YP – Governor Tate Reeves announces new MEMA Director
Governor Tate Reeves hosted a press conference on Thursday to provide updates on the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic and announce the new director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency in light of the retirement of Director Greg Michel.
Replacing Michel is MEMA Deputy Director Stephen McCraney. Michel’s last day will be February 1, 2021.
MSDH daily COVID-19 reporting
Today MSDH is reporting 1,804 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, 28 deaths, and 182 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. The total of #covid19 cases for the year is now 270,476, with 5,945 deaths. Case details and prevention guidance at https://t.co/YCv9xPQkuS pic.twitter.com/UHVw311BH5
— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) January 28, 2021
Second vaccine dose appointments now open
The Mississippi State Department of Health is pleased to announce that you can now make a second dose appointment for sites throughout the state immediately after receiving your first dose. No need to wait two weeks before scheduling. Schedule online at https://t.co/8pGgHZ1HOA
— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) January 28, 2021
YP – Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann provides weekly Legislative Session update
On Thursday, Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann met with press to discuss the progress of the 2021 Legislative Session.
Currently lawmakers are under a General and Constitutional Bill deadline. Those bills that do not make it out of committee by February 2 will die on the calendar. Several getting attention include a computer science bill, education, privatization of the ABC and more.
YP – Senators take another shot at Criminal Justice Reform after 2020 veto
Authored by Senators Juan Barnett, Brice Wiggins, Robert Jackson (11th), Sampson Jackson (32nd), Daniel Sparks and Albert Butler, a bill to clarify the conditions of parole eligibility and provide limitation on inmates who could petition for parole from the sentencing court is moving through the Mississippi Senate. The bill is SB 2795.
Those who will not be considered for parole under this bill include habitual offenders, sex offenders, murderers, and traffickers.
YP – Momentum building for computer science availability in K-12 public schools across Mississippi
More emphasis is being put on computer science availability in the classroom during the 2021 Mississippi Legislative session.
SB 2678 and HB 633 were both filed and would be a phase-in of computer science courses in schools across the state who serve K-12 students starting in the 2022-2023 school year. Two years later, the full program should be implemented, and students would have access to computer science classes across the board.
YP – Wicker calls for making Hyde Amendment permanent
.@SenatorWicker calls for permanent restriction on #abortion funds in Senate floor speech
The Mississippi Senator proposed making permanent the #HydeAmendment, which restricts the use of taxpayer dollars from funding abortions.https://t.co/snbdFZwgrs
— Magnolia Tribune (@magnoliatribune) January 28, 2021
YP – Mississippi AG Fitch, 5 other state AGs warn Biden over “executive unilateralism”
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch joined five other attorneys general in sending a letter to President Joe Biden on Wednesday warning the new Administration that their states are willing to pursue legal action if the federal government violates individual constitutional rights or exceeds the limits on its powers.
“I am committed to defending the will of the people of Mississippi against federal overreach,” Attorney General Fitch told Y’all Politics on Thursday. “This letter to the Biden-Harris Administration makes clear that a reckless expansion of the federal government at the expense of the states and the people will not go unchecked.”
Signing on to the letter with Mississippi’s AG are the states of Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Montana, Texas and West Virginia.
YP – Hyde-Smith, Latta reintroduce SAVE Moms and Babies Act
.@SenHydeSmith, Congressman Latta Reintroduce SAVE Moms and Babies Acthttps://t.co/cMtqnf2mcW
— Magnolia Tribune (@magnoliatribune) January 28, 2021
YP – Bill of the Day: No more removing monuments or statues
In recent years, there has been calls to remove statues and monuments that memorialize the Civil War, particularly those indicative of the Confederacy.
HB 120 would prevent any statues or monuments that are located on public property from being relocated, removed, disturbed, altered, renamed or rededicated unless it is authorized by the Legislature.
However, it does allow for the relocation of a monument for preservation, protection and repair purposes…
…The bill was authored by Rep. Becky Currie and has been referred to the Public Property Committee in the Mississippi House.
Congressman Palazzo: Tune in to Stennis rocket test
You won't want to miss this. 🚀
Tune in today at 3 p.m. to watch the RS-25 rocket engine test happening at Stennis Space Center! https://t.co/gzpJQe5nwM
— Steven Palazzo (@CongPalazzo) January 28, 2021
DAILY JOURNAL – Mississippi lawmakers consider privatizing liquor distribution after record pandemic sales, shipment delays
Lawmakers could privatize liquor distribution in Mississippi following weekslong delivery delays to package stores and other recent problems with the state-run warehouse in Gluckstadt.
House Bill 997 would take the Magnolia State out of the booze business, a role it has played since statewide Prohibition ended in the 1960s. The proposal garnered bipartisan support and unanimously cleared a House committee Wednesday. It now heads to the full House for consideration.
“It would allow the private sector, the business world, to do what the business world does best – and that’s run a warehouse,” said Rep. Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, the bill’s author and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. “I happen to believe it’s not a core function of government to run a liquor warehouse.”
Magnolia Tribune
