Stay up-to-date on what’s in the news with the Y’all Politics Daily Roundup.
YP – Reeves’ Chief of Staff Brad White tapped to lead MDOT
Southern District Commissioner Tom King confirmed White’s transition to MDOT.
“He’s very well qualified. He’s a good man. I think he’ll do a good job for us,” Commissioner King told Y’all Politics.
White is no stranger to MDOT as he previously served as assistant to former Central District Commissioner Dick Hall from 1999 to 2005.
“I feel in some ways like I’m coming home. MDOT has always been a special place for me,” said White. “I look forward to what we can accomplish together working with the Transportation Commission and MDOT staff.”
YP – Patients for medical marijuana urge Reeves to call a special session
On Wednesday, Patients for Medical Marijuana held a press conference highlighting several individuals and their desire to have medical marijuana in the state after the Supreme Court struck down Initiative 65. Several patients and loved ones of people who would benefit from medical marijuana explained why Mississippi needs the program.
The speakers urged for Governor Tate Reeves to call special session. This would allow for legislators to address the initiative process and pass Initiative 65 exactly as it was written.
YP – Chaney: Flood insurance rates changing for Mississippi homeowners
An update to the program called Risk Rating 2.0 will change how flood insurance is priced and determine flood risk. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has touted the transformation as “equity in action” with policyholders no longer paying more than their share of flood insurance premiums. The Federal Government sets these rates.
“I agree with FEMA’s assessment of the update,” said Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney. “The NFIP has historically suffered from funding issues and needed a long-term solution to provide flood insurance for years to come. Risk Rating 2.0 ensures protection for flood policyholders going forward.”
In Mississippi, 96% of current policyholders’ premiums will either increase or decrease by $20 or less per month.
MSDH daily COVID-19 reporting
Today MSDH is reporting 101 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, 5 deaths, and 15 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. The state's #covid19 totals are now 317,856 cases, 7,322 deaths, and 903,432 persons fully vaccinated. Full information: https://t.co/YCv9xPyJDk pic.twitter.com/iHUU9geSqp
— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) June 2, 2021
YP – HICKS: Biden’s Border Crisis
Mississippians can recognize partisan spin from left-wing politicians, and there’s no shortage of spin coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue these days.
But political spin doesn’t even begin describing the gaslighting coming from Joe Biden about the security and humanitarian crisis his open borders agenda has created.
Joe Biden’s administration insists everything is fine as crisis rages at our southern border. Biden declares he has the situation under “control.” His Homeland Security Secretary claims “the border is closed.”
Nothing could be further from the truth and the numbers don’t lie, even if Joe Biden does.
YP – Hyde-Smith, Colleagues Want Biden to Reverse Course on Energy Policies That Hurt American Families
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is among 13 Senators who sent President Biden a letter outlining concerns about his decisions that have weakened American energy independence and emboldened the nation’s adversaries.
The Senators encourage Biden to take action on a number of energy policy fronts that, in the end, could help shield families from rising costs, improve the economy, and strengthen national security. The letter addresses the 41 percent increase in gasoline prices since November, the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline, and recent Colonial Pipeline cyberattack shutdown.
GOMESA funding announced for Long Beach harbor
Today, $2.18 million in GOMESA funding was announced for the Long Beach small craft harbor, which suffered damage during Hurricane Zeta.
This funding will help in the construction of a new bulkhead to prevent destruction in future storms. pic.twitter.com/snP2gd513c— Senator Roger Wicker (@SenatorWicker) June 2, 2021
YP – Palazzo Joins House Republicans Urging Nancy Pelosi to Investigate the Origin of COVID-19
Congressman Steven Palazzo (MS-4) member of the House Appropriations Homeland Security subcommittee, has joined several of his Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives urging Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to conduct a thorough investigation into the origin of the deadly coronavirus that killed nearly 600,000 Americans.
Palazzo joined Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), Republican Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01), Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (NY-21), and 205 other Republican lawmakers to send a letter which seeks action to hold the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accountable for the mounting evidence showing the CCP understood the fatality of the COVID-19 virus and purposefully withheld the information from the United States.
