Stay up-to-date on what’s in the news with the Y’all Politics Daily Roundup.
YP – “We are the 74” rally outside MS Supreme Court in opposition to recent ruling on Initiative 65
Supporters heard from nearly a dozen speakers including doctors, patients and those who had benefitted from the use of medical cannabis in legal states.
Organizer of “We are the 74,” Donnie Collins, was first on stage. He began stating that he started the movement because of his wife who has an autoimmune disease and chronic migraines. Collins himself is a disable veteran with several spine injuries.
YP – CORDER: How the initiative process can be reformed in Mississippi
If the Governor were to call a special session to address the medical marijuana program (which I think he should given the work the Mississippi Department of Health has already performed in preparation for the August launch and the expectation of voters), adding the initiative process to the call would not be a heavy lift. It would resolve an issue lawmakers most certainly want off of their plate before it clouds the 2022 session’s other pending matters, such as a plan to phase out the state’s income tax.
One thing it appears most legislators and citizens agree on: The state constitution is a guide on which all other state statutes are based. It is not a policy document or a set of laws to be changed or amended on the whim of the masses. Such regulations and laws surrounding specific products and services are best codified in statute whereby they can be more readily adjusted to fit the times in which we live. The same is true of the U.S. Constitution. As such, Sec. 273 (2) should remain and allow the Legislature to offer state constitutional amendments through the vote of the people.
However, the initiative process should not amend the state constitution, meaning Sec. 273 (3) and the subsections that follow should be reformed to allow citizens to put forward legislation, not constitutional amendments, that their elected representatives in the Mississippi Legislature should thereby codify into law as passed by a supermajority of voters and that cannot be repealed without a supermajority of a future legislative body or another vote of the people. That threshold in the Legislature should be a very high bar, perhaps even 3/4ths or higher.
YP – Governor Reeves appoints Dr. John Davis, IV to State Board of Health
John Daniel Davis, IV, MD, of Flowood has been appointed by Governor Tate Reeves to complete the six-year term of Dr. Ed D. “Tad” Barham on the Mississippi State Board of Health. Dr. Barham died earlier this year.
Davis is a graduate of both the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and School of Public Health, and he currently works as a neurosurgeon at NewSouth NeuroSpine in Flowood.
“It is truly a special opportunity and unique honor to serve on this Board,” he said. “I am committed to sound, science-based policy with efficient execution, and I look forward to addressing important matters that impact the health and lives of Mississippians.”
MSDH daily COVID-19 reporting
Today MSDH is reporting 157 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, 13 deaths, and 19 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. The state's #covid19 totals are now 316,911 cases, 7,298 deaths, and 884,544 persons fully vaccinated. Full information: https://t.co/YCv9xPyJDk pic.twitter.com/Zjoj5w9ZXP
— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) May 25, 2021
YP – Wicker, Hyde-Smith Cosponsor the ‘Don’t Weaponize the IRS Act’
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today announced their support for legislation to prevent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from again being used as a political weapon against conservative non-profit groups.
Wicker and Hyde-Smith are original cosponsors of the Don’t Weaponize the IRS Act (S.1777). The bill would codify a Trump rule that prevents the IRS from publicly revealing personal information about donors who give to certain non-profit groups. The protections apply regardless of a group’s political ideology or beliefs.
“In the past, the IRS has been weaponized to target tax-exempt groups for their political beliefs, but the Trump Administration rightly put an end to this practice,” Wicker said.
Palazzo visits border
By turning their backs on this border crisis, Democrats are turning their backs on the men & women in uniform who risk their lives to defend our border. #BidensBorderCrisis pic.twitter.com/0hmbaWuZjK
— Steven Palazzo (@CongPalazzo) May 26, 2021
YP – Wicker, Hyde-Smith: Louisville company to produce modern container handler prototype for the U.S. Army
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today applauded the award of a $1.27 million contract to Taylor Defense Products in Louisville to develop a prototype for a modernized Rough Terrain Container Handler (RTCH) for the U.S. Army.
The Taylor Defense prototype to modernize the V1 Variant of the RTCH is part of the Army’s mission to replace obsolete components. The company will work to incorporate new technology to increase RTCH capabilities and extend the system service life of the vehicles.
Magnolia Tribune
