Legislators split over ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ elections bills
Local representatives are split on a pair of bills being considered in the state Legislature that would require election commissioners to send confirmation notices to voters who have not voted in at least one election within a set number of years and to remove them from the Statewide Elections Management System if they do not respond to the notice.
Area legislators split on alcohol delivery bill
State legislators are considering a bill that would legalize home delivery of some alcohol products.
Senate Bill 2804, if passed, would allow package stores and delivery service providers to purchase $500 permits from the Alcoholic Beverage Control under the state Department of Revenue to deliver “beer, light wine or light spirit products,” the bill says.
Educators, area legislators support waiving pass requirements this year for high-stakes testing
Mississippi legislators are considering a Senate Bill that would allow third graders who fail this school year’s state-required reading assessment to move on to fourth grade, and area educators say they support the move.
MSMS showcases outreach, distance learning programs to legislators
Every Wednesday for 10 weeks after school began, Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science math teacher Lauren Zarandona and several of her students spent hours after school on Zoom meetings with first- through sixth-grade students throughout the state working on math problems.
Some local legislators test negative for COVID-19; others await results
Following a COVID-19 outbreak among state legislators after weeks of in-person sessions at the state Capitol, many state lawmakers of the Golden Triangle delegation have now tested negative for COVID-19, while others still await results.
Legislators hope for flag vote this weekend
The tide is turning in the Mississippi Legislature.
As athletic department officials from Ole Miss, Mississippi State and other Magnolia State institutions, along with various lobbyists, descended on the state Capitol in Jackson on Thursday, lawmakers hoped the effort would draw out the votes both the House and Senate will need to vote on a bill removing the Confederate battle emblem emblazoned on the state flag.
Majority of local delegation supports flag change legislation
Since 2015, bills filed in the Mississippi Legislature to remove the state’s current flag, adopted in 1894, have died in committee in both chambers.
That may be changing.
Reps hope to introduce family dynamics in the classroom
State Rep. Kabir Karriem (D-Columbus) is still in touch with Mary Moore, his home economics teacher from eighth grade. She still teases him about the time he put salt instead of sugar in a batch of cookies, he said.
Analysis: Legislators approaching busy part of 2020 session
Mississippi lawmakers have had a slow start to their four-month session, but the pace is about to quicken as committees start debating bills dealing with the criminal justice system and other issues.
LINK pitches road projects to legislative delegation
Five road projects across the Golden Triangle area could help keep current companies and attract more potential businesses, Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said at a breakfast event with local lawmakers Monday morning.
Infrastructure, education dominate discussion in legislative luncheon
Infrastructure and education appeared to be key areas of concern for members of the Columbus Lowndes Chamber of Commerce during Friday’s legislative forum at Lion Hills Center.
Residents seek Kratom ban in Lowndes
Angela Jourdan has seen firsthand what the addictive, but legal, substance Kratom can do to a family.
During Monday’s meeting of the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors, Jourdan recounted her year-long ordeal, using a packet of 13 chronologically-arranged photographs to illustrate her family’s descent from a “perfect life” into fear and violence.
Lottery, education are focuses of legislative forum
A new lottery and public education spending dominated Starkville forum where four local legislators spoke about the results of last month’s special legislative session.
Area online sales tax revenues: $4.4M annually
Cities and counties throughout the state will receive 15 percent of the use fee revenue collected in the state as a part of road/bridge legislation passed by the Mississippi Legislature Tuesday during its special session.
Local legislators jeer this year’s session as unproductive
Wednesday’s legislative forum at Lion Hills focused on a handful of much-discussed statewide issues — and one local one.
Analysis: Clash of ideology on health care regulation
A clash of ideology was on display last week in the Mississippi Legislature.
Analysis: 2018 could bring substantial debate in Mississippi
Mississippi legislators are starting the third year of a four-year term, which means they have a chance to accomplish goals without the immediate pressure of election-year politics.
Local lawmakers differ on education funding
Area legislators at an education town hall meeting in Columbus Tuesday evening responded to a range of questions about education with conflicting solutions, all of which involved either cuts or increases in spending on schools.
Lawmakers love to praise the folks back home
Mississippi legislators will flail their arms and raise their voices to disagree about substantial issues like education funding and state employees’ job protection. But they generally find bipartisan peace and harmony in the act of commending the folks back home.
Local legislators earn $309K from state
Mississippi spent $8.1 million in salaries and expenses for the state’s legislators in 2015-16, according to the annual Expenses and Appropriations report by the state auditor’ office released on Monday.