The Senate Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committee approved House Resolution 39 on Tuesday. This would allow for a proposal to reinstate the initiative process to the November ballot. It was invalidated in May 2021 by the Mississippi Supreme Court in a controversial ruling. Citizens can gather signatures and put issues on the ballot to be decided by voters through the initiative process. The Tuesday committee proposal includes language that will require the resolution to restore the initiative to be sent to conference at the conclusion of the legislative session in order to reach a compromise among Senate and House leaders. John Polk, R-Hattiesburg’s Chair of the Accountability Committee, refused to answer whether he would consider legislation to restore the initiative process throughout the session. On Tuesday, Polk said that he had studied the bill and spoken with House leaders who had approved the bill earlier in the session. He supported the passage of the bill out of committee. Polk stated that he believes the House leaders have a great bill that we can build upon together. Tuesday was the deadline for the passage of all committee general bills and any constitutional resolutions from the other chamber. This issue is before the Legislature because the state Supreme Court invalidated the initiative process by stating that the medical marijuana initiative, approved by voters in November 2020, was invalid. Because the Constitution required that the required number signatures for a ballot issue to be placed on the ballot be collected equally from five congressional districts, the Court declared the process invalid. Due to the 2000 Census, the state now has four congressional districts. One of them was lost. The Senate is currently considering the House’s proposal. It would require that a pro-rata portion of signatures from any number of congressional districts in the state be collected. Voters would also be able to put on the ballot issues to amend or change general law. The Supreme Court rejected the initiative in the early 1990s. It allowed voters to amend the state Constitution.