President Trump says Sen. Hyde-Smith “doing a great job… has my full and total endorsement.”
….She loves our Military and our Vets and protects our Second Amendment. Cindy has my Full and Total Endorsement! #MAGA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2019
WTVA – New poll indicates Reeves, Waller could end up in GOP runoff
A poll released one week before the August 6 primary shows the Republican race for governor may have to be decided in a runoff.
The survey by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy reveals Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves with 41 percent, former Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Junior with 31 percent and state Representative Robert Foster with 13 percent.
That leaves 15 percent of those surveyed who are undecided, which leaves open the possibility that Reeves can claim the party’s nomination next week instead of battling with Waller for another three weeks.
WTOK – African American voters expected to impact Democratic race
African American voters will play an important role in choosing the Democratic nominee for Mississippi governor. Party primaries are Aug. 6.
The white candidate who has raised the most money in the Democratic primary, four-term Attorney General Jim Hood, campaigned last week at Bully’s soul food restaurant in Jackson. He told ministers and others eating lunch there that he wants to expand Medicaid and improve public schools.
Of the eight Democrats running for governor, most have low-budget campaigns.
WLOX – Education: Here’s where Mississippi gubernatorial candidates stand
Mississippi voters will go to the polls August 6 to cast their ballots in the statewide primary, and narrow the field of candidates in dozens of races, including those running for governor.
But how do the candidates in this year’s gubernatorial race compare on the most important issues facing our state? We’ve searched their campaign literature and posted snippets of their platforms (when available), along with links to their full websites below.
Here’s where Mississippi’s gubernatorial candidates stand on the topic of education.
CLARION LEDGER – Mississippi election: Where candidate Tate Reeves stands on key issues
WXXV – Bill Waller Jr. visits the Gulf Coast
WXXV – Robert Foster campaigns on the coast
Hood releases new ad for Governor
We are excited to share our second television commercial that began airing today, featuring Jim’s community and his plan to put Mississippi families first. #msgov #mselex pic.twitter.com/15vlX9Gjiu
— Jim Hood (@HoodForGovernor) July 29, 2019
Hattiesburg American – Banning gifts to lobby election officials: Where Mississippi governor candidates stand
Under current state law, lobbyists can spend as much as they want on free dinners, sports tickets, hotels and other freebies for lawmakers. That makes the Magnolia State an outlier: A majority of states have laws that either ban gifts outright — even a cup of coffee — or place caps on how much an official can receive in a year.
A recent Clarion Ledger investigation found the state’s public universities alone doled out $350,000 in gifts to state officials in the past four years — much of it free tickets to sporting events. Several lawmakers received more than $7,000 in freebies over that period.
The Clarion Ledger recently interviewed the six leading candidates for governor, and all said they would support some type of gift law.
WJTV – GOP race for Secretary of State is filled with “attacks”
NEWSMS – Senators cosponsors bill to cut prescription drug costs
Late last week, U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde Smith outlined their support for a bipartisan effort to lower drug costs for seniors and improve financial certainty for local independent pharmacies.
The Mississippi Senators are original cosponsors of the Phair Relief Act (S.2247), which would put a five-year moratorium on direct or indirect remuneration (DIR) or “clawback” fees imposed on local pharmacies by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)—all with the intent of savings being passed on to customers.
“I hear regularly from Mississippians about the high-cost of prescription drugs,” Wicker said. “The Phair Relief Act is a sensible step toward lowering out-of-pocket drug prices for Mississippi’s seniors and restoring sanity to Medicare’s pharmacy benefits program for local providers.”
WJTV – MDWFP withdraws participation in annual extravaganza
Following backlash Monday, after a woman was allegedly denied a booth rental at the annual Miss. Wildlife Federation’s Extravaganza, the separate, state-run Miss. Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks withdrew their participation in the event with the federation.
A Mississippi woman, victimized by recent flooding in the Delta, recently took to social media explaining she was denied a booth by the federation. She planned to disseminate information about water pumps amid flooding- something the federation is said to have disagreed with.
Warren Strain of MDWFP said “Over this past weekend, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks received numerous comments regarding the upcoming Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza. It is apparent, that the persons making these comments were of the impression that the MDWFP and the Mississippi Wildlife Federation (the “Federation”) are one and the same, or that the Federation is a division of the MDWFP. This is simply not true.”
Wicker, Hyde-Smith announce $6.4 million for improvements to local airports
Six Mississippi airports are receiving $6.45M to make important safety and capacity upgrades that will improve service for thousands of travelers statewide. @SenHydeSmith https://t.co/aEETuk3n1Y
— Senator Roger Wicker (@SenatorWicker) July 29, 2019
WXXV – The lottery is making its way to Mississippi
Wicker works to prevent child deaths in hot cars
Every caregiver knows the extra precautions they take when driving with a youngster. But the greatest danger can sometimes happen when the trip is over, the car is parked, and the child is accidentally left behind. #HOTCARS #WickerReport https://t.co/T7PXGXzMYR
— Senator Roger Wicker (@SenatorWicker) July 29, 2019
WLBT – Turmoil in Pelahatchie: Mayor’s lawsuit against aldermen aims to have them removed
Pelahatchie Mayor Ryshonda Beechem’s latest court filing sends a message to members of the town’s board of aldermen: follow the law or the court will remove you from office.
Whether that actually happens, however, still remains to be seen.
The 39-page court document, filed in Rankin County Circuit Court Friday by Beechem through her attorney, details more than $1.1 million missing from the town’s coffers, implicating current and former aldermen, a former mayor and a former town clerk in the process.
The petition lists 44 different transactions from January 2015 to September 2017, withdrawals from the Pelahatchie Police Department’s drug seizure fund.
Magnolia Tribune
