YP – Governor Reeves provides new executive orders due to COVID-19 numbers
Governor Tate Reeves announced additional COVID-19 measures in an effort to keep Mississippians safe. The Executive Orders that are in place are set to expire on Friday, December 11th.
In an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 statewide, for social gatherings where social distancing is not possible, crowds will be limited to a group of no more than ten in a single space indoors. For outdoor social gatherings, no more than 50 people should be in close proximity.
MSDH daily COVID-19 reporting
Revised update: Today MSDH is reporting 2,746 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, 24 deaths, and 203 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. The total of #covid19 cases for the year is now 170,672, with 4,041 deaths. Case details at https://t.co/YCv9xPyJDk pic.twitter.com/5KsYfAlDg6
— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) December 9, 2020
YP – Mississippi to join Texas lawsuit challenging Presidential results in 4 states
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch announced Wednesday that she is adding Mississippi to the growing list of states joining in Texas’ lawsuit challenging the Presidential election results in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin.
Fitch said in a statement:
“The integrity of our elections is paramount to our Republic. The people of Mississippi must have confidence that their votes are not diminished by fraud…
“…And, today, I have joined my colleagues in supporting Texas’ efforts to ensure that our elections are free and fair. Voter fraud elsewhere dilutes the votes of Mississippians and it makes a mockery of the very foundation of our government. I am proud to defend the votes of the people of Mississippi and will continue to fight for their rights.”
YP – Attorney General Fitch joins 47 AG’s in seeking to end Facebook’s monopoly
Attorney General Fitch today joined a bipartisan coalition of 48 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against Facebook, Inc., alleging that the company has and continues to illegally stifle competition to protect its monopoly power.
“Facebook spent nearly a decade engaging in practices that diminish competition and exploit user privacy for profit,” said Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “I joined this suit to put an end to Facebook’s monopolistic stronghold on the marketplace and protect Mississippians from anticompetitive and deceptive business practices.”
YP – Despite Trump’s warnings, all 4 Mississippi Congressmen vote to pass NDAA in U.S. House vote
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday 335-78 to pass the National Defense Authorization Act despite the veto threat from President Donald Trump if the bill did not repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. That provision is a liability shield for internet platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, that host third-party content.
The overwhelmingly margin to pass the NDAA is above the two-thirds majority needed to override a presidential veto should it come after the U.S. Senate takes the measure up in the days ahead.
All four of Mississippi’s Congressmen – three Republicans and one Democrat – voted in favor of the NDAA.
YP – MSVA Executive Director Pickering joins Y’all Politics to talk COVID-19, Veterans home plans
Mississippi Veterans Affairs Executive Director Stacey Pickering joined Y’all Politics on Wednesday to discuss how the veterans homes across the state are combatting COVID-19 and what is being done to ensure the health and safety of those in this care.
YP – November revenue numbers up $104.5 million over estimates
Total revenue collections for the month of November FY 2021 are $104,515,248 or 28.06% above the sine die revenue estimate. Fiscal YTD revenue collections through November 2020 are $279,188,310 or 12.33% above the sine die estimate. Fiscal YTD total revenue collections through November 2020 are $272,820,628 or 12.01% above the prior year’s collections. The FY 2021 Sine Die Revenue Estimate is $5,690,700,000.
The graph above compares the actual revenue collections to the sine die revenue estimate for each of the main tax revenue sources. The figures reflect the amount the actual collections for Sales, Individual, Corporate, Use and Gaming taxes were above or below the estimate for the month and fiscal year-to-date. The graph also compares fiscal year-to-date actual collections to prior year actual collections, as of November 30, 2020.
YP – Mississippi Governor Reeves elected Republican Governors Association Policy Vice Chairman
The Republican Governors Association announced today that Arizona Governor Doug Ducey was elected to serve as RGA Chair and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds was elected to serve as RGA Vice Chair for 2021. Both assume the positions immediately and will serve for a one-year duration.
“Governor Doug Ducey’s exemplary leadership in the great State of Arizona has prepared him well to assume the role of Chairman of the RGA, and I look forward to his accomplishments on behalf of our nation’s Republican Governors,” said outgoing RGA Chairman Governor Greg Abbott. “Following the RGA’s widespread success in the 2020 election, Republican Governors can count on Governor Ducey to maintain the organization’s effectiveness and help expand their majority even further.”
YP – Hyde-Smith Stresses Need for COVID-19 Vaccine in Rural America
With the impending approval of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today stressed the importance of distributing the vaccine to “rural and harder to reach communities.”
Hyde-Smith aired these concerns in remarks by Zoom to a Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Security panel discussion on coronavirus vaccine policies. Hyde-Smith is a founding co-chair of the Steering Committee, which the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security staffs and manages.
“I am particularly concerned about how to get this vaccine to every corner of the country, especially rural and harder to reach communities,” Hyde-Smith said.
YP – Guest cosponsors election integrity legislation
Legislation to Preserve Integrity of Elections Add New Cosponsor: @RepMichaelGuest https://t.co/3HI483meF5
— Magnolia Tribune (@magnoliatribune) December 9, 2020
YP – Senator Nicole Akins Boyd awarded National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) Guardian Award
Senator Nicole Akins Boyd today was awarded the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) Guardian Award for her efforts to assist small businesses in surviving the financial devastation suffered due to lost revenue brought on by COVID-19, which has devastated commerce globally.
The Guardian Award is the highest honor NFIB bestows upon state legislators and is based on their outstanding voting record on small business issues and strong support for small businesses. Small businesses employ nearly half of Mississippi’s workforce.
MDHS distributes Chromebooks to care facilities
Today Robert G. “Bob” Anderson, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services announced that beginning this week, 400 Chromebooks® will be distributed to care facilities through a $100,000-plus grant to Area on Aging programs. https://t.co/H3AT3KXptR. #MSMDHS pic.twitter.com/wezbLYMQ1N
— MDHS (@MS_DHS) December 9, 2020
WTOK – Mayor Bland believes Governor Reeves should implement more statewide mandates
Meridian Mayor Percy Bland said he is glad Governor Tate Reeves announced the statewide restrictions on indoor social gatherings as well as outdoor gatherings.
However, Mayor Bland told Newscenter 11 he believes more statewide restrictions, such as a statewide mask mandate, are needed to further combat the coronavirus.
“We’re glad that the governor has taken another stride to put other restrictions in place from a statewide level. We still believe consistency with a statewide mandate would help alleviate some of the things that we’re seeing across the state of Mississippi,” said Bland.
