Sarita Simmons | |
|---|---|
| Member of the
Mississippi Senate from the 13th district | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Willie Lee Simmons |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sarita Simmons May 14, 1977 Cleveland, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Alcorn State University |
Sarita Simmons (born May 14, 1977) is an American politician, serving in the Mississippi State Senate from the 13th district since 2020. [1]
Early life and education
Simmons was born in Cleveland, Mississippi. [1] Her father is Willie Lee Simmons, former Mississippi Senate member from the 13th district and current Central District Transportation Commissioner. [2] Her mother was the Bolivar County Circuit Clerk, the first African American since Reconstruction to serve that post. [2] Simmons attended Cleveland High School and graduated from Alcorn State University with a bachelor's in education and psychology. [1] [3]
Career
Simmons has worked as the general manager for the family-owned restaurant, The Senator's Place, which is located in Cleveland, Mississippi. [2] [4] When her father didn't file for re-election for the 13th district, she decided to run. The district encompasses parts of Bolivar, Sunflower, and Tallahatchie counties. [5] She received 42.1% of the vote in the Democratic primary election and 65.1% in the general election; she assumed office on January 7, 2020. [6]
In the Mississippi Senate, she serves as vice-chair for the Investigate State Offices Committee and is a member on the following committees: Agriculture; Appropriations; Corrections; Drug Policy; Environment Prot, Cons, and Water Res; Labor; Ports and Marine Resources; and State Library. [1]
Political positions
Simmons, in partnership with Senator Walter Michel, authored a bill to allow wine sales in grocery stores; the bipartisan bill died in the Senate Finance Committee. [7]
In coordination with several Delta Legislators, Simmons created a multi-step plan to address conditions at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Sunflower County, an infamous prison located in Simmon's 13th district. [8] [9] [10] This came after lawmakers proposed additional cuts for funding to the Mississippi Department of Corrections. [11]
She voted for changing the Mississippi state flag. [12]
Personal life
She is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, NAACP, National Council of Negro Women, and the Bolivar County Democratic Executive Committee. [1] She is a Christian. [1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Sarita Simmons". Mississippi State Senate. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ^ a b c "The Simmons Family – A Recipe for Success in Public Service | Bolivar Bullet". Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "Your ballot explained". www.ballotready.org. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "The MSJRC - State of Mississippi Senate Districts By County". www.msjrc.state.ms.us. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "Sarita Simmons". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "Wine sales in grocery stores dead". The Northside Sun. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ Down, Locked. "Lawmakers Refused to Increase an Infamous Prison's Funding. Then, Chaos Erupted". ProPublica. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ Zhu, Alissa. "Parchman prison Unit 29 deemed unsafe. Where will 625 Mississippi inmates go?". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "Delta lawmakers present plan to address Parchman issues | The Enterprise-Tocsin". www.enterprise-tocsin.com. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ Richard, Brandon. "Mississippi lawmakers propose cuts at Parchman, reject improvement plan". WLBT News. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ Bologna, Giacomo. "Here is how each lawmaker voted on the Mississippi state flag resolution". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- 1977 births
- 21st-century American legislators
- African-American state legislators in Mississippi
- 21st-century American women politicians
- People from Cleveland, Mississippi
- Mississippi Democrats
- Living people
- African-American women in politics
- Alcorn State University alumni
- 21st-century African-American women
- 21st-century African-American politicians
- 20th-century African-American people
- 20th-century African-American women