Pender: Gov. laments liberal media, Gunn relents on Dems, Reeves yells, Hood floats a lottery
Gov. Phil Bryant, as he has in numerous recent public appearances, said things are going great in Mississippi and anyone saying otherwise is probably with the lying “liberal media” or “secular progressives” and trying to foment unrest with sedition. He said the state has seen “transformational change in education” with high school graduation rates and fourth-grade achievement at all-time highs, and a large drop in unemployment. After his speech, he announced that presidential candidate Donald Trump will make another appearance in Mississippi in late August.
House Speaker Philip Gunn was probably relieved there were no “Keep the Flag/Change the Speaker” signs waving this year. He appeared to relent somewhat from last year’s warning that people need not elect Democrats to the House because they “won’t have a seat at the table” as policy and budgets are set. On Thursday, he said to any Democrats who dig what he’s saying and “want to work” and be statesmen that “I invite you to join me.”…
…The back-to-back speeches by Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood were widely hailed as a precursor to the two squaring off for governor in 2019.
Neither appeared to have anything nice to say about the other.
Clarion Ledger
7/31/16
Magnolia Tribune
