Stay up-to-date on what’s in the news with the Y’all Politics Daily Roundup.
YP – Governor Reeves makes plans to extend state of emergency
On Thursday, Governor Tate Reeves told WLOX that he plans to extend the State of Emergency (SOE) order in Mississippi in order to get hospitals the emergency resources they need to combat the rising number of COVID-19 cases.
Right now, many hospitals are reporting full ICU beds. There are currently 337 ICU beds filled with COVID-19 related patients. Reeves said the challenge is in finding staff to care for those individuals. He noted that hospitals across the state have lost roughly 2,000 nurses in the last few months, stretching already thinned resources, thinner.
The SOE was set to expire on August 15, but will be extended for an additional 30 days.
Reeves jabs at media critics, tweets his day “avoiding the public and press”
Spent the day on the Coast “avoiding the public and press.”
(sarcasm intended – see pics below) (1/3) pic.twitter.com/MINhvNGquM— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) August 12, 2021
MSDH COVID-19 Reporting
Today MSDH is reporting 4,412 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, 20 deaths, and 162 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. State #covid19 totals: 376,124 cases, 7,730 deaths, and 1,062,396 persons fully vaccinated. Full information: https://t.co/YCv9xPyJDk pic.twitter.com/DWOJwyEgfw
— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) August 12, 2021
YP – State Fire Marshal is urging first responders to get vaccinated
State Fire Marshal and Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney is encouraging anyone who works as a First Responders to get vaccinated against COVID-19. This includes Fire Fighters and Emergency Medical Service personnel.
“First Responders are on the front line daily, protecting the public and need to be protected from the COVID-19 virus and not become super spreaders,” said Chaney. “There are more than 16,000 first responders in the state including firefighters and EMS. It is my sincere hope that all first responders answer this call to get vaccinated which in turn will help all of us fulfill our mission to protect lives and property in the state.”
Ole Miss Coach Kiffin promotes vaccines on MSNBC
Ole Miss football program has 100 percent vaccination rate https://t.co/1U5dA4AwEy
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) August 12, 2021
YP – Lawmakers set hearings to discuss potential elimination of Mississippi’s income tax
Legislative hearings on Mississippi’s income tax will soon begin before a joint select committee of eight Senators and eight House members.
These hearings are in response to both Governor Tate Reeves’ call to phase out the income tax without tax swaps and House Speaker Philip Gunn’s push to eliminate Mississippi’s individual income tax while cutting taxes on groceries and increasing sales and other taxes in order to offset a portion of the lost revenue…
…Senate Finance Chairman Josh Harkins told Y’all Politics that the upcoming hearings could feature a variety of experts in the field to testify, such as the Department of Revenue, economists, and various business people. Tax foundations and tax experts could also be brought into the hearings to provide research and data to present outcomes from states that do and do not have income taxes…
…House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar told Y’all Politics that most people focus on the initial swap of eliminating up to $40,000 of income for every taxpayer in exchange for raising the sales tax rate to 2.5%. Lamar says they don’t acknowledge that this would be the largest tax cut in the history of the state of Mississippi.
YP – PEER Committee releases Mississippi Telework Policies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
The report came about after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mississippi joined many other states in uncertainties on how government, non-profit, business and health services would continue in the current climate.
During that time, Governor Tate Reeves issues executive orders to allow state agencies to continue services without necessarily having employees physically report to work. This caused many of those agencies and institutions to implement telework availability.
Telework is described as work during paid work hours that can be done from a different site other than the physical work site.
YP – WICKER: I voted “yes” on the Infrastructure Bill because of the impact investments will have in Mississippi
After months of negotiations, the Senate recently passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill that will make historic investments in our nation’s physical infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, ports, rail, and broadband. I voted “yes” on the final package because of the tremendous impact these investments will have in Mississippi.
I was involved in bipartisan talks with the President from the beginning of the negotiating process. There were periods of stand-off when the two sides could not agree, but negotiators eventually united around a much smaller bill focusing on core infrastructure priorities that provide direct benefits to our communities. The bill is still far from perfect, but I believe these targeted investments will pave the way for significant economic growth in Mississippi.
YP – Congressman Thompson announces nearly $440 million in pandemic funding for HBCUs
Mississippi is home to six Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs, including: Alcorn State, Coahoma Community College, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Rust College, and Tougaloo College. Congressman Bennie Thompson recently announced millions of dollars in funding to the schools.
Through the CARES Act, Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSSA), and American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funding has been provided for HBCUs in the Mississippi. That funding was prioritized to combat challenges faced in higher education due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CARES Act contributed $82,405,951 to HBCUs, CRRSSA gave $128,308,419 and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) gave $228,914,162.
YP – US Census Bureau releases 2020 data with impacts on redistricting
The information provided in a 10 year census can ultimately impact the redrawing of congressional, legislative and local districts in a state. The most recent information released by the census will directly impact redistricting efforts, however more information from the Census is said to be forthcoming.
The statistics released in the August 12 summary file put a light on demographics in populations in small areas, such as racial information regarding Hispanic origin, age, housing occupancy and group quarters. This data represents where people were living as of April 1, 2020.
“We are excited to reach this milestone of delivering the first detailed statistics from the 2020 Census,” said acting Census Bureau Director Ron Jarmin. “We appreciate the public’s patience as Census Bureau staff worked diligently to process these data and ensure it meets our quality standards.”
WJTV – Jackson mayor discusses COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city employees
Magnolia Tribune
