@ISSUE

@ISSUE • The 2026 Mississippi Legislative Session is over…for now.

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Host Wilson Stribling welcomes analysts Brandon Jones and Rebekah Staples for a look back at the recently concluded Mississippi legislative session. What were the biggest successes, failures, surprises, and lessons learned? With Republicans in control of state government, are the real battles now not between the parties, but between House and Senate, or even between the Legislative and Executive branches?

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@ISSUE • Storm Relief Veto Controversy • $7.4B State Budget • $2K Teacher Pay Raise • SHIELD Act • Pharmacy Benefit Managers • Supreme Court Redistricting

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 22:30:00 GMT

The final week of the legislative session is upon us. Analysts Brandon Jones and Rebekah Staples join host Wilson Stribling to discuss the state’s $7.4 billion budget agreement, a smaller-than-hoped-for teacher pay raise, and the SHIELD Act, designed to ensure all voters are U.S. citizens. They also look at Governor Tate Reeves’ veto of a winter storm relief measure, and the confusion caused by a wording error in that bill.

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@ISSUE • Special Needs Education Tax Credits • PERS Changes • Jackson Water System • Medical Cannabis • Local & Private Bills

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:30:00 GMT

Analysts Rebekah Staples and Brandon Jones join host Wilson Stribling for a look at multiple bills, almost all of which are now in conference committees. Highlights include a proposed amendment to the Children’s Promise Act creating new tax credits for special needs education, an explanation of Local & Private bills, and a look at the Jackson water system bill, and what it might mean for other municipalities.

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@ISSUE • Competing teacher pay raise bills • MDOC controversies • House Education Chairman Rob Roberson interview

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 22:30:00 GMT

House Education Committee chairman Rob Roberson (R-Starkville) sits down with host Wilson Stribling to look at the competing teacher pay raise bills and reflect on a difficult 2026 session. Then, analysts Brandon Jones and Rebekah Staples discuss the House and Senate teacher bills, the likelihood of a special session, and MDOC Commissioner Burl Cain’s contentious meeting last week with the Legislative Black Caucus.

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@ISSUE • House passes teacher pay raise and changes to PERS • Senator David Blount interview

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:30:12 GMT

The House unanimously passed a substantial education bill Friday, raising teacher and staff pay, and making changes to the Public Employees Retirement System. Analysts Rebekah Staples and Brandon Jones join host Wilson Stribling to look at the strategies in play, and the continued friction between House and Senate leadership. Wilson also sits down with Senator David Blount (D-Jackson) to discuss this session’s political gamesmanship.

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@ISSUE • Information Technology • Artificial Intelligence • Cyber Security • Legislative Deadlines • Sen. Bradford Blackmon Interview

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Senator Bradford Blackmon (D-Canton) joins host Wilson Stribling to discuss his two artificial intelligence bills. One would require political ads using artificial intelligence to acknowledge the use of AI. The other would protect Mississippians from having their names, images, and voices used without permission. Then, analysts Rebekah Staples and Brandon Jones look at the legislative calendar, the upcoming deadlines for bills to survive or die, and the process for passing the State’s annual budget.

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@ISSUE • School Choice Special Session ahead? • Infant Mortality Review Board • ABC Troubles • Opioid Settlement Funds • Rep. Robert Johnson interview

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 23:30:00 GMT

House Bill 2 is dead, but a special session on school choice may be ahead. Analysts Brandon Jones and Rebekah Staples join host Wilson Stribling to discuss the prospect of a special session and recall how former Governor Hailey Barbour used special sessions strategically.

Wilson also interviews House Minority Leader Robert Johnson (D-Natchez), getting the veteran lawmaker’s perspective on the current session. In the week’s news, we look at the proposed infant mortality review board, problems with the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control system, and bills addressing the use of opioid settlement funds.

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@ISSUE • Sen. Jeremy England interview • Ballot Initiative • School Prayer • Immigration Enforcement • Abortion Drug Criminalization • School Attendance Officers • Literacy Intervention • Prison Health Care

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 23:30:00 GMT

A major legislative deadline last week saw thousands of bills die while hundreds of others survived. Among those still alive are bills dealing with school prayer, immigration enforcement, abortion-inducing drugs, school attendance officers, literacy intervention, and prison health care. Senator Jeremy England (R-Van Cleave) and host Wilson Stribling discuss the challenges to reviving the ballot initiative in Mississippi. Roundtable regulars Rebekah Staples and Brandon Jones then join Wilson for a spirited debate about the pros and cons of the ballot initiative process.

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@ISSUE • Senator Derrick Simmons interview • Senate Education Committee kills HB2 • Prison reform • Ballot initiative • Immigration laws

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:30:00 GMT

The Senate Education Committee unanimously votes down House Bill 2, the omnibus education package. And Rep. Becky Currie takes on the Department of Corrections with multiple prison reform bills. Analysts Brandon Jones and Rebekah Staples join host Wilson Stribling to review these and other actions at the Mississippi legislature. In this week's interview, Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons talks with MPB's Elise Gregg about the Senate Democratic agenda

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@ISSUE • Immigration Enforcement • Domestic Abuser Registry • Midwife Practice • Elected School Boards • And more…

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 23:30:00 GMT

As the first major legislative deadline approaches, analysts Rebekah Staples and Brandon Jones join host Desare Frazier for a wide-ranging discussion of pending legislation. Topics include immigration enforcement bills, a registry for domestic abusers, expanded roles for certified nurse midwives, elections for all school boards, and much more.

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@ISSUE • HB 2, the Mississippi Education Freedom Act, passes in the House.

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Host Wilson Stribling interviews Speaker of the House Jason White, discussing House Bill 2, the Mississippi Education Freedom Act. Then, analysts Rebekah Staples and Brandon Jones debate some of the bill’s more controversial provisions and talk about its prospects for passage in the Senate.

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@ISSUE • School Choice • Teacher Pay Raise • Funding PERS • House Bill 2: The Mississippi Education Freedom Act

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 23:30:00 GMT

The Mississippi House and Senate both hit the ground running in the first week of the legislative session, but with very different strategies for school choice and other education legislation. Host Wilson Stribling welcomes political analysts Brandon Jones and Rebekah Staples to discuss the Senate’s multiple bill approach, as well as the House’s mammoth, 553-page House Bill 2.

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@ISSUE • The 2026 Mississippi Legislative session begins • Legislative Process • School Choice • Ballot Initiative • Budget Concerns

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Welcome to @ISSUE 2026! Host Wilson Stribling and political analyst Brandon Jones welcome new analyst Rebekah Staples to the @ISSUE team. Rebekah gives a baseball-themed explanation of the legislative process, then the team dives into the issues of school choice, the ballot initiative process, and concerns about federal budget cuts.

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@ISSUE • Special Session Edition • Budget bills pass, but not without controversy

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 23:30:00 GMT

The two-day Special Session of the Mississippi Legislature picked up where the Regular Session left off: with more controversy and heightened tensions between House and Senate. Host Wilson Stribling recaps last week’s events. Analysts Austin Barbour and Brandon Jones join Wilson to discuss the legislative proceedings and the outlook for the state of Mississippi.

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@ISSUE • Legislature ends session with unfinished business • Special session ahead

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 23:30:00 GMT

Analysts Austin Barbour and Brandon Jones join host Wilson Stribling to discuss the surprising ending of the 2025 Mississippi legislative session. The House and Senate have gone home without passing budget bills for state agencies and services. Governor Tate Reeves will surely call a special session, but what else could be on the table when the legislators return to Jackson? The team also looks at the successes and failures of the 2025 regular session, as well as the sweeping changes the tax reform bill may bring.

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@ISSUE • Mississippi eliminates the personal income tax

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 23:30:00 GMT

Governor Tate Reeves signs House Bill 1, effectively eliminating the personal income tax in Mississippi. We recount the surprising events of the past week leading up to this historic moment. Host Wilson Stribling interviews Jared Walczak, a state tax policy expert from The Tax Foundation, a Washington-based think tank. Analysts Austin Barbour and Brandon Jones joined Wilson to discuss the tax cut and predict its impact on Mississippi.

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@ISSUE • Income tax cut via typo? • Sen. Josh Harkins interview • Public Employee Retirement System changes

Fri, 21 Mar 2025 23:30:00 GMT

What a week. The Mississippi House surprises many by passing the Senate’s more cautious income tax cut bill. But a typo in that bill could bring income tax elimination even faster than the House called for. Host Wilson Stribling interviews Senate Finance Committee Chair Josh Harkins (R-Flowood), then debates tax cuts and state spending with analysts Brandon Jones and Austin Barbour.

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@ISSUE • Tax cuts & the State budget • Medicaid rally at Capitol • Sen. Bryan interview • Public health issues

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 23:30:00 GMT

Will the House and Senate find a compromise for their competing tax cut plans? What would the total elimination of the state income tax mean for Mississippi? How can the multiple agencies serving public health better cooperate and collaborate? Host Wilson Stribling covers these topics and more with this week’s guest, Senator Hob Bryan (D-Amory), and analysts Austin Barbour and Greta Kemp Martin.

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@ISSUE • Remembering Robert Clark • School choice • Tax reform • Presumptive eligibility • Mobile sports betting

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 00:30:00 GMT

This week the House and Senate took up each other’s bills, and the sparks did fly. School choice and PERS reform appear dead, while presumptive eligibility and mobile sports betting are still alive. And the House and Senate tax reform bills are still on a collision course. Our @ISSUE team looks at these topics and more. We also pay tribute to the late Robert Clark, who served in the House from 1968 to 2004 and was the first Black Mississippi legislator elected since Reconstruction.

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@ISSUE • Legislative redistricting • Roads & bridges •Tax cut bills • Casino tax • Israel caucus

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 00:30:00 GMT

Join host Wilson Stribling and analysts Austin Barbour and Brandon Jones for another lively episode of MPB’s @ISSUE. This week, Senate Republicans pass their tax cut bill and now defend it from both the right and left. Ten Senate districts are redrawn after a successful NAACP lawsuit. Casinos may see a tax increase, and a Jackson casino bill dies. Legislators push for hemp product regulation. A Mississippi-Israel caucus is announced. And House Democrats demand to have their voices heard.

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@ISSUE • Senate tax cut bill • Advanced practice nurses bill • Parental leave • PERS changes • Wine & liquor sales • Hemp product regulation

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 00:30:00 GMT

This week we look at a wide range of bills, dealing with everything from tax cuts and parental leave to hemp product regulation and wine and liquor sales. Wilson Stribling interviews Speaker of the House Jason White about his chamber’s most important legislation. And our roundtable team, Austin Barbour and Brandon Jones have a spirited debate on House Bill 859, legislation that would allow advanced practice nurses, nurse practitioners, and nurse anesthetists to provide services without the supervision of a collaborating physician.

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@ISSUE • Senate tax cut plan • School choice bill dead? • Criminalizing grooming • Early voting controversy • Domestic Violence Fatality Review bill

Sat, 15 Feb 2025 00:30:00 GMT

This week we talk about the Senate’s newly unveiled tax cut proposal, the apparent failure of the House’s school choice bill, passage of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review bill, controversy over the Senate’s Early Voting bill, the death of the ballot initiative measure, and much more.

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@ISSUE • School choice • Anti-DEI measures • Early voting • Ballot initiative • Felon voting rights • Domestic violence study • Agricultural torts • Online wine sales

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 00:30:00 GMT

This week we look at the House’s school choice legislation; two anti-Diversity, Equity and Inclusion bills; a constitutional amendment restoring certain felons’ voting rights; a bill creating a domestic violence review board, and more.

Host Wilson Stribling and analysts Austin Barbour and Brandon Jones discuss the new ballot initiative proposal and a bill that would protect agricultural pesticide manufacturers from lawsuits.

Our featured interview is with Senator Jeremy England of Vancleave, the chairman of the Senate Elections Committee. Wilson talks with Senator England about his early voting bill, campaign finance transparency, and legislation that would allow Mississippians to order wine by mail.

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@ISSUE | Governor’s State of the State address - Education legislation - Energy policy - Income tax elimination

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 00:30:00 GMT

This week the team discusses Governor Tate Reeve’s annual State of the State address, and his emphasis on Mississippi’s economic growth, energy production, and tax cuts. Our featured interview is with Rep. Rob Roberson (R-Starkville), chair of the House Education Committee.

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@ISSUE | New ballot initiative bill - Medicaid presumptive eligibility re-do - School choice - MAGA & Mississippi

Sat, 25 Jan 2025 00:30:00 GMT

This week we look at new legislation for a ballot initiative, more school choice ideas, a new version of last year’s Medicaid presumptive eligibility bill, and a few very unusual bills. The roundtable team also talks about the MAGA influence in Mississippi politics.

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@Issue | The 2025 Legislative session begins - Tax Reform - Medicare Expansion - School Choice

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 00:30:00 GMT

*Updated 1/18/2024 with additional content*

The @ISSUE team discusses House Bill #1, a major reform to Mississippi's tax system, medicare expansion, and various options for School Choice.

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@ ISSUE | The 2025 Season is Almost Here

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 18:21:34 GMT

The 2025 Mississippi legislative session is currently in progress! Tune in every Friday for an insider’s view of the legislative session, featuring interviews with key players and diverse perspectives from both political parties. Hosted by Wilson Stribling and joined by commentators Austin Barbour (R) and Brandon Jones (D) each week they will dissect the latest happenings at the state Capitol.

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@ ISSUE | Medicaid expansion fails. Education funding succeeds. '24 Legislative Session Ends.

Sat, 04 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Original Air Date: 5-3-2024

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@ ISSUE | The ‘24 session winds down. Medicaid debate continues. Changes to PERS

Sat, 27 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Original Air Date: 4-26-2024

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@ ISSUE | Government transparency. Medicaid expansion. Education funding. Conference committees.

Sat, 20 Apr 2024 00:00:51 GMT

Original Air Date: 4-19-2024

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@ ISSUE | Legislative transparency. Medicaid expansion. Roads & bridges

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 00:00:15 GMT

Original Air Date: 4-12-2024

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@ ISSUE | Early Voting Bill. PERS. Felon Voting Rights. INSPIRE Act

Sat, 06 Apr 2024 00:00:34 GMT

Original Air Date: 4-5-2024

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@Issue | Senate Medicaid expansion. Public funds & private schools. Education funding. Black women’s issues.

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 00:00:11 GMT

Original Air Date: 3-29-2024

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@ ISSUE | Medicaid Bill Controversy.Faith Leaders Speak Up.Future of PERS

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Original Air Date: 3-22-2024

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@ ISSUE | Jackson Water. Medicaid. MS Universities. Retirement System

Sat, 16 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Original Air Date: 3-15-2024

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@ ISSUE | Ed Funding. Medicaid Expansion. Campaign Finance. Voting Access.

Sat, 09 Mar 2024 01:00:41 GMT

Original Air Date: 3-8-2024

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@ ISSUE | State of The State Address. Interview with Sen. Derrick Simmons

Sat, 02 Mar 2024 01:00:00 GMT

Original Air Date: 3-1-2024

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@ ISSUE | Interview with Speaker of the House Jason White

Sat, 24 Feb 2024 01:00:00 GMT

Original Air Date: 2-23-2024

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@ ISSUE | Medicaid expansion. Felon voting rights. DEI. Interview with Rep. Robert Johnson

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 01:00:00 GMT

Original Air Date: 2-16-2024

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@ ISSUE | The ‘24 session begins. Interview with Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann

Sat, 10 Feb 2024 01:00:46 GMT

Original Air Date: 2-9-2024

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Mississippi lawmakers conclude 2021 legislative session

Sat, 03 Apr 2021 00:30:44 GMT

What are the highlights of the 3-month session?

Most teachers, state workers and higher education employees are slated for a pay increase. A parole eligibility bill is awaiting the governor’s signature. Will he sign it? Legislators argued over some big issues that ended up going nowhere in the final days such as phasing out the state income tax, purging voters off the rolls and creating an alternative medical marijuana program in the state.

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Final days of the 2021 session

Sat, 27 Mar 2021 00:30:05 GMT

Lawmakers are ironing out final details on legislation.

Lawmakers are approaching the final week of the session. Members of the Senate and House are conferencing on key measures such as the income tax phase out plan and a state medical marijuana program. The Legislature is also making another attempt at a parole eligibility bill they hope the Governor will sign into law. Mississippi surpasses one million doses of coronavirus vaccines.

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Lawmakers continue squabbling over the House tax reform plan

Sat, 20 Mar 2021 00:30:39 GMT

The Senate allowed the income tax elimination bill to die. The House revived it.

Both chambers killed each other’s Medicaid bill on deadline day. Plans to revive those bills and go to conference are in the works. The legislature passed a $1,000 teacher pay raise. A 17-count federal indictment is released against Nancy New and son Zachary New who allegedly laundered millions of dollars from the state. Mississippi residents 16 and up are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

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Gov. Reeves signs bill limiting transgender athletes

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 01:30:00 GMT

The House and Senate argue over a medical marijuana bill on deadline day.

Gov. Tate Reeves signs the Mississippi Fairness Act into law, even though it could be later challenged. After the House killed a bill, the Senate revived a plan for an alternative medical marijuana program if Initiative 65 is struck down. Clergy in Mississippi delivered letters to the Capitol this week urging lawmakers to expand Medicaid.

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The House passes a bill limiting transgender athletes

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 21:28:32 GMT

A bill barring transgender athletes from competing in women sports heads to the Governor

The House passed the “Mississippi Fairness Act” with no discussion or debate. Governor Tate Reeves says he will sign it. A $1,000 teacher pay raise plan is still alive in the Legislature. The bill returns to the House. Members can either accept the plan or negotiate further. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann weighs in on the House tax reform bill – a plan to phase out the state’s income tax.

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The Mississippi Tax Freedom Act

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 21:42:47 GMT

Some members of the House are calling it a historic day for tax policy in Mississippi

The House approved a plan to phase out the state’s income tax within 10 years. Lawmakers say it will return $1.9 billion to the pockets of Mississippians. Gov. Reeves says he finds parts of the bill troublesome. Measures to eliminate the state’s “pink tax” died in both chambers. Anti-hazing policies for colleges and universities are moving through the legislature.

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Historic winter weather brings legislative action to a near halt

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 02:38:53 GMT

Severe winter weather caused lawmakers in the House to convene via ZOOM for the first time in state history. Senators met in-person, despite the ice and snow, to pass a bill that would purge some of Mississippi's voter rolls. The Senate voted unanimously for a plan they hope will simplify tax incentives in the state. Senate bill 2822 is the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive Act, also called MFLEX. The House is considering a proposal to allow voters to decide whether to temporarily increase the state's gas tax. Revenue from the increase would go to improvement projects on highways and local roads and bridges.

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Medical marijuana, transgender athletes, Medicaid expansion

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 01:30:21 GMT

Lawmakers worked past midnight to pass a medical marijuana alternative bill.

Lawmakers in the Senate vote to ban transgender athletes from competing in women's athletics. An effort to purge voter rolls passes along party lines. The Senate passed the Miss. Medical Cannabis Act as a backup plan if Initiative 65 is struck down by the courts. Republicans in the Senate rejected two plans to expand Medicaid, but an expansion plan to care for sick inmates heads to the House.

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Lawmakers mark deadline to pass bills out of committee

Sat, 06 Feb 2021 01:30:00 GMT

The Senate passes bills to create a teacher loan repayment program and expand broadband

Lawmakers marked the first big deadline to pass bills out of committee. The Senate passed bills to create a teacher loan repayment program and expand broadband to rural areas. Lawmakers also drafted a medical marijuana bill as Initiative 65 goes before the state’s highest court.

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Gov. Reeves delivers his second State of the State speech

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 16:14:10 GMT

Gov. Reeves says his top priority is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic in Miss.

Gov. Reeves says he supports a teacher pay increase, eliminating the state's income tax, and speeding up COVID-19 vaccine distribution. It's week three of the 2021 legislative session and lawmakers are up against a deadline. Committees are expected to decide on all general bills and constitutional amendments originating in each chamber by early next week.

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Teachers in Miss. Could soon see a pay increase

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 13:30:44 GMT

A $1,000 teacher pay raise passes the Senate unanimously

The Senate voted to give a $1,000 raise to teachers with at least three years’ experience. Newer teachers would get $1,100 to make the job more attractive. The plan heads to the House. Legislative leaders said Thursday that committees will begin conducting some business online starting next week, after at least two senators and one House member tested positive for the coronavirus.

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It’s official. Mississippi is flying a new state flag.

Sat, 16 Jan 2021 01:30:52 GMT

Ratifying a new state flag topped the agenda for lawmakers at the start of the 2021 session.

As the 2021 legislative session convenes, lawmakers move swiftly to ratify the “In God We Trust” flag. During a ceremony, Gov. Tate Reeves signs the flag bill into law and new flags are raised atop the Capitol in Jackson. A proposed $1,000 teacher pay raise bill is moving through the Senate. Members of the Legislative Black Caucus are outlining their priorities for the 2021 session.

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@Issue Special: Mississippi's Debate Over Legalizing Medical Marijuana

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 13:08:30 GMT

In this @Issue Special, host Wilson Stribling moderates a debate over the two initiatives on the ballot that could allow for the legalization of medical marijuana in Mississippi. Guests include Angie Calhoun of Medical Marijuana 2020 and Jim Perry of the State Board of Health.

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@Issue: Coronavirus Crisis | A one-on-one with State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 14:42:01 GMT

In this special edition of @Issue, MPB's Desare Frazier talks one-on-one with State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs, and takes viewer/listener questions about the coronavirus pandemic in Mississippi.

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New DHS Director Appointed, State Prepares for Coronavirus

Fri, 06 Mar 2020 21:54:42 GMT

New DHS Director Bob Anderson has been appointed to root out corruption in the agency. State health officials discuss plans to control the threat of the coronavirus in Mississippi. Lawmakers move dozens of bills out of committee this week. Political analysts Brandon Jones and Austin Barbour look ahead to the March 10th presidential primary election.

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Advocates Rally Against a Welfare Verification Bill

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 23:00:16 GMT

A bill to allow the state auditor access to tax returns of people receiving government assistance is moving through the legislature and advocates are speaking out. Senate committees pass a revised version of the voucher bill for students with special needs. Moms Demand Action are supporting a red flag bill. In November, voters get to choose if medical marijuana should be legal in Mississippi.

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Closing Parchmans's Unit 29, Mental Health Lawsuit, Historic Flood Recovery

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 23:00:59 GMT

Gov. Tate Reeves says the remaining prisoners in Parchman’s Unit 29 are being transferred to a nearby correctional facility. Reeves also tells flood evacuees how to report damages to MEMA. Lawmakers and State Dept. of Mental Health officials discuss a pending lawsuit. The U. S. Justice Dept. is suing the state for not providing mental health patients enough care in their communities.

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Lawmakers Pass Welfare Verification Bill Along Party Lines

Fri, 14 Feb 2020 23:00:55 GMT

Senate bill 2557 passed 35-14 along party lines but not without a fight. Democrats argue it’s an attack on poor people. The House and Senate corrections committees are listening to presentations about expanding intervention courts and workforce training in prisons. The Department of Public Safety is asking for a $55 million budget increase. Lawmakers say it’s too soon to make promises.

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Federal Investigation Opens Over Conditions at State Prisons

Fri, 07 Feb 2020 23:00:30 GMT

The Department of Justice is opening an investigation on conditions at four state prisons after at least 15 inmates have died. Governor Tate Reeves says he is in support of the investigation. The Senate passed a teacher pay bill that would give most teachers and teachers’ assistants a $1,000 raise. It heads to the House for more discussion.

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2020 State of the State Address, School Choice Week

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 23:00:32 GMT

Gov. Tate Reeves announces the closing of parts of the State Penitentiary at Parchman that’s been recently rocked by deadly violence in his first State of the State address. It’s National School Choice Week and parents are urging lawmakers to renew the Education Scholarship Account program for children with special needs.

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Mississippi's Prison Unrest and Response from State Leaders

Fri, 24 Jan 2020 23:00:26 GMT

A recent string of deadly violence in Mississippi prisons has caught national attention. Prison advocates and families have been rallying outside the state capitol since day one of the 2020 legislative session. They are calling on lawmakers to take immediate action saying state inmates’ constitutional rights are being violated.

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