#MSSen: Espy rides his horse through Jackson
This morning, my horse and I rode around Jackson during The 16th Annual Jackson Black Rodeo parade in preparation for tonight’s big rodeo. If you want to see me ride with the cowboys, come to the biggest rodeo in the south tonight at the Mississippi Coliseum. Wish me luck!!! pic.twitter.com/WxlaqRanbN
— Mike Espy (@espyforsenate) July 14, 2018
DAILY JOURNAL – FEC: Kelly received contributions exceeding limits in 2015
U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, who represents Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District, received “excessive contributions” totaling $75,100 when he first captured the north Mississippi House seat in 2015.
The Federal Election Commission found that Kelly, a Republican and former district attorney from Tupelo:
• Received campaign contributions from four individuals totaling $25,200 that exceeded the limit of $2,700 that a person can donate during an election cycle.
The issues, according to the FEC audit, were resolved during the investigation with the loan being repaid and contributions returned.
The commission rejected a finding by the staff that the $50,000 loan be considered a prohibited contribution, which is considered a more serious charge.
#MSSen: Context matters – McDaniel camp tries to hit Hyde-Smith over SuperPAC contribution
Not the first time those in @senatormcdaniel camp have gotten tripped up on campaign finance laws. In reality, the Mississippi Victory Fund is a Super Pac and legally prohibited from having anything to do with @TeamHydeSmith. https://t.co/2TqFzaGn5X
— Spencer Ritchie (@SpencerMRitchie) July 15, 2018
HATTIESBURG AMERICAN – Analysis: Even modest revenue growth good news for lawmakers
Despite the good news, state agencies have launched into what will be another stringent budget year, with total spending expected to dip slightly. Many agencies would still like to recoup what they lost in budget cuts after lawmakers decreased those revenue estimates.
“I’m hoping that, come January, we’ll be sitting in a position where we can do something,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman John Read, a Gautier Republican.
Exactly how much the state had left over after June 30 won’t be clear until summer’s end, as it takes agencies time to officially close the books. Normally, most of the leftover money would be split between the state’s rainy day savings account and capital improvements.
But there will be other issues for lawmakers to decide. If they’re called into special session to find more money for roads and bridges, as Gov. Phil Bryant has promised, leftover money from 2018 could be a tempting target for a quick spending boost.
MBJ – Bill Crawford: Is government the problem or part of the answer to rural poverty?
Sen. Wicker promotes Telehealth
Pleased to welcome @SenatorWicker and Commissioner @BrendanCarrFCC to our Center for Telehealth headquarters to introduce the FCC’s “Connected Care” pilot program.
We appreciate initiatives that promote care delivered directly to patients or increases access in rural areas. pic.twitter.com/3mjtoDWwRt— LouAnn Woodward M.D. (@LAWoodwardMD) July 13, 2018
MS TODAY – What it’s like being a young African American woman reporting in Mississippi
What’s it like being a young African American woman reporting in Mississippi?
“Millennials in the Media” at #MSPPP https://t.co/Ndgi9K7gFT— Mississippi Today (@MSTODAYnews) July 14, 2018
WAPT – Higher education commissioner plans 13-stop listening tour
Mississippi’s new commissioner of higher education plans a listening tour to meet with students, faculty, staff and others.
Commissioner Al Rankins Jr. became the leader of the state’s eight public universities on July 1, taking over for the retiring Glenn Boyce. Rankins had been the president of Alcorn State University since 2014. Before that, he was a deputy commissioner of higher education and a professor at Mississippi State University.
Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Palazzo announces safe room funding for PineBelt
Pleased to join @SenHydeSmith & @SenatorWicker in announcing a $7.3M grant that will construct 8 safe rooms in Forrest County. The safe rooms will serve as a useful and necessary resource for the community during extreme weather events: Read more ↓↓https://t.co/IcJZiqJZEl
— Cong. Steven Palazzo (@CongPalazzo) July 13, 2018
WTOK – Mississippi updating voter registration deadline for runoffs
The Mississippi NAACP, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Mississippi Center for Justice sent a letter to the state’s top election official in June. It said that under the National Voter Registration Act, people should be able to vote in runoffs if they’re registered at least 30 days before the runoff, not 30 days before the initial election.
The secretary of state’s office has agreed, in a letter released Friday
Memorial site unveiled for Yanky 72
Military plane Yanky 72, flying from an airfield in NC to AZ, went down in the MS Delta on July 10, 2017. Fifteen Marines and 1 Navy Corpsman were lost.
We unveiled the memorial site for these soldiers on Saturday with their families in Itta Bena. They will never be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/ehLhweAmFr
— Phil Bryant (@PhilBryantMS) July 14, 2018
WDAM – Hattiesburg town hall meeting to be held to discuss decriminalization of marijuana
A town hall meeting will be held Monday, July 16 to discuss the decriminalization of marijuana in Hattiesburg.
Ward 2 Councilwoman Deborah Delgado presented her standing of this proposal at a July 2 Hattiesburg City work session…
…The following guest speakers will be in attendance:
- Jackson City Councilman, DeKeither Stamps
- ACLU of MS Executive Director Jennifer Riley Collins, Esq.
- Christina Dent, Back Porch Drug Policy Forum
- Greg Prine, Community Activist
- Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks
Magnolia Tribune
