NAACP alleges state withheld millions that could have helped Jackson’s water system

The lawsuit contends Mississippi created “discriminatory” practices aimed at limiting Jackson’s slice of the APRA funding pie.

The NAACP sued Mississippi last week, alleging that state officials withheld millions of federal dollars while knowing the City of Jackson’s water system was on the edge of failure.

A 38-page lawsuit contends that Mississippi “knowingly and intentionally” created policies that stopped Jackson from receiving millions of dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in May 2021.

The lawsuit, which names the State Treasurer, the head of the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Executive Director of the Department of Finance and Administration, claims state leaders denied the citizens of Jackson equal protection under the law in violation of the 14t