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A true political headscratcher by Alan Lange

The federal Department of Health and Human Services, lead agency for health care exchanges in the country, said Thursday that Mississippi’s long-running plans to develop a state-based health insurance marketplace, was denied. Mississippi has long led the nation in plans to develop a free market exchange. To be successful, the Mississippi exchange would need working…

Bill prohibits PERS Iranian investments The House this morning overwhelmingly passed HB563, which would prohibit the state’s retirement system from investing in companies that do business with Iran. “It divests us from the Republic of Iran,” said House Appropriations Chairman Herb Frierson. He said the PERS board was not in favor of the legislation. Geoff…

Charter Schools: Be careful what you ask for Let’s be careful about what we ask for. “A Pennsylvania study found that 100 percent of the state’s cyber schools, including K-12 Inc., had “significantly worse” outcomes than their traditional public school counterparts, for which the virtual companies were paid $10,000 per student from public school coffers.…

House bill would move Revenue Department to Speaker Philip Gunn’s district in Clinton House members want to move the Department of Revenue to a new home in Speaker Philip Gunn’s district. The House voted 71-43 Wednesday for House Bill 1337, authored by the Clinton Republican, which would move the agency to the South Pointe complex…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: Feb.7, 2013 CONTACT: Laura Hipp, Communications Director BILLS TO RAISE READING STANDARDS, SUPPORT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PASS STATE SENATE JACKSON – Legislation to strengthen the reading skills of Mississippi children and build on early childhood education through public-private partnerships passed the Senate today. Senate Bill 2347, sponsored by Sen. Angela Hill,…

STATEMENT FROM THE MISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY The Mississippi Center for Public Policy welcomes today’s announcement from Commissioner Chaney. By not moving forward with an Obamacare exchange, Mississippi is protecting itself from job-killing fines on employers and budget-busting liabilities for an expensive federal mandate. This exchange was never about federal control versus state control,…

Governor Bryant Issues Statement on Health Care Exchange "My office has not been officially informed by the Department of Health and Human Services of a decision. However, I have said repeatedly that the health insurance exchanges mandated by ObamaCare are not free-market exchanges. Instead, they are a portal to a massive and unaffordable new federal entitlement program. They trigger new taxes on businesses and will ultimately drive more people onto Medicaid rolls. I firmly maintain my position that Mississippi will not willfully implement a mechanism that will compromise our state's financial stability. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Human Services' refusal to approve Utah's plan for an exchange proves that the federal government has no intention of allowing states to tailor exchanges to their own unique needs. Make no mistake, the federal government will control all exchanges established under the Affordable Care Act." ### Mick Bullock Communications Director/Press Secretary Office of Governor Phil Bryant

Rejected – Chaney feels “betrayed” after Feds reject proposed Mississippi health exchange Federal officials have rejected Mississippi’s proposal to create a state-run insurance exchange, Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said Thursday. “I am sorely disappointed in the denial of federal approval,” Chaney said during a news conference. An exchange is an online marketplace where people can…

Week of February 4, 2013 During the first part of the week, House members were devoted to addressing bills in committee in anticipation of Tuesday’s 8 p.m. deadline to move all general bills and constitutional amendments out of committee and onto the House Calendar. Bills not reported out of committee by that deadline are dead…