June 1 it is

With Phil Bryant spending the day before the start of the 2011 legislative session jetsetting around the state and worrying about his future more than yours, folks are becoming aware that it's campaign season again in Mississippi.  2011 will certainly have it's own unforeseen wrinkles, but here's one sure thing:  Because Mississippi did not receive the 2010 census information from the U.S. Secretary of Commerce by January 1, the official qualifying deadline for legislative offices is June 1 at 5:00 p.m. This wrinkle in the law, spelled out in Miss. Code Ann. §23-15-299(1)(b), does not affect the qualifying deadline for statewide candidates which remains March 1.