WJTV – Mississippi jobless rate and payrolls again hit new records
Mississippi’s jobless rate again set a new low in February, while employer payrolls set a new high.
The jobless rate fell to 4.5 percent, a new low since current surveys began in 1976, from 4.6 percent in January. That’s down from February 2017’s 5.4 percent. More people entered the labor force, and more people found jobs. The number of unemployed Mississippians fell below 58,000.
WJTV – Gamblers lose less at Mississippi casinos in February
WTOK – Mississippi lawmakers approve budget plan for public schools
Lawmakers have approved a slight increase in Mississippi’s K-12 education budget.
The House and Senate Monday approved House Bill 1592, sending it to Gov. Phil Bryant for his approval or veto.
The measure provides $2.2 billion in state money for school spending in the budget year beginning July 1.
DAILY JOURNAL – Leaders reach agreement on Medicaid as legislators work late to finish budget
The disagreement that stalled the passage of the budget bill for the Division of Medicaid appeared to be worked out late Monday, clearing the way for passage of the $6.1 billion state-support budget to fund agencies ranging from education to health care to law enforcement.
The process was delayed Sunday when the House voted not to pass the budget for the Division of Medicaid until an agreement was reached on a so-called Medicaid technical amendments bill. That bill puts legislative parameters on the agency that provides health care to more than 700,000 Mississippians – primarily the disabled, poor pregnant women, poor children and the poor elderly.
If that technical amendment bill died, more control of the agency would have been turned over to Gov. Phil Bryant. House members, saying they did not want to lose that control, stalled passage of the Medicaid budget until an agreement was reached on the technical amendments bill.
That agreement was reached only minutes before a Monday night deadline. The agreement, reached by key House and Senate leaders, is expected to be voted on today.
WLOX – Bill to bring BP money to the Coast dies in committee
A bill to set aside settlement money from the BP oil spill died in a conference committee on Monday night.
House Bill 1185 was declared dead after lawmakers could not come to an agreement on whether to funnel the $700 million into the Gulf Coast Restoration Reserve Fund, according to Gulf Coast Business Council Director Ashley Edwards.
Paranoid much? McDaniel assumes an attack is coming from guy taking photo of his parking space at Capitol
https://www.facebook.com/senatormcdaniel/posts/1785712751492605:0
WTOK – Hughes brings campaign to Meridian
Whit Hughes is running for the third Congressional district spot, which will be open after Congressman Gregg Harper announced he will retire at the end of this term. Hughes is running as a Republican on conservative values. He says there is one thing that sets him apart from other candidates.
“I’ve never run for office before,” he says. “I’m not a career politician just looking to climb the ladder so to speak. I’m doing this because I care, and I’m doing it for the right reasons.”
MS Democrats upset with state funding cut to MPB
MS legislative leadership makes it clear they intend to eliminate all state funding for MS Public Broadcasting by 2024. That will kill public TV & radio in MS. Millions of $$ in towers & equipment wasted. MPB was there during Katrina. Who will take its place?
— Cecil Brown (@CecilBrown18) March 25, 2018
HB1593 Appropriation for Education TV is less than last year, with language in it that all state funding for it will cease in 2024.https://t.co/XFdhBursoB https://t.co/XFdhBursoB
— Jay Hughes (@Jay4district12) March 25, 2018
WLBT – MSDH alerts some Mississippians about leaked personal, health information
The MSDH sent the letters out Monday, notifying clients that on January 30 the department became aware that an employee unknowingly emailed an Excel spreadsheet containing patients’ protected health information such as name, date of birth, social security number or lab results to J Michael Consulting, a contractor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The information was sent January 25.
