Stay up-to-date on what’s in the news with the Y’all Politics Daily Roundup.
YP – Medical marijuana draft in possible final form, waits for special session
As of mid-October, there is still no sign that Governor Tate Reeves will call a special session for medical marijuana. During an interview on SuperTalk radio, State Senator Kevin Blackwell, a major player in the crafting of the medical marijuana legislation, was asked why that is.
The initial form of the bill started out at 140 pages and is now at 270 with more input to come. Blackwell said the language of the bill is roughly 100 pages and the rest are changes to code sections that must be made in order to implement what the direct language addresses.
“That’s the Governor’s call,” said Blackwell. “He had said if the House and Senate come to an agreement that he’d consider calling the special session. We’ve done that, we’ve sent the bill over to his office for comment, we’ve included most of their requests. So now we’ve sent the bill back and are waiting to see what happened.”
MS Statewides meet for breakfast
Mississippi’s statewide elected officials – all part of the @MSGOP – chatted over breakfast this morning… https://t.co/054S8T6hDE
— Magnolia Tribune (@magnoliatribune) October 20, 2021
YP – Average gas price in Mississippi has officially risen to $3.00, over $1 more than this time last year
Mississippi gas prices have been steadily increasing since the 2020 Presidential Election. On May 10, 2021, the average gas price per gallon in Mississippi was $2.59 compared to $1.48 on the same day one year ago.
Now, the average gas price per gallon in Mississippi has officially hit $3.00, an increase of 40 cents from May and well over a $1 since this time last year, according to Gas Buddy. In some places, Americans are paying over $5 per gallon for gasoline.
As of today, the national average price for a gallon of gas stood at $3.357, according to AAA.
MSDH COVID-19 Reporting
Today MSDH is reporting 448 more cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi, 11 deaths, and 35 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. State #covid19 totals: 500,286 cases, 9,968 deaths, and 1,356,531 persons fully vaccinated. Full information: https://t.co/YCv9xPyJDk pic.twitter.com/IGkC81BZPo
— Mississippi State Department of Health (@msdh) October 20, 2021
YP – Laura Ingraham to air live Fox News broadcast from Ole Miss this Friday night
Much of the talk around Oxford and across Mississippi has been about Saturday’s match up between #12 Ole Miss and a LSU team with a now lame duck Coach Orgeron amid the uncertainty surrounding the health of the Rebels’ Heisman hopeful quarterback Matt Corral. Ole Miss is also set to honor former quarterback and future NFL Hall of Famer Eli Manning by retiring his jersey.
Now Fox News’ Laura Ingraham is joining in the fun by announcing that her national show – The Ingraham Angle – will be broadcasted live from The Pavilion at Ole Miss on Friday night prior to the game. The broadcast begins at 9:00 PM CST.
Those wanting to attend Ingraham’s show at The Pavilion should arrive at 8:30 PM. Onlookers can bring lawn chairs or stand to watch. Ingraham’s show producers say fans are welcome to attend.
YP – Largest green hydrogen project of its kind in U.S. coming to Mississippi by way of Hy Stor Energy
According to BusinessWire, Hy Stor Energy has announced its mission to develop and advance the production, storage and delivery of green hydrogen at scale in the United States.
The Mississippi Clean Hydrogen Hub will represent the largest green hydrogen project of its kind in the U.S., bringing economic revitalization and reliable 100% carbon-free energy to Mississippi.
The release from the company states that Hy Stor Energy, together with its strategic partner Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure (CC&L Infrastructure), will develop, commercialize, and operate large-scale, long-duration hydrogen hubs that will serve as a model for our nation’s green hydrogen development efforts going forward. The first major project, the Mississippi Clean Hydrogen Hub, is under active development and has multiple sites permitted for hydrogen storage.
BusinessWire reports that the planned scale of the Mississippi Clean Hydrogen Hub is up to 10 times larger than any other green hydrogen project under consideration in the U.S. and would be one of the largest in the world.
YP – Fitch among 17 Attorneys General criticizing DOJ for trying to ‘chill lawful dissent by parents’ at school board meetings
On Monday, 17 state attorneys general sent a letter to President Joe Biden stating that recent actions by the President seeks to chill lawful dissent by parents voiced during local school board meetings by characterizing them as unlawful and threatening.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch was among the group writing the letter to Biden.
On October 4, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a Memorandum which directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to strengthen efforts against threats against teachers.
“Over the last year, as legal officers, we have advised our constituencies of their constitutional right to free speech and encouraged public engagement to voice their opinions on important issues affecting their country, state, and communities, especially parents who have concerns about their children’s education. Your recent action seeks to chill lawful dissent by parents voiced during local school board meetings by characterizing them as unlawful and threatening,” the 17 attorneys general wrote in their letter.
YP – Five ways we can put aside partisan politics and think big on education
Nothing brings political opponents together quite like a shared goal — and no goal is more universally agreed-upon than offering high-quality education to every child in America. Unfortunately, when it comes to education, we are needlessly divided.
We all agree that COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on students over the last year and a half. We all are resolved to prevent COVID-19 from undoing educational progress and temporary setbacks from becoming a full-blown catastrophe.
We can also agree that “back to normal” isn’t good enough. Normal was only a third of children reading at grade level and barely 40 percent earning any post-secondary degree.
YP – Wicker secures commitment to Taiwan, 355-ship Navy fleet from top Pentagon nominee
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker attended a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee that featured testimony from Sasha Baker, President Biden’s nominee for Deputy Undersecretary for Policy at the Department of Defense.
Wicker secured key commitments from Baker, including her intent to pursue a 355-ship Navy fleet and a statement of support for the sovereignty of Taiwan.
Wicker cited Baker’s testimony that China was the pacing challenge for the U.S. Navy. He mentioned how the size of the Chinese navy had recently eclipsed the U.S. Navy as the world’s largest fleet.
Palazzo bill to honor fallen Biloxi officer passes House
Today, the US House of Representatives passed my bill, HR 3175, to rename the Biloxi Post Office after the late Officer Robert McKeithen. Thank you, to the McKeithen family for allowing me the honor of introducing this legislation and leading it’s passage through Congress. pic.twitter.com/FApcbm8GHg
— Steven Palazzo (@CongPalazzo) October 20, 2021
YP – Hyde-Smith urges Biden Administration to support energy revenue sharing for Gulf Coast States
Mississippi U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith asked the Biden Administration to support a piece of bipartisan legislation, the Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies & Ecosystems (RISEE) Act (S.2130).
“Because the RISEE Act has support across the political spectrum, I hope the Biden administration will more fully embrace this legislation,” Hyde-Smith said following the hearing.
Revenues from offshore energy production are the main source of sustainable dollars for Gulf Coast states to implement highly important projects like coastal conservation, restoration, and hurricane protection, Hyde-Smith said.
Thompson talks Bannon’s refusal to appear before Jan. 6 Committee
Chairman @BennieGThompson joined @maddow tonight to discuss the Select Committee's unanimous vote to recommend Stephen K. Bannon for criminal contempt. pic.twitter.com/r6U3dXvmoT
— January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) October 20, 2021
WDAM – State Auditor Shad White speaks in Lamar County
State Auditor Shad White was the guest speaker at this month’s Forrest-Lamar Republican Women meeting.
White answered questions about his job and spoke a bit about his goals as auditor.
“Our job, that we are hired to do in the state auditor’s office, is to find misspending of public funds and enforce it in a fair way, in a level way that doesn’t give any extra benefits to anybody,” said White.
After the conference, White spoke with WDAM about both the Brett Favre audit case and the case with William Garrick, the former Fire Council President in Jones County.
WTOK – Mississippi Secretary of State visits Meridian
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson visited the Meridian Rotary Club Wednesday. He talked about election security and how important small businesses are to the state.
He highlighted ‘Tackle the Tape’, which is an initiative focused on increasing economic opportunities for all Mississippians and small businesses by promoting competition and job growth.
Watson also said election security is a concern for all, especially with the Senate District 32 special election coming up in less than two weeks.
Magnolia Tribune
