Commentary
Emmett Till: Wounds of the past still haunt Mississippi
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Writer finds that remnants of the Jim Crow era are still evident in the disparities in the state’s political, economic, social, educational and criminal justice systems
Commentary
Could the state be paying 10 percent of cost instead of 100 percent for some mental health patients?
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Lawmaker wants to know if some people who are treated at one of Mississippi’s 14 community mental health centers but have no ability to pay would be covered if the state expanded Medicaid
Commentary
Hosemann: Senate ‘not in the business of doing tax credits this year,’ need to fix state problems first
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Lieutenant governor, who presides over the Senate, said he will honor commitments for past tax credits but wants to ensure money is available to deal with state needs
Commentary
Teacher groups, education advocates feeling good about new ‘public education friendly’ Legislature
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Many of the same people who were upset with a $1,500 raise last year are happy with $1,000 this year. Perhaps, it’s that combining last year’s raise with the raise currently working its way through the Legislature gets teachers closer to what they say is adequate
Commentary
Retired state employees could increase limited field of legislative candidates; nearly 45% of seats unopposed in 2019
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In a sense the retired public employees, currently about 100,000 former educators, state employees and local government workers, make ideal candidates for legislative seats. But the House leadership is making it difficult for this group to run
Commentary
Legislative rule limits lawmakers’ ability to boost spending for underfunded agencies
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Rule requiring legislators who want to increase spending in one agency to specify from which agency he or she is taking the money makes it difficult to add additional money to a budget bill
Commentary
New House Democratic leader became key ally of last Democratic speaker after voting against him
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As House Democratic leader, Rep. Robert Johnson said he will strive to work with the Republican majority where possible, but Democrats will fight on issues they believe are crucial to the progress of the state
Commentary
Prison unrest ignites debate on proper level to fund state government as Bryant leaves office
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As Bryant leaves office Mississippi has close to $1 billion in reserve funds, but it is also true that commissioners appointed during his tenure to oversee the Department of Corrections warned that violence and carnage were possible if more money was not appropriated
Commentary
Pomp and circumstances of Mississippi democracy about to begin
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The process of beginning a new four-year term of state government will take place over the next two weeks. Before the state Constitution was amended in the 1980s, the process of swearing in the new statewide officeholders took even longer
Commentary
Election puts some state employee jobs in jeopardy as officials look to bring in their own people
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Newly elected officials will be able to bring in at least some of their own people for certain key positions. Most of the state’s 26,500 state employees have civil service protection, but about 6,500 work at will and can be terminated for any reason
Commentary
Can Reeves keep no-veto-override streak of Bryant, Barbour alive?
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Once overriding gubernatorial vetoes was a common occurrence for Mississippi legislators. Three of the most significant bills of modern times were passed despite governors’ vetoes, the Four-Lane Highway Program, a one-cent sales tax increase to benefit education and MAEP, the landmark legislation to fund education
Commentary
With Republicans at the helm, Mississippi softens laws governing gambling and drinking
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In the last eight years, as Republicans have controlled the Governor’s Mansion and both chambers of the Legislature, multiple laws have passed to make it easier to drink alcohol, bet on sports and buy lottery tickets.
Commentary
There is reason big buildings in Mississippi are named after House speakers
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The positions of governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House are the three most powerful in state government. The speaker has one distinct advantage: There is no limit on how long the speaker can serve.`
Commentary
Mississippians have opportunity to change Jim Crow-era law without being forced by federal judge
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Secretary of State-elect Michael Watson said he thinks that a federal judge would prefer the state address provisions in the Constitution that require the House to decide statewide elections in some instances. The provisions were added in 1890 to keep African Americans from statewide offices.
Commentary
Chief among Mississippi Democratic candidates’ many problems in statewide races is lack of money
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Since 2003, Republicans have outpaced Democrats in fundraising. The trend can largely be traced back to the tort reform battles in the early 2000s. It was then that the business community and its campaign contributions began to gravitate toward the Republican Party.