WJTV – Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos visits Mississippi students
WTVA – Second credit rater improves view of Mississippi finances
A second of the nation’s three main credit rating agencies is feeling a little more confident about Mississippi’s state government financial picture.
Moody’s Investors Service on Wednesday removed its negative outlook on Mississippi’s debt, instead raising the outlook to stable. Last month, Standard & Poor’s Financial Services, also raised its outlook from negative to stable.
Mississippi remains rated Aa2 by Moody’s and has equivalent ratings from the other two main credit agencies.
Moody’s has upgraded the state’s debt rating, following S&P in recognizing that our pro-growth fiscal policies are sound. Better educational outcomes, more revenue, low unemployment and an innovative infrastructure funding mechanism will all continue to improve our rating.
— Phil Bryant (@PhilBryantMS) October 4, 2018
WCBI – MS Supreme Court will not revisit courthouse gun ruling
#MSSen: Baria not for overturning Roe v Wade, doesn’t support SCOTUS nominee Kavanaugh confirmation
“I don’t believe the government should interfere in a woman’s medical decisions. As for limitations, I’m not qualified to make the judgement – I am not a doctor. And as for Roe, I believe Roe v Wade should be left alone, it should not be overturned.”#mssen #BariaforMississippi
— David Baria (@dbaria) October 5, 2018
“What are your feelings towards Kavanaugh?”
“His behavior in front of the Senate panel was atrocious, his demeanor alone should be disqualifying. And then you have the overt partisanship he exhibited…you don’t want a judge that behaves like he did”#mssen #BariaforMississippi
— David Baria (@dbaria) October 5, 2018
WTOK – Mississippi House Speaker forms human trafficking panel
A panel created by Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn is looking for ways to reduce human trafficking in the state.
The Clarion Ledger reported the Speaker’s Commission on Public Policy conducted a session entitled “Mississippi: A Road Block to Human Trafficking” on Wednesday in Jackson.
More than 100 national, state and local experts and advocates including law enforcement and lawmakers took part in the session.
Gunn said he hopes the panel can make recommendations for legal improvements before lawmakers meet in January.
DAILY JOURNAL – Battles lines between Hood, Republicans forming
“Hey Jim, since you’ve been on vacation in Houston Republicans have helped businesses create over 70k jobs in Mississippi and we’ve reached the lowest unemployment in our state’s history,” read the GOP tweet.
Republican leaders have loudly touted a ream of recent economic indicators.
“From a fiscal standpoint, we find ourselves in as good a position as the state has been in many, many years,” said Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves during a recent stop in Tupelo.
With Reeves expected to run for governor himself, expect that economic record to be front-and-center as he vies with Hood over the future direction of the state.
But that’s territory where Hood looks eager to invite contrast. During his Wednesday remarks, Hood criticized Mississippi’s rate of economic growth as sluggish compared to the broader southeast. He also highlighted ongoing rural decline and said too many college graduates leave the state to find work.
WLOX – Former state employee going to prison for embezzlement
A former state employee is going to prison for embezzling $63,864.18 while employed at the Mississippi Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), announced Attorney General Jim Hood.
Amanda Ruth Combs, 32, of Brandon, was sentenced Thursday on three counts of Embezzlement by a State Employee by Warren County Circuit Court Judge M. James Chaney, Jr. Judge Chaney sentenced Combs to 10 years in prison with five of those years suspended, leaving Combs with five years to serve and five years on supervised probation.
Magnolia Tribune
