Jackson, Mississippi Mayor King Chokwe Antar Lumumba posted videos on YouTube announcing an executive order “suspending” the state open carry law, in violation of Mississippi Code § 45-9-51, the state firearms preemption law.

Amusingly — in a morbid way — the first video cited as his “authority” a nonexistent code: § 45-7-17. That video was deleted after ridicule and questions. Fortunately, I saved a copy. It was replaced with a second video (also saved) with almost the same script, save that he omitted the spoken reference to the fake code, and included a screenshot of § 45-17-7, which does not give any such magical power.

The King declined to respond to questions about the order. Nor does the order yet appear on the city web site.

Only after the story was reported by The Truth About Guns, and was the subject of many social media posts, did any local news outlet pick it up. WJTV simply reported it unquestioningly as a good thing. But they did have a copy of the order.

Note that while the King’s video cites § 45-17-7, the actual order cites no authority for this whatsoever. He did it because he believes he’s all-powerful. One might wonder what other laws he’ll decide to unilaterally “suspend” indefinitely. Concealed carry? Firearm ownership? The Second Amendment? The entire Bill of Rights?

State Attorney General Lynn Fitch disagrees.

Cities can’t usurp the authority of the State’s elected Legislature and violate the Constitutional rights of the people. I support the 2nd Amendment and will enforce the laws of this State.

Loonumba is an oathbreaking, dictatorial scumbag with no respect for the law, the US Constitution, or the Mississippi Constitution. I suspect people are already preparing lawsuits in reaction to this unlawful order. This will very likely cost the taxpayers of Jackson a pretty penny. Normally, I’d disapprove of the people suffering for the misdeeds of the government, but apparently those citizens elected their king by a 93% supermajority. They’re getting just what they deserve.