neshoba County, Mississippi

July 2025

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