[Fleming] Off and Running
From Rep. Erik Fleming’s blog on the JFP Web site (and be sure to watch StateDesk for legislator blogs about to come online):
We have been off and running since day one, when the Conservative Caucus stopped us from taking up bills on the first day. In talking with Gov. Barbour the next day, he said that he was not comfortable in voting for 80 percent of the budget, some $3.5 billion, on the first day of the session, hence the word went forth. I voted to suspend the rules, for there was a precedent for voting for the education budget before the rest of the budget was hammered out. As a matter of fact, it was the last time the Mississippi Adequate Education Program was fully funded in 2003.
Since that first day, the House has passed a teacher pay raise, from Kindergarten teachers to university professors. We passed a minimum wage increase bill, even though it was severely damaged by an amendment from Rep. Joey Hudson, D-Monticello, which exempted high school and college students from receiving the increase. We fully funded MAEP and extended the repealer on the Department of Health for two years, along with a host of other bills and resolutions. Meanwhile, the Senate has not sent us anything but some commending resolutions. Hopefully, the committees over there are least looking at bills.
Also, we have been working with heavy hearts as the sudden death of Rep. Leonard Morris, D-Batesville, has had a great impact on all of us. Rep. Dirk Dedeaux, D-Perkinston, will replace Morris as the chair of the Medicaid Committee, but nobody can replace the “Gentleman from Panola” as an epitome of class and dedication to public service.
On the political front, we will have the majority of the members of the Legislature running for re-election, but we are guaranteed to see some new faces in the Legislature come January of 2008. As vacancies emerge for the Central District Public Service Commissioner and the State Auditor offices, look for a number of legislators to vie for those seats, as well as a few members who are finally opting to retire from this level of public service.
On Monday, I will post our House summaries for the time we have been in session to get everyone caught up and then on a weekly basis, post that week’s summary on Fridays, along with some timely editorials.
Posted by ladd at 11:30 PM in Legislature, Overview, JFP | Email this entry
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See a bill summary posted by Rep. Fleming on his JFP blog on Jan. 22
Posted by on 01/24 at 12:35 AM | #
You know, I’ve had my issues with Rep. Fleming in the past and I’m sure I’ll have my issues with Rep. Fleming in the future, but nobody can argue that he doesn’t do a great job of showing JFP readers what goes on in the state legislature. Kudos, sir.
Posted by Tom Head on 01/26 at 02:59 AM | #
While most of her freshman classmates will be enjoying spring vacation or catching up on academic assignments next month, Maria Cicero will be competing for world and national collegiate running championships. Cicero will represent the United States in the World Cross Country Championships in Dublin, Ireland, on March 23, an honor she earned by beating 37 other age 19-and-under runners in the USA Junior Winter Cross Country championship in Vancouver, Wash., on Feb. 10. The fleet freshman from Elmhurst, Ill., has also been burning up the track during the indoor meet season, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in both the 3,000- and 5,000-meter races. testking 000-061 The NCAA Championship meet will be held at the University of Arkansas on March 7 and 8. Her 16:13 clocking in a 5,000 race on Jan. 24 is the fastest time in that event by a female collegian in the US this year. On Feb. 16, she finished second in the Big East Conference 3,000-meter race (9:34.19) to earn a slot in the NCAA title meet in that event as well. testking E20-520 “My focus will be on the ‘5’ [5,000-meter race] which comes on the first day of the NCAAs,” Cicero said. “If I feel OK after that one, I’ll run the ‘3’ the next day.” “Focus” is a word that comes up often in conversations with and about Cicero. “She’s a very talented runner, but the biggest thing is that she has a very clear focus on what she wants to do,” said Assistant Track Coach Kathy Fleming. “Maria is not a typical freshman. She is not intimidated by all of this, and she never complains.” Cicero said she decided to enroll at Boston College after visiting Chestnut Hill during her senior year at Elmhurst’s York High School, where she was the Illinois state champion in both track and cross-country. “I loved Boston, BC, the team and the coaches,” she said. “I knew right away that this was the place for me and I couldn’t pass it up.” She gave quick notice of things to come by winning her first intercollegiate competition, the Boston College Invitational cross country meet held during the first week of September. “She has gotten better every day,” Fleming said. testking 1D0-541 In November, Cicero was the top freshman finisher in the NCAA cross-country championship, and 16th overall, winning All-America honors for her accomplishment. “She’s a great kid,” said Fleming. “The only thing we are trying to change in her is the feeling that you don’t have to go hard every single day. You want to be able to peak for your meets.” Cicero said she enjoys training in the variety of settings around the BC campus. “I’m from ‘flat’ Illinois,” she said. “Here we can go everywhere on our runs, into the city or out on the hills of Commonwealth Avenue.” Despite her rigorous running schedule, the first-year College of Arts and Sciences student hasn’t lost focus on her academic work. “My teachers have been very understanding,” Cicero said. “But I have to do a lot of school work on my trips.” In addition to the upcoming championship meets, Cicero is looking ahead to the spring outdoor season. “I’ll run the 5,000 and 10,000 when we get outside,” she said. The freshman also holds dreams of Olympic competition in future years. “Who wouldn’t?” she asks. “But right now, we’ll just take one thing at a time.”
Posted by on 11/05 at 01:55 AM | #
