Go Vote, Mississippi!
Today is Municipal Primary Election Day in most of the state’s cities and towns. Voters will choose to vote in either the Republican or Democratic Primary for their nominees for mayor, alderman, councilman and other municipal elected positions.
Polls are open from 7am to 7pm.
YP – Y’all Politics talks with MSGOP, MS Democrats ahead of Municipal Elections
Representatives with the Mississippi Republican Party and the Mississippi Democratic Party joined Y’all Politics on Monday, a day before the 2021 Municipal Primary Elections.
Tate Lewis, Executive Director of the Mississippi Republican Party, said he felt good about the prospects for Republicans to make gains in cities and towns this cycle as more local candidates are running as Republicans.
Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Tyree Irving said he knows his party has seen officials switch parties over the last few cycles, but says he and the party are working to challenge the narrative surrounding the exodus while promoting the core values of Democrats.
YP – 2021 Legislative wrap up: Medicaid tech, criminal justice reform and more
The Mississippi Legislature gaveled out Sine Dire last week ending the 2021 regular session. Below is an overview of some key pieces of legislation that were passed by members during their 90 days.
YP – Governor Reeves tells CNN he doesn’t support COVID vaccine passports, compares Biden’s infrastructure plan to Green New Deal
Governor Tate Reeves appeared on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ with Jake Tapper on Sunday to talk COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, vaccine passports, and infrastructure funding proposed by the Biden Administration.
“I don’t support vaccine passports. I don’t think it’s necessary and I don’t think it’s a good thing to do in America,” Reeves told Tapper when asked about vaccine passports, adding that “at some point we have to let Americans make the decision that they think is best for them and their family.”
Tapper noted that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had issued an executive order banning private businesses requiring COVID-19 vaccine passports.
MSDH daily COVID-19 reporting
Today MSDH is reporting 70 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, no deaths, and 15 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. The state's total of #covid19 cases is now 306,158, with 7,055 deaths. More on case details, vaccinations and prevention: https://t.co/YCv9xPyJDk pic.twitter.com/UsrTfzfthr
— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) April 5, 2021
YP – State Rep. Criswell takes issue with fellow Republicans during 2021 legislative session
In an email release over the weekend, the DeSoto County Republican highlighted what he saw as some of the positive pieces of legislation to survive this session, including the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act, loosening the ability to purchase pseudoephedrine from pharmacies without a prescription, providing for a Veteran Driver’s License Designation, and the Mississippi Fairness Act, requiring schools to designate sports teams based on biological sex.
But Criswell says he is saddened to report that the failures seem larger than the wins this year.
“This is particularly disheartening when we consider the fact that we have a super-majority of Republicans in the legislature and throughout state government,” Criswell wrote. “It’s disappointing when Republican leadership bow to liberal ideology instead of standing up for the principles of the people who elected them.”
MS Legislative Black Caucus supports MLB’s decision in Georgia
Our statement on Georgia's restrictive voting legislation:#msleg #mslbc #gapol pic.twitter.com/QFX467Iby0
— Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus (@mlbcofficial) April 5, 2021
YP – PSC Chairman Maxwell Approves $7.8 million to CoastConnect, LLC for Broadband Deployment
Chairman Dane Maxwell of the Mississippi Public Service Commission joined leadership and staff from CoastConnect, LLC, a subsidiary of Coast Electric Power Association, to formally sign an order releasing $7.8 million to bring high-speed internet to its service area of Hancock, Harrison and Pearl River counties.
“I am honored for the opportunity to sign off on projects like this that bring such a huge benefit to the people of Mississippi,” Chairman Dane Maxwell said. “With the help of this federal funding, CoastConnect will be able to provide high-speed internet to its customers who may have never had access to it before.”
Presley promotes broadband expansion roll out
What a big day for broadband! Today, I signed orders in Tupelo designating 9 electric co-ops to receive over $91M from the @FCC RDOF to expand broadband to 42,153 homes & businesses. Investing in broadband access is investing in Mississippi’s future. Our people deserve it. pic.twitter.com/kwjrIcqwrh
— Brandon Presley (@BrandonPresley) April 5, 2021
YP – Senator Wicker tells NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ that Biden’s proposal is not an infrastructure bill, but rather a huge tax increase
Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker appeared on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ on Sunday to discuss the Biden Administration’s infrastructure proposal. Wicker is the top Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, one of the key committees that is focused almost solely on infrastructure in this country.
Host Chuck Todd asked Senator Wicker how badly does the country and Mississippi in particular need a massive infrastructure investment.
Wicker said an infrastructure bill was needed, adding that he thought he could work with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
YP – Justice Thomas takes issue with Big Tech as SCOTUS vacates ruling involving Trump’s Twitter activity
The U.S. Supreme Court decided to vacate a lower court’s ruling involving former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account. That lawsuit claimed that Trump had violated the Constitution when he blocked some followers from his Twitter account, saying he was violating their First Amendment rights.
The Supreme Court’s decision ordered that the federal appeals court dismiss the case as moot since Trump is no longer President.
In a concurrence submitted alongside the decision, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas took the opportunity to explain why a case such as this may not be the last he and his colleagues on the high court see given Big Tech’s prevalence in the public square.
YP – Sens. Inhofe & Sen. Hyde-Smith: Dems’ push for ERA – It’s not about empowerment. Here’s what’s really going on
When President Biden and Vice President Harris were sworn into office, there was a grand celebration by pro-abortion groups. They see the Biden-Harris administration as their chance to dramatically expand access to abortion on demand.
How? In multiple ways, not the least of which is through the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
Recently, House Democrats pushed through a resolution to remove the deadline Congress gave states in 1972 to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Clearly, they didn’t care that it is the view of the Department of Justice that such action isn’t permissible and that a district court ruled earlier this month that the deadline has firmly expired.
Magnolia Tribune
