- From a judicial election to Medicaid expansion to a season that wasn’t for Ole Miss, here are the Top 5 headlines from 2024.
As the New Year approaches, here is a look back at the Top 5 headlines in Mississippi for 2024.
1. Amazon invests $10 billion in Mississippi data centers
During the second special session of 2024 called by Governor Tate Reeves, Mississippi lawmakers approved incentives for a $10 billion capital investment project in Madison County for two data centers being developed by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The Magnolia State project represents the second largest announcement the company has made in North America.
At the time of the announcement, Governor Reeves said the Amazon data centers should be up and running by 2027. Over the next three years, Governor Reeves said the company could require between 6,000 and 7,000 construction workers in order to complete the facilities at the two sites. He indicated the employment number could end up being closer to 15,000.
2. Jackson city, county officials involved in alleged bribery scheme
Two men posing as real estate developers came to Jackson in the fall of 2023 soliciting help from Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and Owens’ cousin Sherik Marve’ Smith to facilitate a hotel development.
The men were FBI operatives conducting a sting operation seeking payment of bribes in exchange for the support of the fictitious hotel project.
In May, the FBI conducted raids at the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office, along with multiple businesses owned by Owens. Federal law enforcement visited Jackson City Hall, where they reportedly sought conversations with Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and City Councilman Aaron Banks.
The FBI seized boxes of documents and phones during the raids. At the time, sources implicated Owens, Lumumba, Banks and Jackson City Councilwoman Angelique Lee.
In August, Magnolia Tribune first broke the arrest of Councilwoman Lee, prior to her initial appearance and guilty plea. Then in November, Owens, Lumumba and Banks were arraigned in federal court for their alleged role in the capital city scandal.
3. Medicaid expansion nearly passes in supermajority Republican Legislature
Legislation aimed at expanding Medicaid in Mississippi, a once-solely Democratic backed policy initiative, was nearly enacted in the 2024 legislative session thanks to a change of heart from the leadership in both the supermajority Republican House and Senate.
Governor Tate Reeves, a staunch opponent of expansion, would likely have vetoed the bill had it been passed, setting up a precarious situation for Republicans in both chambers.
However, lawmakers in the House and Senate could not come to an agreement when the legislation went to conference near the end of the 2024 session, as Senate negotiators would not budge from a work waiver requirement.
Talk of renewed efforts is already reaching a fever pitch ahead of the start of the 2025 session on January 7th. Yet, the issue is unpopular with Republican voters.
Polling conducted by Mason-Dixon for Magnolia Tribune in early 2024 showed that when asked if Mississippi should adopt “Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion,” 81 percent of Republican primary voters said the state should not implement the policy. The GOP voters also signaled opposition to Medicaid expansion when informed of the total cost of the current Medicaid program, with 86 percent saying the state was already spending enough on Medicaid.
4. Branning defeats Kitchens in Mississippi Supreme Court race
State Senator Jenifer Branning defeated incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens in the Central Mississippi Supreme Court race. The District 1, Position 3 seat on the state’s High Court represents much of the Delta which traditionally leans Democrat in partisan elections.
The two met in a runoff election three weeks after the November 5th General Election. Magnolia Tribune was the first to call the race for Branning a day after the runoff election, while the Associated Press waited until Friday to declare her the winner.
Branning won 50.6 percent of the vote to Kitchens’ 49.4 percent in the runoff election.
Branning, 45, has represented State Senate District 18 since 2016 as a Republican. She was endorsed by the Mississippi Republican Party as well as numerous GOP elected officials including Governor Tate Reeves and Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann in the non-partisan race.
Kitchens, 81, had served on the state Supreme Court since 2008. He had been endorsed by high profile state Democrats in each of his prior judicial campaigns. This cycle, Congressman Bennie Thompson and former gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley were among the Democratic leaders backing Kitchens’ re-election. Kitchens was also backed by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Action Fund.
5. The season that wasn’t for Ole Miss
Ole Miss football entered the 2024 college football season fully expecting to make the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Yet, despite Head Coach Lane Kiffin’s stellar efforts at recruiting and making use of the transfer portal as well as having the buy-in from Rebel donors to boost their NIL collective, Ole Miss came up short.
The Rebels’ losses against Kentucky, LSU and Florida doomed their season and left them at 9-3 on the year, relegating them to the Gator Bowl this week as a consolation prize to a season that held the highest of expectations.
Kiffin has again amassed an outstanding recruiting class and made waves in the portal ahead of 2025 while largely keeping his coaching staff intact.
Ole Miss, now ranked No. 14, is expected to make another run at the CFB Playoffs next season, but with a key piece of their puzzle yet to be determined. Who replaces standout QB Jaxson Dart will be on Rebel fans’ minds in the months ahead. Odds are it will be Austin Simmons.
Magnolia Tribune will continue to bring you the news and notes important to Mississippians all across the state in 2025.
Frank Corder
