Lawmakers convene hearing to consider Capital City Revitalization

• The hearing room was packed with Jackson supporters advocating for the Legislature to allocate additional funding to the city.

In an effort to combat the numerous challenges Jackson is facing, lawmakers on the Mississippi House Select Capital City Revitalization Committee heard from the city’s mayor and interim police chief on Thursday.

From gang activity to new homeless laws, city officials said they need help finding solutions. However, Democrats and Republicans alike said they would like to see the city take a tougher stance on crime.

State Rep. Fabian Nelson (D) said he would like to see tougher laws concerning gun violence in the capital city, which has seen nearly 40 homicides and scores of shootings this year. Notably, the number of fatalities in the city is about half what it was last year at this time.

“I’d like to see people charged with attempted murder if they shoot into someone’s house,” Nelson said, noting that in three Jackson shootings, more than 100 bullet casings were found at each crime scene.

Jackson Mayor John Horhn (D) and Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones, who is also now serving as the city’s Interim Police Chief, testified that of the 100 or so gangs in Mississippi, a third are in Jackson.

When asked by Committee Chairwoman State Rep. Shanda Yates (I) why are there 33 gangs in the capital city, Mayor Horhn said, “Basically one street doesn’t like the next street over.”

The hearing room was packed with Jackson supporters advocating for the Legislature to allocate additional funding to the city for housing, low-income programs, and better streets and infrastructure.

The mayor said housing was an issue in Jackson. While the city is largely considered affordable, many low-income people are struggling to find homes within their tight budgets, city officials said. Horhn said new laws to combat homelessness is especially hard on the city to enforce due to lack of resources.

Despite having one of the lowest homelessness rates per capita, Mississippi legislators passed bills last session to outlaw homeless encampments on public property, not just in Jackson but in other municipalities and counties.

In 2023, Jackson State University estimated that roughly 650 homeless people live in Jackson, with that number increasing.

Another area where Jackson could use assistance is combating youth violence. Many of the recent shootings were done by youth returning from parties, Jackson’s outgoing Police Chief Joseph Ward said recently, going so far as calling the suspects “knuckleheads.”

Mayor Horhn said he would like to see more mentoring of Jackson’s youth, but the city is struggling financially to fund such services. Mentoring programs, he said, help youth see different paths for their lives and they learn important life skills from others.

Earlier in the week, Speaker Jason White (R) took to social media to tout the work of the House Committee.

“The Capital Revitalization Select Committee was incredibly successful in its work last Session, with five bills stemming from this committee becoming law. I evolved in my thinking of Jackson, Mississippi,” White wrote on X. “I used to say let them fix their own mess. But for a large portion of the nation and world, all they see of Mississippi is Jackson. We are excited about the possibilities with new city leadership with Mayor John Horhn. This Select Committee will continue their efforts to improve our Capital City.”

You can watch the full House Committee hearing below.