Employment agency director, legislators at odds

The Clarion-Ledger, 5/15/8

The head of the state employment agency in danger of closing because of a partisan fight disagreed Wednesday with lawmakers who want to add oversight provisions to the department’s future.

Tommye Dale Favre, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, said, “This whole issue … the scrutiny of (the legislative watchdog committee PEER) … has created undue anxiety for the 715 employees of this agency.”

Her comments came during a hearing at the state Capitol that addressed how state agencies advertise services. House Democrats want more oversight of advertising contracts and have tied that concern to a bill that would reauthorize MDES.