Stay up-to-date on what’s in the news with the Y’all Politics Daily Roundup.
YP – Gunn talks medical marijuana specifics and other items he’d like to see in a special session
Speaker of the House Philip Gunn spoke on the Gallo Radio Show with SuperTalk Mississippi on Thursday on all things Legislature. He spent the majority of his interview outlining some of the details of the greatly anticipated medical marijuana bill which many lawmakers have indicated is close to an agreement between the chambers.
“It is our belief we are in agreement on a bill,” said Gunn.
The Speaker said both the House and Senate are currently talking with members to make sure the vote is intact if and when a special session is called and the bill is presented.
Once a consensus is formed, Speaker Gunn and Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann will inform Governor Tate Reeves that an agreement has been reached. Reeves will also review the bill before calling a special session, the agenda of which the Governor will set.
MSDH COVID-19 Reporting
Today MSDH is reporting 2,071 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, 42 deaths, and 103 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. State #covid19 totals: 481,397 cases, 9,395 deaths, and 1,287,822 persons fully vaccinated. Full information: https://t.co/YCv9xPyJDk pic.twitter.com/3eL6iK5TDQ
— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) September 23, 2021
YP – Testing results point to COVID’s negative impacts on students not being in the classroom full-time
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) has released its statewide results from the 2020-21 Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP), which provide the first statewide measure of student performance during the COVID-19 pandemic…
…Mathematics showed overall proficiency at 35.1% which was down from 47.4%. ELA showed overall proficiency of 34.9% which was down from 41.6%. Statewide proficiency levels fell in all grades except grade 8 ELA, which increased by .1% up to 35.6%.
“The disruption and stress caused by COVID-19 has had an impact on student performance in every state in the country…,” Dr. Wright said. “These assessment results provide valuable information about the impact the pandemic has had on learning and will identify accelerated learning opportunities for students who most need it.”
YP – Accelerate Mississippi Awards MS Gulf Coast Community College Nearly $1M to Grow Diesel Tech Program
Accelerate Mississippi, the lead office for workforce development strategy and coordination, awarded Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) with $941,701 to double the capacity of its Heavy Equipment Maintenance Technology program from 20 to 40 students each year.
“To maximize economic prospects for Mississippians, we must prioritize and coordinate workforce training opportunities,” said Governor Tate Reeves. “My administration and Accelerate Mississippi are refocusing the state’s resources towards higher impact workforce initiatives, and I’m grateful that Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has stepped up and committed to training more Mississippians for a thriving career in our state.”
Accelerate Mississippi recently identified the need for diesel technicians as a high priority for the state as a whole and invited the state’s community colleges to look for solutions to close the demand gap.
Wicker meets with Prime Minister of Australia
It was great to meet with Prime Minister @ScottMorrisonMP of Australia this week.
The U.S.-Australia alliance has never been stronger. A new U.S., United Kingdom, & Australia partnership on nuclear submarines will help to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/cj0Cj28Rqq
— Senator Roger Wicker (@SenatorWicker) September 23, 2021
WJTV – Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus to hold medical marijuana hearing on Tuesday
The Special Select Committee of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus will hold a medical marijuana hearing at the state capitol on Tuesday, September 28.
“The hearing will help us meaningfully evaluate legislation that has been crafted in the event of a special session. And should the session not materialize, the Caucus will use the information provided during the hearing to prepare its own medical marijuana bill,” said MLBC Chairwoman Senator Angela Turner Ford.
WDAM – DE Fastlink, PSC’s Maxwell celebrate 1,000th broadband subscriber
A Jones County resident is celebrating a milestone with Dixie Electric Power Association.
Wendy Wilkerson of Ellisville has become DE Fastlink’s 1,000th subscriber for high-speed internet service.
On Thursday, folks from DE Fastlink joined Southern District Public Service commissioner Dane Maxwell at Wilkerson’s home to congratulate her on her new internet service and for helping the company reach 1,000 subscribers.
Magnolia Tribune
