Toppings news from around the state:

• One of House Speaker Philip Gunn’s highest priorities for this year’s Legislative session took the first step to becoming law. With a 102-13 vote, the House passed a campaign finance reform bill. A few things the bill would require: itemizing credit card expenditures, no payments to family members unless they’re working for the campaign in some way, no fundraising during the Legislative session, and no pocketing left-over campaign funds after leaving office.

• Facing an $89 million shortfall through the first six months of the fiscal year, Gov. Phil Bryant has ordered cuts for most of the state’s agencies. Thursday, Bryant reduced the budget by $51 million, less that one percent of the state’s budget.

•  Jackson Public School District is expanding its search for a new superintendent. JPS Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to conduct the national search using a firm specializing in this work.

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