Leaders of 75 national businesses urge state to scrap gay discrimination law
Mississippi’s Freedom of Conscience law and the widespread perception of it as discriminatory toward gays, lesbians and transgender people have brought an open letter from 75 leading CEOs and business...
View ArticleBILL CRAWFORD — Republicans own malfunction of state government
Republicans now dominate state government and own its performance. Since 2004, the governor’s office has been held by a Republican. Governors make most appointments to executive boards and agencies...
View ArticleBOBBY HARRISON: Transparency act ignites probable first salvo of the 2019...
Don’t look now, but it appears that Attorney General Jim Hood, Mississippi’s only elected Democrat, is gearing up to run for governor. Hood, a Chickasaw County native, has never been bashful about...
View ArticleGunn gets vote on confederate flag as church messenger
By BOBBY HARRISON / Daily Journal House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, who surprisingly broke with the majority of the state’s Republican leadership last summer when he endorsed changing the...
View ArticleStrong June tax collections needed to balance budget
By BOBBY HARRISON / Daily Journal Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves says the state must collect between $725 million and $750 million of revenue during the month of June to balance the budget for the current fiscal...
View ArticleBILL CRAWFORD: 2016 puts Reeves’ fiscal credibility at risk
Lieutenant Gov. Tate Reeves has put his fiscal credibility on the line. The former investment banker told voters in 2011 he was “a true, proven fiscal conservative with a record of executive...
View ArticleState’s raids on rainy-day fund raise red flag, Moody’s warns
State Treasurer Fitch calls report to investors ‘a shot across the bow’ for legislative leaders By TED CARTER Gov. Phil Bryant’s three draws from Mississippi’s reserve fund have left the fund at its...
View ArticleAG Hood will no longer defend HB 1523
By BOBBY HARRISON Attorney General Jim Hood announced Wednesday afternoon his office no longer would defend the controversial House Bill 1523 that allows public officials and others not to provide...
View ArticleMississippi lawmakers to examine taxes and spending
Mississippi legislative leaders are appointing groups to study tax policies and examine state spending. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn announced Thursday that they are co-chairmen...
View ArticleBILL CRAWFORD: Republicans struggle to find smart way to budget
Starving the beast” is a popular conservative approach to governance. “If they (legislators) don’t have the money, they can’t spend it,” one Republican operative explained, strongly endorsing this...
View ArticleReport on state revenue completion lagging
By BOBBY HARRISON With the month of September quickly approaching, the report detailing Mississippi revenue collections for the month of July is still not complete. Normally, the staff of the...
View ArticleRevamp of Mississippi education funding formula proposed
Mississippi’s Republican legislative leaders said Tuesday that they want to rewrite the state’s nearly 20-year-old education funding formula to put more money into the classroom and less into...
View ArticleBILL CRAWFORD — Leaders’ power play puts egg on their faces
How appropriate. Fate chose the week of the Egg Bowl for legislative leaders to have to wipe lots of egg off their faces. How silly. House Republican leaders passed a rule, with Senate mimicry...
View ArticleBill would let school boards fill superintendent vacancies
Mississippi lawmakers are considering a measure that would let school boards appoint replacements for elected school superintendents who resign in the next three years. In 2016, the Legislature enacted...
View ArticleTop school districts could become exempt on reports to state
The Mississippi House voted Monday to exempt top-rated school districts from having to report information about curriculum and some other matters to the state Department of Education. House Bill 1224...
View ArticleReeves kills bill to collect internet tax, earmark for roads
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that the Mississippi Senate will reject House legislation that would force retailers to collect taxes on internet sales and earmark the money for road and bridge work....
View ArticleBOBBY HARRISON: Even with super majority, you don’t always get what you want
Every now and then, there is just enough of an uprising to remind the legislative leadership – namely Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves – that a super majority does not give them carte...
View ArticleSenate passes level education funding
By BOBBY HARRISON / Daily Journal The Senate leadership broke with the House on Thursday and opted to fund kindergarten through 12th grade education in the regular session. The House, based on the...
View ArticleAnalysis: Leaders say reducing state budget meets GOP goal
There has been plenty of hand-wringing about the Mississippi budget the past several months, with Republican Gov. Phil Bryant making multiple rounds of cuts because tax collections fell short of...
View ArticlePossible gubernatorial candidates highlight Neshoba speakings
By BOBBY HARRISON / Daily Journal Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood of Houston and Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, viewed as the leading candidates for governor in 2019, will speak back-to-back...
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