Stay up-to-date on what’s in the news with the Y’all Politics Daily Roundup.
YP – Governor Reeves vetoes one bill, issues partial vetoes in two others from 2021 session
Reeves chose to completely veto SB 2624, a bill to establish a pilot program within the Real Estate Commission using administrative hearing officers. The bill would have allowed those officers to hear matters regarding particular licensing issues under its jurisdiction. Those officers would have been staff attorneys employed by the Attorney General’s office…
…Reeves also issued two partial vetoes.
He partially vetoed HB 1413, the budget for the Department of Transportation, and SB 2948, the budget for the Department of Finance and Administration.
MSDH daily COVID-19 reporting
Today MSDH is reporting 212 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, 2 deaths, and 27 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. The state's total of #covid19 cases is now 310,349, with 7,175 deaths. More on case details, vaccinations and prevention: https://t.co/YCv9xPyJDk pic.twitter.com/8NNvDO5hgD
— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) April 23, 2021
YP – OP-ED: Wicker Invites Biden to Negotiate on Infrastructure
Infrastructure has always enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress. Republicans and Democrats have a long history of working together to support our nation’s highways, bridges, flood control systems, and ports. This past week, Republicans introduced a sizable $568 billion proposal to improve our nation’s roads, bridges, rail, ports, and water systems. The plan also includes $65 billion for broadband, which would go a long way toward connecting underserved rural communities to the internet.
Some Democrats, however, are pushing a separate bill that would cost taxpayers more than $2 trillion and would include many non-infrastructure priorities. Their bill would be financed with huge sums of debt along with tax increases on job creators, including manufacturers, retailers, and countless small businesses. I fear this could stall our economic recovery.
YP – Mississippi to Receive $10.7 million from U.S. Dept. of Education to Address Homeless Youth
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced today plans to distribute $800 million to help support the needs of students experiencing homelessness under the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief – Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY) fund. ED announced the state allocations for the $800 million total allocated in the American Rescue Plan and will distribute $200 million in funding on Monday.
Mississippi is set to receive $10.7 million, with $2.7 million set to be handed down next week.
YP – Hyde-Smith cosponsors The Women’s Right to Know Act
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) on Thursday joined in introducing legislation to protect the health of pregnant women and unborn children by providing adequate medical information for informed consent before abortions.
Hyde-Smith is an original cosponsor of the Woman’s Right to Know Act (S.1325), which was introduced by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).
“Any medical decision, let alone a life-and-death decision, must be an informed one,” Hyde-Smith said. “This legislation would ensure physicians make expectant mothers aware of all medical risks associated with abortion. This is a sensible and basic safeguard to protect both the life of the mother and the child.”
WTOK – Gov. Tate Reeves says Safe Recovery Order could be lifted ‘very very soon’ in Mississippi
In less than a week, the Safe Recovery Order, limiting the capacity of indoor arenas and K-12 extracurricular events will expire, unless Gov. Tate Reeves extends it for another month.
On Friday, the governor said they’re making final decisions regarding the executive order as we go into the weekend and early next week, but said Mississippians could see it lifted ‘very very soon’ following the expiration date.
“Well I think you’ll see that very very soon,” said Reeves. “The current executive order expires at the end of this month, and we’re going to make final decisions as we go in to the weekend and early next week. But our numbers have plummeted in our state. That’s because people are making good decisions.”
DAILY LEADER – Speaker Gunn touts no more income tax
No more income tax was the focus of the meeting as Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn (D56) visited Brookhaven Friday afternoon.
With roots in Brookhaven — his maternal grandparents were residents of the Homeseekers Paradise and a few of his family members were Whitworth College graduates — Gunn chose the city to be the first stop in a tour of municipalities across the state to discuss this year’s failed attempt to phase out income-based taxes and the plan to reintroduce the act with new support in January.
The Mississippi Tax Freedom Act of 2021, House Bill 1439, was authored by Gunn and introduced in the recently-ended 2021 Regular Session of the Legislature. The bill was referred to the Ways and Means Committee, passed the House as amended and was transferred to the Senate, where it died in the Finance Committee.
Magnolia Tribune
