Taylor Vance
@taylorcvance
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Covering campaigns & state government for @MSTODAYnews . Previously @DJournalnow . Always craving Delta tamales and a good story.
Jackson, MS
Joined October 2012
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I asked Gov. Reeves to clarify why he hasn’t given away campaign $ from people who have pleaded guilty in Mississippi’s welfare scandal.
Part of his response: “… You don’t get to follow around and ask the governor questions.”
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Breaking MS election news: The Mississippi Democratic Party is planning to file a lawsuit asking a Hinds County judge to keep all Hinds County polling precincts open until 9 p.m.
More details to come soon.
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A Mississippi lawmaker today asked a physician if there was some way the state could educate women on the need to seek healthcare early on in a pregnancy.
Hmm, if only there was some course that could be taught in high school that explained sex and reproductive health.
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But this story isn't about me or any other news outlet the governor criticizes.
The story is about a sitting governor refusing to clarify to voters and the public why he hasn't given away money he received from two people who have pleaded guilty to several crimes.
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The governor said during a 2020 press conference that he would place campaign donations from Nancy and Zach New, two central people in the welfare scandal, into a separate bank account. But there's no evidence that ever happened.
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Gov. Reeves is now saying he will give those funds away to charity when the civil and criminal cases about the welfare scandal conclude.
But why?
Nancy and Zach New have already pleaded guilty to federal and state charges, and the litigation likely won't change that.
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When I tried to clarify why he's waiting for the litigation to end -- something that could take years -- he refused to answer my question and launched into a tirade about Mississippi Today.
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A MS state senator at a hearing asked the director of Child Protection Services if the agency was prepared to handle around 5,000 more births in the state because abortion is now largely illegal in MS.
CPS director: No sir, not by myself I'm not.
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The full audio of the interview is linked at the bottom of the story if anyone wants to hear the full context.
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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley yesterday pledged that if he's elected governor in November, he will urge the state Ethics Commission to appoint an independent investigator to scrutinize the state's welfare scandal.
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A White House spokesperson told me that President Joe Biden intends to nominate Northeast Mississippi prosecutor Scott Colom to be a federal judge in Mississippi's Northern District. If confirmed, Colom would be the second Black judge currently serving in the Northern District.
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Brandon Presley, the Democratic candidate for MS governor, raised $1.3 million between January and May - that's more than any Democratic candidate for governor in at least 20 years.
This brings Presley's total cash on hand to around $1.6 million.
Brandon Presley raised more money between January and May of an election year than any Democratic candidate for governor in at least two decades.
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Gov. Tate Reeves has long been opposed to Medicaid expansion in Mississippi.
Today, former Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones said that Reeves admitted to him years ago that Medicaid expansion would be beneficial for MS, but hurt him politically.
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Brandon Presley, a Democratic candidate MS governor, has assembled a team of veteran strategists who specialize getting Democratic governors elected in southern states.
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Wild way to end fundraising for the 2023 MS election cycle:
Democrat Brandon Presley has outraised Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, one of the most notable MS fundraisers in modern years, by more than $5 million to date in the 2023 election cycle.
Democrat Brandon Presley has outraised Republican Gov. Tate Reeves by more than $5 million to date in the 2023 statewide election cycle.
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John Davis, the former leader of the state's welfare agency, has been indicted on federal conspiracy and theft charges.
The indictment was unsealed today. This is the latest development in Mississippi TANF scandal.
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Around a third of the entire Mississippi Senate chamber is pushing for a bill that specifies the state Legislature must meet in public.
If passed, the legislation will essentially ban the House GOP caucus from conducting meetings behind closed doors.
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I asked the author of the bill, Sen. Michael McLendon, if he knew of any MS schools teaching CRT. He told me he wasn't aware of any. I then asked him if he could define CRT. He then walked away from me.
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Reporting from the Delta today, so y’all already know what I had to eat for lunch.
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The Daily Journal is joining with Mississippi Today and the Mississippi Free Press to oppose former Gov. Phil Bryant’s effort to block the public from viewing emails and text messages that could shed new light on Mississippi's welfare scandal.
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Arkansas replaced a statue of Uriah Rose, a Confederate sympathizer, with one of Daisy Bates, a civil rights activist, in the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall Collection. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson supported the effort.
The new statue of Daisy Lee Gatson Bates has been unveiled in Statuary Hall in our nation’s capital. It is a proud day for Arkansas and our nation
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I can’t wait for this building to be filled with nothing but love and peace during the next four months of the 2024 session.
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Great day at the Mississippi Capitol where former Rep. Alyce Clarke, the first Black woman elected to the Legislature, sees a portrait of her unveiled. The portrait will hang in the Capitol building.
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Hours after yet another MS hospital said it was laying off workers, a Delta hospital CEO criticized Gov. Tate Reeves for opposing Medicaid expansion.
“We don’t understand why Tate Reeves doesn’t understand why he needs a healthy workforce.”
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A few interesting things in Gov. Tate Reeves' tweet:
1) The governor is apparently endorsing Donald Trump for president.
2) Morgan Freeman and John Grisham, two famous Mississippi natives, support Brandon Presley's bid for governor.
My opponent is raising big money in DC tomorrow with the number one Trump Hater—Bennie Thompson. I’m voting for Donald Trump in 2024. Brandon Presley supports Joe Biden. Choice is clear. If you want Biden politics in the Mississippi Governor’s Office, you’ve got your guy.
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I’m excited to share that, starting next week, I’ll begin covering statewide elections for
@MSTODAYnews
. This is a pivotal election for Mississippi, and I can’t wait to travel my home state to hear what voters are wanting out of candidates this year.
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Brandon Presley, Democratic candidate for MS governor, vows to campaign in all 82 counties.
“Are you going to come to Coahoma County?”someone asked.
“Yes ma’am, I’m going to come there and to the 81 other counties in this state,” Presley responded.
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Here's my first story for
@MSTODAYnews
: New polling shows that around two-thirds of Mississippians across political lines support expanding Medicaid to the working poor.
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There’s a lightbulb on the 4th floor of the Capitol barely hanging on by a wire, and I feel like this is representative of all of us at this point in the legislative session.
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I know this is a minor thing, but I'm glad Mississippi journalists and outlets are providing links/copies of court documents for readers to view whenever we report on legal matters.
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John Grisham reflecting on his time in the MS Legislature: "We were on the cusp of this progressive revolution. We believed it. Thirty-four years later, it’s astonishing how far backward the state has gone. The politics there are very displeasing to me."
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Brandon Presley, the Democratic nominee for MS governor, has challenged incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves to a debate before the November election. Presley said he would even drive to Reeves' deer hunting camp for the debate.
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New: Brandon Presley, a Democratic candidate for governor, will deliver the Democratic response to Republican Gov. Tate Reeves' State of the State address tomorrow night.
Presley's response will likely be a preview of the statewide election cycle.
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The MS Democratic Party is announcing that Ty Pinkins will become the party’s new nominee for Secretary of State. He will compete against incumbent Republican Secretary of State Michael Watson.
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Brandon Presley, the Democratic nominee for governor, has challenged Republican Gov. Tate Reeves to five debates around the state.
Mississippians deserve to hear straight from the candidates for Governor. That’s why today I’m challenging Tate Reeves to 5 debates around the state. I’ll debate him anywhere, any time. So, Tate, are you ready to debate?
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Jack Reed Jr., former GOP mayor of Tupelo and the owner of a company that has been an anchor of north MS for decades, spoke on behalf of a group of MS business leaders at the Capitol on Tuesday urging the Legislature to pass a full Medicaid expansion bill.
"Mississippi has delayed far too long," Retired Maj. Gen. Augustus Collins, former head of the state National Guard, wrote the lieutenant governor on Medicaid expansion.
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Former Gov. Phil Bryant is asking a judge to block the public from viewing his emails and texts about how welfare dollars were used to construct a volleyball stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi.
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Brandon Presley, the Democratic candidate for MS governor, is having a press conference in Gulfport today to reveal his plan to ensure something like the state’s massive welfare scandal does it happen in the future.
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A major national outlet getting key details wrong about Mississippi and the statewide election after parachuting in? Say it ain't so!
In all seriousness, this is an important thread about the current felony voting lawsuit in Mississippi.
Important thread on some very seriously mistaken reporting by the
@nytimes
about the current felony voting situation in Mississippi.
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Interesting take from the governor considering I've heard a lot of talk recently from state leaders trying to figure out how we can recruit and retain "20 and 30-somethings" in our state.
Mississippi’s elections will not be controlled by 20 and 30-somethings in Silicon Valley cubicles trying to push their woke ideology.
That’s why I signed this law - to stop Big Tech from using their cash to influence our elections.
Thanks for highlighting!
@Heritage_Action
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The Democratic Governors Association announced today that it's donating $750,000 to Brandon Presley's campaign for governor.
The Democratic Governors Association announced Tuesday the organization is donating $750,000 to Brandon Presley’s campaign for governor.
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I'm in the process of asking all of the lawmakers from northeast Mississippi if they're running for re-election next year.
My favorite response so far: "I’m just seeing your message. I was drinking all day yesterday. I do plan on qualifying in January."
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Major update: A Hinds County judge has extended voting in Hinds County voting precincts until 8 p.m.
Breaking MS election news: The Mississippi Democratic Party is planning to file a lawsuit asking a Hinds County judge to keep all Hinds County polling precincts open until 9 p.m.
More details to come soon.
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For the second time this week, I had to mail a public records request into Gov.
@tatereeves
office through the postal service for it to be processed. The overwhelming majority of public bodies have an online form or allow you to submit requests by email. But not the governor.
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Brandon Presley went off script and embraced several impromptu moments yesterday when he campaigned at Jackson State University’s homecoming game.
But his common message was, if elected governor, he would work to invest more in MS’s HBCUs.
Brandon Presley, the Democratic nominee for governor, campaigned at Jackson State's homecoming game on Saturday. He told fans that if he were elected, he'd work to ensure the state invests more in HBCUs.
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It's interesting that postpartum Medicaid extension is not one of the safety net policies on AG Fitch's list to support mothers and children.
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Major news at the MS Capitol: Top leaders in the House of Representatives are in the early stages of creating a pathway for some people convicted of disenfranchising felonies to have their voting rights restored.
Top leaders in the Mississippi House are in the early stages of crafting a pathway for some people convicted of disenfranchising felonies to have their voting rights restored — the first such effort at the Capitol in more than a decade.
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While two state agencies were investigating Centene for ripping off taxpayers and inflating its bills, the health giant gave Mississippi politicians over $300,000 in campaign donations.
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The 5,000 figure comes from state medical leaders who estimate that the Dobbs decision will, at least, cause 5,000 more births in the state. Sen.
@bricewigginsMS
said these will likely be unplanned or unwanted births, and it's safe to assume this could increase CPS's caseload.
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New from me: Gov. Tate Reeves used Mississippi's taxpayer-owned plane for several trips that appear inherently political. It also seems that even on some state business trips, he used publicly funded air travel to collect campaign checks.
Gov. Tate Reeves, in his first term as governor, has liberally used the plane for trips that appear inherently political, according to a Mississippi Today review of flight records.
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Please read this crazy update from Nick. He and the MFP are doing important work. Just think, if he had never published this, the public would be left in the dark about a mayor threatening to withhold funds from a public library.
UPDATE: Mayor Gene McGee finally returned my calls!
Our conversation was brief, but here's the gist: he acknowledged that he was holding the funds from the library, stating that it was because of citizen complaints of "sexual ... content."
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Earlier this month, I reported that a north MS lawmaker, former Gov. Phil Bryant and the ex-leader of the state welfare agency met to discuss a nonprofit receiving TANF dollars.
Now, I’ve learned the FBI has questioned the lawmaker about that meeting.
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CPS social workers already make extremely low salaries ($31k for an entry level worker w/ a college degree) and the agency is still under a decades-long lawsuit.
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A few things to remember here:
1. A judge has not granted this request, so voters should not plan their voting activity around this.
2. Polling precincts are still open until 7 p.m., regardless of this legal action. If you are still in line by 7 p.m., you can stay in line.
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Population loss is one of the biggest problems in our state. I'm slowly watching all of the friends I graduated high school and college with leave Mississippi. Yet Mississippi's governor is using his platform to bash the very demographic we need to retain.
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The Mississippi Legislature almost passed a public education budget that gave $300k to Lobaki, a nonprofit that a state agency is currently suing for allegedly misspending over $700k in federal welfare dollars.
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But one policy
@LynnFitchAG
has been silent on is extending postpartum Medicaid benefits for new mothers for up to a year after they give birth.
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New: Bill Waller Jr., the former chief justice of the state Supreme Court, is still considering challenging Tate Reeves in the GOP primary, and he’s using a more aggressive campaign style this time in criticizing Reeves.
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A solar energy company that Gov. Tate Reeves' campaign highlighted in a recent TV has threatened to sue the governor's campaign if it doesn't take the ad off the air.
Breaking: A solar energy company targeted by new Tate Reeves attack ad has threatened to sue the governor’s campaign if it doesn’t take the ad off the air.
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Yes, when I think of the Mississippi Capitol, the words “peace” and “joy” are the first that come to mind.
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This legal action follows several reports and complaints that some Hinds County precincts have run out of ballots throughout the day.
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Brandon Presley, the Democratic candidate for governor, is pushing Gov. Tate Reeves to call a special session for lawmakers to debate restoring Mississippi's ballot initiative process.
Reeves didn't respond to a request for comment.
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I think it’s important to clarify one thing about former Gov. Bryant’s text messages and emails.
He claimed in a video released today that news outlets had petitioned a court for his emails.
This is factually wrong.
NEW: Former Gov. Phil Bryant announced Thursday that he would release publicly all text messages from his time in office related to the state welfare scandal.
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The MS House passed a bill to allow package stores across the state to sell liquor and wine on Sunday afternoons.
“They can go get it after church but not before or during church?”
“That’s correct."
Mississippians could soon purchase liquor and wine seven days a week under a plan that passed the House. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
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State medical leaders like the current state health officer, the past state health officer and the leader of the state's largest hospital have publicly stated they support this policy because it *would* have an immediate impact.
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I'm glad to see the MFP is appealing this ethics commission ruling to the courts and fighting for the public's right to participate in open meetings!
The Mississippi Free Press asked a court on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, to hold that the Mississippi Legislature is a “public body” and that House Republican Caucus meetings must be open to the public under the State’s Open Meetings Act.
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Update on this: Casey Lott, an attorney for the Tupelo-based Family Resource Center, told me that it appears federal prosecutors are describing Christi Webb, the director of the FRC, as a co-conspirator.
Lott said it was "absurd" for DOJ to believe she conspired w/ John Davis.
John Davis, the former leader of the state's welfare agency, has been indicted on federal conspiracy and theft charges.
The indictment was unsealed today. This is the latest development in Mississippi TANF scandal.
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"Extend Medicaid to the working people of Mississippi, period."
If there was every any ambiguity or confusion, I think this tweet clears it up. Brandon Presley isn't using the term "Medicaid expansion," but I think it's clear where he stands on this issue.
Happy to stand w/
@MHA
Mayors Simmons and McAdams and countless others in the fight to save our hospitals in spite of crickets from state leaders who claim to “care” about healthcare access. Extend Medicaid to the working people of Mississippi, period.
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Major update: A Hinds County judge has extended voting in Hinds County voting precincts until 8 p.m.
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Mississippi's top candidates for governor are both proposing tax cuts to voters.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves continues his push to eliminate the state's income tax. Democrat Brandon Presley wants to eliminate the grocery tax and reduce car tag fees.
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I think this is a bit rich considering Mississippi lawmakers can deliberately confuse voters by putting an alternative initiative alongside the original initiative that petitioners originally asked to be placed on the ballot.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves says he does not believe "the outcome in Kansas’ election last night speaks definitively about the pro-life nature of that state."
"The question that was on the ballot was rather confusing in my opinion," he said.
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Sen. David Jordan, a retired public school teacher and the son of a sharecropper, spoke passionately in the committee meeting about how the bill would cause more harm than good and confuse students.
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Gov. Tate Reeves last week said his campaign team is working with Democratic challenger Brandon Presley's campaign to schedule a debate.
But Presley's campaign says that's news to them and they haven't heard from the Reeves team.
Will voters actually get a debate?
Gov. Tate Reeves said last week his campaign was working with challenger Brandon Presley's campaign to schedule debates.
But Presley's team says they haven't heard from Reeves' team at all, and the governor still hasn't agreed to a debate.
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A deputy Medicaid administrator just told Mississippi legislators that it would cost the state around $7 million a year to extend postpartum Medicaid benefits up to a year for new mothers.
Mississippi collected over $7 billion in revenue during the last fiscal year.
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I don't report on the city of Jackson, but just an observation:
I find it funny that when lawmakers try to pass legislation that will impact Jackson (and they know Jackson lawmakers will oppose it), they always maintain that "this bill is not about the city of Jackson."
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One of more entertaining moments yesterday was when a group of JSU fans surrounded Presley and chanted, “Tate Reeves has got to go.”
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New from me: A bill that would give the Secretary of State the power to audit election results is moving through the MS Senate. Democrats are worried this will decrease trust in election results.
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I hate to see
@_SarahUlmer_
leave the Capitol Press Corps, but I’m excited for her as she starts a new chapter of her life. It may hurt or help my reputation for people to know we are actually good friends and keep each other informed with what’s happening at the Capitol.
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Gov. Tate Reeves' campaign sent a news release yesterday with a bold claim: "Brandon Presley team vandalizes Purvis small business."
But police in Purvis and Hattiesburg told Mississippi Today no one has been charged regarding the 2 incidents.
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Shuwaski Young, a former Democratic nominee for Congress, announces in front of the Mississippi Capitol that he will run for Secretary of State.
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The deputy attorney general is now testifying on behalf of the AGs office, which has recommended several policy proposals on ways the Legislature could help mothers. Some of these proposals: tax credits for childcare, paid parental leave, improving child support.
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While we wait for results to come in, I took a break to take in this beautiful view of the Coast.
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MS only gives postpartum benefits for the minimum 60 days. The Senate has repeatedly passed bills to expand this coverage for up to a year, but it keeps dying in the House. House leaders said they think this is a form of Medicaid expansion, which they're against.
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The
@MSFreePress
challenged the closed door meetings, and the politically appointed ethics commission ruled the GOP caucus didn't have to invite the public into its meetings. The MFP is appealing that ruling.
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Mississippi lawmakers conducted one of the first comprehensive hearings on mental health in a long time.
A pattern that emerged: police officers aren't equipped to handle people with mental health and they don't believe they belong in prisons.
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After lackluster efforts w/ Black voters in 2019, one of the largest get-out-the-vote efforts from the MS Democratic Party in recent years took place last weekend.
Here's why that matters and what impact it could have on the upcoming election.
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The MS Senate passed a bipartisan bill to allow no-excuse early voting and sent it to the House.
MS is one of only a handful of states that doesn’t offer in-person early voting.
The Senate on Tuesday passed bipartisan legislation that would allow no-excuse early voting in Mississippi for 15 days before Election Day, including the Saturday before.
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The MS Senate is debating a bill that will direct state election officials to remove a registered voter from voter rolls if that voter does not participate or update their voter registration status within a four-year timeline.
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New statement from State Auditor Shad White, as John Davis is expected to plead guilty to federal charges today.
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Dr. Anita Henderson, the past president of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, says many people who would benefit from Medicaid expansion *are* currently working and don't have health insurance.
I have cared for kids on Medicaid in Mississippi for almost 30 years. Many of their parents ARE working and still without insurance. Medicaid expansion helps children by improving healthcare coverage for their parents. Medicaid expansion is pro child, pro family, pro Mississippi
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State attorneys in court Wednesday used taxpayer resources to oppose releasing MS Gov. Tate Reeves' brother's texts because they "may harm (welfare scandal) investigation."
Today, Gov. Reeves' campaign publicly released his brother's text messages with the state auditor.
The state has fought for months to shield texts regarding Gov. Tate Reeves' brother, saying their release could harm welfare scandal investigation.
Reeves released them today, showing his brother helped Brett Favre do welfare-related damage control.
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Gov. Tate Reeves’ top campaign contributors, since he took office in 2020, have netted $1.4 billion in state contracts or grants from agencies the governor directly oversees.
Gov. Tate Reeves’ top campaign contributors netted $1.4 billion in state contracts or grants from agencies the governor has overseen since he took office in 2020.
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Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann is the first statewide official to speak candidly about the scathing DOJ report that found Parchman inmates were being denied constitutional rights. He thinks it may be time to scrap Parchman and build a new facility elsewhere.
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Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann’s campaign isn’t wasting any time punching back against Sen. Chris McDaniel announcing he’s running for lieutenant governor.
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Republican Gov. Tate Reeves recently met with a group of state senators at the Governor's Mansion and privately told them he will veto any Medicaid expansion bill that lawmakers pass.
Gov. Tate Reeves summoned a group of state senators to the Governor's Mansion in early March and privately told them he will veto any Medicaid expansion bill lawmakers pass.
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At this point, is there a medical leader who hasn’t endorsed extending postpartum Medicaid coverage to a full year?
Listen to
@babydocAnita
- heathy moms and healthy babies lead to better health for all! Thank you
@MissyWMcGee
for taking action. We don’t have to be last.
@TCBPubHealth
@UMMCnews
@the_dr_j
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Reporters have asked General Fitch about this, and she's also declined to take a stance on this. When we asked why she won't add this to her policy proposals, she said she was focused on proposals that would have an immediate impact.
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Gwendolyn Gray announced that she’s dropping her independent bid for governor and endorsing Democratic nominee Brandon Presley.
I’m checking into the details, but I’m pretty sure she would still appear on the general election ballot because the ballot is already certified.
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Dr. Jones: “My public comments had to be constrained because I had to be able to walk into a Republican's office about our budget. I’m retired now; I’m unconstrained, and the crisis is upon us.”
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