[S-H] Special Session Ends with Incentive Approval, Acrimony
The Mississippi House voted to approve a $48.4 million dollar incentive package believed to be aimed at luring a PACCAR engine plant to Lowdes County, Miss. PACCAR is the parent corporation of Peterbilt, known for its tractors and heavy construction equipment. The bill looked to be in trouble with House members tacked a $10 million medical burn unit onto the legislation and, in response, the Senate ended the session.
The incentives package sailed through the Senate, but hit a snag when the House leadership tacked $10 million in funding for a burn center onto an unrelated appropriation bill - which would have paid for the special session. The Senate packed up and went home.
According to the Sun-Herald, a burn unit at University Medical Center in Jackson is a key issue for a number of House leaders, including Steve Holland, who are frustrated that the center didn’t pass during the regular session.
“I’m going to fight for a burn center. It’s my number one issue,” said House Public Health Committee Chairman Steve Holland, D-Plantersville. “I don’t give a flip who’s opposed to it.”
Posted by admin at 08:00 PM on 04/29/07. Discuss (0)
[C-L] Rennick Drops Out of Guv Race
According to the Clarion-Ledger, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and executive director of the Marshall County Industrial Development Authority, has dropped out of the race.
It has become more and more obvious that the commitment required to win this race will not allow me to fulfill those part-time responsibilities that both my Board and I agreed upon,Ӕ he said. At the same time, my commitment to the people of Marshall County will not allow me to take money, part-time or not, for a job that I can not fulfill. In addition, I have strong convictions that will not allow me to pay for living expenses out of monies raised to fund my campaign.Ӕ
Posted by admin at 01:16 PM on 04/23/07. Discuss (6)
[Release] Gov Signs ‘Mississippi Healthy Students Act’
[Verbatim Release] Governor Haley Barbour on Wednesday signed into law Senate Bill 2369, known as the “Mississippi Healthy Students Act,” which requires public schools to provide increased amounts of physical activity and health education instruction for elementary and junior high students. The legislation also adds additional physical education or physical activity requirements before high school students are eligible for graduation.
Im pleased the Legislature honored my request to set a state mandate for weekly physical activity and to increase the requirements for physical education-related instruction, Governor Barbour said. “Its imperative that our schools and our children understand that learning takes many forms, and along with academics we must also teach the benefits of a healthier lifestyle.”
“Increasing physical activity is very important for our students,” said Dr. Hank M. Bounds, State Superintendent of Education. “We know the important connection between good health and student achievement. While academic preparation is crucial to the success of our boys and girls, they also need physical activity to grow and develop into healthy, well-prepared adults.”
Posted by admin at 11:04 AM on 04/12/07. Discuss (0)
[S-H] Gulfport Attorney to Challenge Hood for AG
The Sun-Herald is reporting that a Gulfport attorney and retired military man is challenging Jim Hood for attorney general. It’s fun to note that Jackson found an esteemed place in his announcement:
Everyone knows about the terrible crime problem in Jackson, but drug-related crime is exploding on the Gulf Coast since Katrina,” he said in a press release. “In fact, no Mississippi community has been spared from this dangerous epidemic. People deserve better.”
Posted by ladd at 11:11 AM on 04/09/07. Discuss (0)
[C-L] GOP Lt. Guv Hopefuls to Debate
The Clarion-Ledger is reporting that the Republican candidates for lieutenant governor have agreed to have several debates before the Aug. 7 primary. State Sen. Charlie Ross has proposed seven debates; State Auditor Phil Bryant is looking at his schedule:
tate Sen. Charlie Ross challenged State Auditor Phil Bryant on Wednesday participate in forums across the state. Both men live in Brandon. “This race is going to be about who has the vision, the conservative vision for Mississippi, and who has the ability to implement that vision,” said Ross, who made his formal candidacy announcement in Brandon.
Contacted after the announcement, Bryant’s campaign manager agreed. “We’re looking forward to debating Sen. Ross across the state,” said Neil Forbes. “We’re looking forward to working out our schedules.
Posted by ladd at 11:15 AM on 04/06/07. Discuss (0)
[Ross] Wednesday, er Thursday, with Charlie Ross
[Verbatim from Friends of Charlie Ross]
Greetings from the campaign trail. I apologize that this week’s edition is a day late, but yesterday we embarked on our 13-stop campaign kick-off tour which will lead us through every part of the state over the next week and a half. We visited Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast, and the Jackson area yesterday (Wednesday) and Sharon and I had a wonderful time meeting people on each stop. Today, I was in Meridian and the Golden Triangle. While in the Golden Triangle, I was able to tour SeverCorr, the new steel manufacturing facility that is under construction. What an impressive facility-and big; it is six football fields long. Most importantly, it represents over 400 new jobs for Mississippians.
Posted by ladd at 07:30 PM on 04/05/07. Discuss (0)
[Blog] MSU’s Playboy Bunny Coverage Spotlighted
The Mississippi Press Association’s blog is linking stories about The Reflector’s coverage of Playboy auditions on the Mississippi State campusincluding a story by a French Christian newspaper (now, there’s news to some local France haters!).
We dig this line: Charged with covering the story, this reporter was dismayed to find Starkville was relatively smut-free.
Posted by ladd at 07:25 PM on 04/05/07. Discuss (3)
[JFP] The ‘Mississippi, Believe It’ Campaign, Rethunk
Stop the presses. The Jackson Free Press is patting Clarion-Ledger folksy columnist Orley Hood on the back this week for challenging the “paranoia and xenophobia” of the “Mississippi, Believe It” ad campaign. Read a very long blog thread (in which we re-fight the War of Northern Aggression), and the editor’s note this week, “Of Paranoia and Xenophobia.”
By the way, this is what Orley said in his column about the campaign that the JFP agrees with so strongly:
It is, I suppose, all well and good, defending our territory, talking up our heritage of great writers while ignoring our heritage of illiteracy. As polished and professional as the campaign is, theres just that little bit of paranoia and xenophobia that shows through when we so vigorously stand up to what we see as unfair criticism from outsiders.
Posted by ladd at 06:50 PM on 04/05/07. Discuss (2)
[Blog] Wonkette Disses Mississippi Easter Egg
So, Wonkette Inc.--we hear there’s an Army of Wonkette clones over there these days--is dissing every state’s Easter Egg this week. Um, cute. But her/their comment about Mississippi’s egg seems to be about as original as selling your blog to a corporate blog entity.
Here’s the snipe: “If you just said, Hey that looks like something the doctors pulled out of Trent Lott, then give yourself a racist pat on the back, because this egg is from Mississippi!” It would be one thing if the egg had the Stars & Bars on it, or “We Heart Strom” or even the embarassing Mississippi state flag, but it’s just a flowery egg design. It seems the mere mention of Mississippi brings to the Wonki’s minds the idea of Trent Lott and racism. To their small-stuck-way-up-their-butt minds, that is.
Put it this way: It would at least be funny if it was, well, funny.
Posted by ladd at 06:25 PM on 04/05/07. Discuss (15)
[Analysis] Abortion Still Legal in Mississippi--No Kidding
Charlie Mitchell of The Vicksburg Post explains to Mississippians that abortion is still legal in Mississippi even after the Legislature spent so much time supposedly outlawing it. Surely to goodness people knew this was just a political stunt, right? It’s not like we have other important issues they need to be dealing with, like the state of foster care or mistreatment of kids in training schools they should be spending their taxpayer-funded time on.
Sigh.
Posted by ladd at 06:18 PM on 04/05/07. Discuss (3)
[WLBT] Barbour Pushes for Second Nuclear Power Plant
WLBT is reporting:
The idea for a second nuclear power facility in Port Gibson has been on the burner for decades. Construction actually began on a second plant, to be called “Grand Gulf II”, back in the 1970s. But the Three Mile Island nuclear plant disaster in 1979 gave nuclear power a bad name, and caused economic volatility nationwide. The project was put on hold, and finally scrapped in 1986.
Now, plans for second plant are being resurrected. “I will encourage Entergy, as long as I am Governor, to keep going forward to build this plant,” Governor Haley Barbour said at a news conference Thursday.
Posted by ladd at 06:15 PM on 04/05/07. Discuss (0)
[S-H] Lott Ready for Insurance Battle
The Sun-Herald is reporting:
[Lott] said insurers assumed they could mistreat Mississippians after Hurricane Katrina, as they have done to customers in Florida and Alabama.
“You may try it and you may get away with it, but you’re going to go through the wringer before you get there because we’re not going to take it,” Lott said as Rotarians applauded. He decried record industry profits and an 82 percent pay increase for State Farm CEO Edward Rust Jr. while the industry denies claims, cuts back on coverage and raises rates.
“We’re not looking for war,” he said. “We’re looking for peace and a solution. But sometimes, to get a good result, you have to be prepared to take on the fight and take some of the flak that comes with it. In Washington, if you take on the insurance industry, you better bring your lunch. I’ve got mine.”
Posted by ladd at 05:31 PM on 04/05/07. Discuss (0)
[JFP] Jesus Rode a Donkey: Interview with John Arthur Eaves
The JFP interview this week this week is with Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Arthur Eaves.
Eaves is the symbolic trial lawyer Barbour made war on for years. When Barbour refers to jackpot justice, he might well have in mind an image of someone like Eaves, standing in a courtroom with his fist in the air.
Eaves, though, says he is proud of the characterization.
Posted by ladd at 04:59 PM on 04/04/07. Discuss (0)
[AG] Legislation Establishes Partnership to Benefit Abused Children
[Verbatim] Abused and neglected children in Mississippi will benefit when a Senate Bill is signed into law. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood applauded state lawmakers for working together on Senate Bill 3024. The measure, which passed the House and Senate last week, establishes and funds a Center of Excellence at the Blair E. Batson Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi.
General Hood explained, “A Center for Excellence is a step forward in our criminal justice system; it creates a collaboration among state agencies and other entities which provide services to abused and
neglected children. The Center for Excellence will provide non-traumatic medical and physical services as well as examinations from experts who specialize in child maltreatment for child victims of abuse or neglect. This collaborative effort will blend tough prosecution with compassionate care.”
Posted by ladd at 04:56 PM on 04/04/07. Discuss (0)
[AP] State Dems Want Trial Over Primary Voters to Continue
The Associated Press is reporting:
Attorneys for plaintiffs wanting to keep non-Democrats from voting in Democratic Party primaries have asked a federal judge to let a trial go on as scheduled.
There is disagreement within the Democratic Party about the lawsuit, which seeks to restrict primary voting only to people who plan to support the party’s nominee in a general election.
U.S. District Judge Allen Pepper has set the case for trial July 30 in Greenville.
The attorney general’s office, on behalf of the three-member State Board of Election Commissioners, asked Pepper in January to dismiss the lawsuit. On March 12, the Democratic Party asked Pepper to deny the state’s request.
Posted by ladd at 07:48 PM on 04/03/07. Discuss (0)
