YP Daily Roundup 5/6/21

Stay up-to-date on what’s in the news with the Y’all Politics Daily Roundup.

YP – Biden Administration looks to challenge Mississippi, other states over new laws that protect women’s sports from biological men

The Biden Administration appears to be gearing up to challenge states that have passed legislation to prevent biological men from participating in women’s sports, as was done this year in Mississippi with the Fairness Act.

In an article in The Daily Beast on Tuesday, the LGBTQ activist organization Human Rights Campaign said the Biden Administration is planning to challenge “anti-trans bills proliferating in state legislatures.” In addition, the Department of Justice told The Daily Beast it will “fully enforce our civil rights statutes to protect transgender individuals.” Such a statement leaves onlookers to believe the DOJ is preparing to legally challenge states where bills have passed aimed at protecting women’s sports…

…The Magnolia State’s Attorney General Lynn Fitch is prepared to defend the new law against legal challenges from either the Biden Administration or an outside group, such as the ACLU and the Human Rights Campaign.

MSDH daily COVID-19 reporting

Today MSDH is reporting 218 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, 2 deaths, and 25 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. The state's total of #covid19 cases is now 312,712, with 7,223 deaths. More on case details, vaccinations and prevention: https://t.co/YCv9xPyJDk pic.twitter.com/WPCNLfy4ih

— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) May 5, 2021

YP – Senator Wicker says Facebook’s Trump decision reason Congress should curb Big Tech dominance

On Wednesday, Facebook’s Oversight Board upheld former President Donald Trump’s suspension from the social media platform following the events in January’s riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Facebook’s Oversight Board said it was not appropriate for Facebook to impose the indeterminate and standardless penalty of indefinite suspension…

…U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Republican Member, Mississippi’s Senator Roger Wicker, issued a statement on the decision, saying today’s announcement is another reason why Congress should act on Big Tech’s influence and Section 230.

“This decision further illustrates the concentrated control Big Tech exerts over speech and why Congress should act to curb its dominance,” Wicker said. “Justice [Clarence] Thomas’s recent opinion suggesting that powerful online platforms should be treated as common carriers offers a sound basis for legislation that would bring accountability to this industry. I will continue working with my colleagues to protect speech and the diversity of viewpoints online.”

YP – Tourism is Mississippi’s 4th largest industry. Its vitality is key to state’s continued economic growth.

To discuss the impact of tourism in Mississippi, Danielle Morgan with the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau and Marlo Dorsey with Visit Hattiesburg joined Y’all Politics on Wednesday highlighting the state’s fourth-largest industry.

YP – MS Insurance Commissioner warns of Insurance Company scams

Commissioner of Insurance Mike Chaney is warning customers of Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company (Mississippi Farm Bureau) about a potential scam.

Some individuals and customers have recently received a fraudulent letter and check purporting to be from Mississippi Farm Bureau.  The heading of the letter reads “FUNDS / CHECK MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTION” and the instructions accompanying the check advise the recipient to send an email or text to a fraudulent email address or telephone number before depositing the check at the bank.

YP – Senator Wicker nicknames President Biden the “$6 trillion man”

Mississippi U.S. Senator Roger Wicker appeared on Fox Business this week where he called President Joe Biden “the $6 trillion man.”

Wicker is among a group of Republican Senators attempting to negotiate with Biden and the Democrats on an infrastructure bill.

“We have no choice but to try and negotiate a bipartisan bill,” Wicker told Fox Business. “We’ve made a good faith effort and the signs are hopeful.”

YP – Auditor Arrests Two Biloxi Public Schools Employees for Fraud and Embezzlement

State Auditor Shad White announced Special Agents from his office have arrested Michael Ludlow and Mickey Bellande, Jr. after both were indicted for fraud and embezzlement. Both Ludlow and Bellande are former maintenance employees at the Biloxi Public School District. Demand letters were presented to both men upon arrest…

…“I applaud the work of our investigators in this case and their cooperation with other law enforcement agencies to ensure the other illicit activities that were discovered will be fully investigated and prosecuted,” said Auditor White.

Both Ludlow and Bellande were taken into custody at their respective homes on Wednesday morning with assistance from other law enforcement agencies. Bond for both men will be set by the court. Both cases will be prosecuted by the office of District Attorney Crosby Parker.

MEMA releases preliminary damage report from severe weather

Here's a look at damage reports from the May 2 and May 4 severe weather and tornadoes. These are PRELIMINARY and are subject to change.

Counties are estimating roughly 100 homes damaged during the May 4 severe weatherhttps://t.co/VaNXqO04Fd

— msema (@MSEMA) May 5, 2021

WXXV – Funding awarded for sewage system improvements in Gautier

Governor Tate Reeves was in Gautier today to announce the latest project for Jackson County to use GOMESA funding.

Improving aging infrastructure. That’s one of the goals of Governor Tate Reeves and local Jackson County leaders as they roll out the latest project funded through GOMESA money. Governor Reeves said, “We know that we have a great economic opportunity ahead of us. We’ve got a lot of tourists coming to our state, we’ve got a lot of great people who live here. This is going to be a way for us to continue to improve.”

$2.67 million in funds will go towards improvements to the Gautier-Vancleave Sewer System, helping to upgrade older components with the goal of improving local water quality and lessen the damage to coastal fish and wildlife. “Ensure that we improve water quality along the gulf coast, so that we can continue to improve fishing and oysters and things that are so vitally important to the blue economy, which ultimately is vitally important to Mississippi’s economy.”