Percy Willis Watson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Percy Watson
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| Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from the 103rd district |
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| Assumed office January 8, 1980 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | June 5, 1951 Hattiesburg, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
Percy Willis Watson, born on June 5, 1951, is an American politician. He has been a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives for the 103rd District since he was first elected in 1980. He belongs to the Democratic Party.
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Early Life and Education
Percy Willis Watson was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He was one of 11 children in his family. In 1969, he graduated as the top student, or valedictorian, from L. J. Rowan High School. This school was part of a system where Black and white students went to separate schools.
Watson earned a full scholarship and attended the University of Iowa. He finished his studies in just three years, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in May 1972. He also joined the Phi Beta Kappa society, which is a special honor for smart students. He then went to the University of Iowa College of Law. He finished law school quickly, getting his law degree (Juris Doctor) in 1974.
After law school, Watson moved to Alaska and became a lawyer. He worked for a law firm in Anchorage, Alaska. However, he soon decided to move back to his hometown of Hattiesburg to practice law there.
Political Career
Percy Watson has had a long and important career in politics, representing his community in Mississippi.
Starting in the Mississippi House
In June 1979, Watson, a Democrat, announced he would run for a seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives. He wanted to represent the 104th district, which included part of Hattiesburg. This district was new because of a court order that changed how voting areas were drawn.
During his campaign, Watson faced unfair treatment because of his race. He received hateful messages from some white people. To avoid making things worse, he chose not to campaign much in white neighborhoods. He won the Democratic primary election against a white lawyer, Michael B. McMahan. Since there was no Republican candidate, winning the primary meant he won the election. Watson believed he won because most people in the district were Black.
From 1980 to 1984, Watson served on several important committees in the House. These included committees for Agriculture, Judiciary "A," and Universities & Colleges. He also led the House's Black Caucus, a group of Black lawmakers.
Working for Change in the House
In 1983, Watson ran for re-election for the 103rd District and won without anyone running against him. In 1984, Watson and 25 other representatives tried to change the rules of the House. They wanted to reduce the power of the House Speaker, C. B. Newman. Their effort did not succeed. In response, Speaker Newman assigned these 26 representatives, sometimes called the "Terrible Twenty-Six," to less important committees. Watson was moved from the Universities & Colleges committee to the Penitentiaries and Game & Fish Committees.
In 1984, Watson was chosen as a delegate for the 1984 Democratic National Convention. This is a big meeting where the Democratic Party chooses its candidate for president.
By 1986, Watson joined a group of 20 lawmakers who wrote a new bill to change the House rules. This bill had the support of 65 representatives. The new rules would allow members of the House to elect the leaders of certain committees, instead of the Speaker choosing them. This bill passed, and Speaker Newman retired after that term.
Leading the Judiciary Committee
After the rule changes, Watson won re-election again in 1987. He defeated Charles L. Davis in the primary and was the only candidate in the general election. At the start of the 1988–1992 term, Watson was chosen to lead the Judiciary "A" Committee. This was a very important role. He became the first Black person to chair this committee and the highest-ranking Black lawmaker in the House.
As the head of the Judiciary "A" Committee, Watson worked on a bill to change laws about lawsuits. He tried to make a bill that would shorten the time people had to file lawsuits. However, lawmakers could not agree, and the bill did not pass in 1988. In 1989, a similar bill passed, but it was a very close vote.
In 1988 and 1990, Watson also wrote a bill to create landlord-tenant laws in Mississippi. These laws would set clear rules for both landlords and people renting homes. However, this bill was defeated both times.
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Percy Watson, a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives.
