BY CARL SMITH
Incoming Gov. Phil Bryant’s swearing-in ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. today on the Mississippi State Capitol’s south steps, weather permitting.
If the morning weather deteriorates, the ceremony could move into the Capitol. After taking the governor’s oath of office, Bryant will officially become the state’s 64th governor, succeeding two-term Republican Gov. Haley Barbour.
On Monday, Bryant’s communication director, Mick Bullock, confirmed the cancellation of the inaugural parade due to the possibility of heavy afternoon rains in Jackson. The parade, Bullock said, is postponed until noon Jan. 21.
The inaugural ball, set from 7:30 p.m. to midnight at the Jackson Convention Center, will continue as planned.
Bullock said Bryant remains upbeat about today’s events despite the parade cancellation and potential for bad weather.
“The man that Gov.-elect Bryant credits for his introduction to politics, former President Ronald Reagan, had to rearrange inaugural activities in 1985 because of bad weather,” Bullock said in a release Monday.
Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum said he is looking forward to attending the inaugural festivities in Jackson.
“It is always an exciting time in our state as we put aside political differences to observe the orderly transfer of power,” he said. “It is also an even more historic occasion this year because we have not had a new governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the house all at once since 1976.”
As the new administration takes over in Jackson, Keenum said it is important to continue to stress the importance of higher education to elected officials.
Read complete article at Starkville Daily News.
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