Analysis: Mississippi finds wedge issue, even amid pandemic
Some Mississippi legislators thought the 2021 session might be tightly focused on responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and that might dampen enthusiasm for delving into divisive social issues.
They were wrong.
Analysis: Push to revise parole survives despite gov’s veto
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves killed a bill but not an idea when he vetoed the Mississippi Correctional Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2020, which would have made more inmates eligible for the possibility of parole.
Longtime state legislator, veterinarian passes away at 87
Are there cigars in heaven?
There probably are now.
It’s hard to imagine Bill “Doc” Canon, who passed away this weekend at age 87, without the stub of a cigar clenched in his jaw as he went about his business.
Bill introduced to split MLK, Robert E. Lee holidays
A Columbus legislator has filed a bill that would designate separate days to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. and Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
Chism cries foul on Senate BP money bill
A local state representative is raising concerns about a bill that would channel payments from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement to a fund for projects on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Bill: Let police ask about immigration status
The Mississippi Senate voted 32-16 Thursday to approve a bill saying local governments and public colleges can’t stop their employees from asking whether a person has entered the U.S. illegally, and can’t try to grant any special status to those who’ve entered illegally.
Senate to vote on defense bill as White House warns of veto
The Senate is scheduled to vote today on a $602 billion defense policy bill that the White House has said President Barack Obama will veto over numerous objections, including a prohibition on shuttering the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Bill aims to bring out-of-state physicians to Miss.
A bill on Gov. Phil Bryant’s desk could shorten the time it takes physicians licensed in other states to practice in Mississippi.
Senate passes bill that would boost airport security
The Senate approved a bipartisan aviation policy bill Tuesday that would boost airport security, extend new protections to airline passengers and help speed the introduction of package-delivery drones.
New law ends elected school leaders
Lowndes County School District’s five-member board will choose the district’s superintendents moving forward after Gov. Phil Bryant signed into law a bill Monday eliminating elected superintendents across the state.
Bryant to review bill on gay marriage limits
Mississippi Republican Gov. Phil Bryant is not yet saying whether he would sign a bill that would let government workers and private businesspeople cite religious beliefs to deny services to gay or lesbian couples.
Karriem: Teachers should grade parents
A bill coauthored by District 41 Rep. Kabir Karriem (D-Columbus) in the Mississippi Legislature takes a unique approach in looking to improve parental involvement in schools — grading parents.
Roberson kills SOCSD school board shakeup bill
A bill disbanding the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees in favor of an expanded, majority-elected group was among a number of Oktibbeha County-specific proposals that died in the Mississippi Legislature this week.
Special statewide school district could take over faltering schools
A new statewide school district could take control of faltering local districts and keep them indefinitely in hopes of improving academic performance under a bill advancing in the Mississippi House.
Bill aims to protect firearms in courthouses
Pending legislation co-authored by District 37 Rep. Gary Chism, R-Columbus, takes aim at court orders by several judges that have restricted firearm access to courtrooms.
Miss. legislation: OK to not help with same-sex marriage
State officials, private business owners and others who provide services to the public couldn’t be punished for acting on religious beliefs that marriage should only be between a man and a woman, under a bill advancing in the Mississippi Legislature.
Bills would ban minors from Miss. indoor tanning beds
Melanoma was “just a word” to Emily Tandy when she frequented the tanning beds in the Madison salon where she worked as a teenager.
Miss. mulls ‘see something, say something’ terror bill
People would be immune from civil or criminal penalties in Mississippi for making good-faith reports to law enforcement officers if they suspect others are planning terroristic acts, under a bill advancing in the Legislature.
Bill: Raise Mississippi officials’ expense pay to $150 a day
The Mississippi House has approved plans to triple the per diems paid to some state and local officials for attending meetings. At least one proponent says the current amount, $40, has not changed in 36 years.
Senate passes $80B measure for veterans, military bases
The Senate passed its first spending bill of the year on Tuesday, a popular $80 billion measure for veterans’ programs and construction projects on military bases long delayed by infighting over the broader budget.