Except he lied in 2018. Kind of like that GOP Governor of Vermont (Phil Scott) that ran on no new gun laws and then signed a bunch of gun control post-Parkland.
In 2001 they gave Mississippi voters a direct vote on it, and that was the position the current Republican Governor took in 2018, that if it was to change it'd have to be at the ballot box.
This time, absolutely no direct vote allowed, almost like they were scared out of their minds it'd win again.