Smith, McCoy should work to repair rift

The Hattiesburg American, 1/7/8

The Mississippi House of Representatives appears sharply divided over who will lead it in the new term that starts Tuesday. The 122 members have the choice of two good men to be House speaker: incumbent Billy McCoy of Rienzi or Jeff Smith of Columbus.

While both are Democrats, Smith as a member of the House has taken votes counter to what McCoy and most of his fellow Democrats favor. Smith is often allied with Republicans, but he’s not a strident partisan like some of his colleagues. As a moderate, he takes on issues free of party colors. His bipartisan attitude is a healthy trait needed in a legislative body that’s become more partisan in recent years.