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The GOP-controlled House and Senate passed competing “compromise” plans on Tuesday to eliminate the state income tax and raise gasoline taxes — but the Senate only narrowly passed its plan with the help of four Democrats. 

The proposals advanced by each chamber continue a debate over the potential risks and rewards of drastically altering the tax structure in the poorest state in the country as federal spending cuts loom. 

Tuesday’s Senate vote raises the question of whether that chamber could pass a more aggressive income tax elimination proposal even if the Republican Senate leadership reaches an agreement with House leaders.

The legislative dynamics 

The state Constitution requires a three-fifths majority of lawmakers to approve tax bills, so if Democrats Sarita Simmons of Cleveland, Juan Barnett of Heidelberg, Gary Brumfield of Magnolia and Angela Turner Ford of West Point had not joined the Republican majority to support the measure, it would have failed. 

“You know what they call a medical school student who finished last in his class? A doctor,” Senate Finance Chairman Josh Harkins told reporters after the close vote. 

Only a couple of votes could have derailed the bill in the Senate because four Republican senators voted against the measure, and four Republicans voted “present.”

Harkins said the razor-thin margin shows how fragile the coalition of support is in the 51-member chamber and how there isn’t an enormous appetite to accelerate the income tax elimination rapidly as the House proposes. 

Some Democratic senators, including Minority Leader Derrick Simmons, appeared frustrated that four of their colleagues broke from them to ensure the measure’s passage.

“Time and time again, I’ve seen where (Democrats) have had the ability to exert our power, yet we have fallen short by not voting in solidarity with the working people of Mississippi,” Simmons told Mississippi Today. 

Ahead of a Tuesday evening deadline, the House also passed an updated version of its original tax reform package in a 91-27 vote, with 11 Democrats crossing party lines in the Republican-controlled chamber to support the bill. Unlike the Senate, every Republican in the House chamber has voted to eliminate the income tax. 

Debate centers on slashing state budget as federal cuts loom

Republican House Ways and Means Trey Lamar said the House proposal slashes state revenues to give working people tax cuts. 

“This bill is the most substantial tax cut for Mississippians that this state has ever known or seen,” Lamar said.  

House Democratic Leader Robert Johnson called the bill “grossly irresponsible” and “dangerous,” arguing it would hollow out the state’s budget at a time when the federal government is considering vast spending cuts to programs Mississippi relies on. 

“We are the poorest state in the union, the lowest per capita income in the country … They are getting ready to put you in a situation where it doesn’t matter how much money they put back in your pockets,” Johnson said. “Be cognizant of the fact that you elected people to come in here and gut your public services, gut your public education, gut your public safety and gut your public health.” 

Experts have told Mississippi Today that deep federal spending cuts, along with the elimination of the state income tax, could reduce Mississippi’s ability to fund services. Some also warn the shift to a more regressive form of taxation would hit poor and low-income Mississippians hardest.

Mississippi is perennially among the most federally dependent states, receiving nearly a 3-1 return for every dollar in federal taxes it pays. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have expressed fear of the economic impact of federal cuts.

The focus of future negotiations 

Now that the two chambers have passed alternative tax cut plans, six lawmakers will likely try to work out a final agreement in a conference committee. 

Going forward, the Senate is unlikely to accept a deal that increases the state sales tax and does not change the structure of the Public Employees Retirement System. The Senate is pushing a “hybrid” retirement plan to shore up the system financially by cutting benefits for future employees.

House Speaker Jason White said he plans to press the Senate to move off its “hard condition” of overhauling PERS. His caucus wants a dedicated stream of revenue for the retirement system. The House has proposed diverting most of the state’s lottery proceeds to PERS, or he suggested for the first time Tuesday that revenue from legalizing online sports betting could also help the system.

“The spot we’ve identified for additional revenue is mobile sports betting, where we’re losing to illegal gambling now,” White said. If (the Senate) wants to keep the amount of either gas tax or sales that has to be raised to offset this income tax (cut), then we should look at that as a valid place to look.” 

Legalizing mobile sports betting has been another wedge between the chambers. The House has passed legislation this session to legalize the practice but the measure faces opposition in the Senate.

A look at the latest tax proposals  

The new House Plan would:

• Fully eliminate the state income tax by 2037. The elimination would begin phasing in after the state next year finishes implementing another income tax cut it approved in 2022. The phase-in period would take a decade, beginning with a reduction from 4% to 3.5% and then lowering further from there.
• Cut about $2.2 billion from the state’s current $7 billion general fund. The state would also raise about $750 million through tax increases. But much of collected through tax increases would go to the general fund.
• Increase the state’s net sales tax from 7% to 8%. The revenue from this tax increase would provide $48 million annually to pay for infrastructure improvements via the State Aid Road Fund. The remaining money would go into the state’s general fund.
• Add a new 15-cents-a-gallon excise tax on gasoline. The tax increase would be phased in at 5 cents a year over three years. This would be added to the current 18.4-cents-a-gallon excise Mississippi motorists currently pay.
• Cut the sales tax on groceries from 7% to 5%.
• Increase the state’s “use yax,” which is imposed on goods purchased outside the state or online, from 7% to 8%.
• Create a new fund that gives those over the age of 65 property tax credits of $200 a year. The fund would be paid for by revenue from the use tax increase referenced above.
• Transfer $100 million per year from the state lottery system into the public employee retirement system. 

The new Senate plan would: 

• Decrease the 4% income tax rate by .25% each year from 2027 to 2030 and leave it at 3% in 2030.
• After it reaches 3%, the income tax would be reduced with “growth triggers” or at a proportional rate depending on the difference between the state’s revenue and spending plans that year. 
• Reduce the sales tax on groceries from 7% to 5%.
• Increase the 18.4-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax by 9 cents over three years, for a total of 27.4 cents, then this would increase automatically based on the cost of road construction.
• Change benefits for government employees hired after March 2026 to a “hybrid” retirement that includes part-defined benefit and part-defined contribution.

The post Senate and House pass revised plans to eliminate income tax, increase gasoline tax appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Dozens of advocates, doctors and spiritual leaders gathered outside the Capitol Tuesday to call for the “defense and expansion of Medicaid.” 

“Medicaid is not just an insurance program – it is a lifeline for 707,000 Mississippians,” said Sonya Williams Barnes, the state policy director for Southern Poverty Law Center. “Medicaid ensures that 315,000 children receive the health care they need … Make no mistakes: A cut to Medicaid directly harms our most vulnerable.”

Despite having some of the strictest eligibility requirements for the program, Mississippi has one of the largest Medicaid populations in the country as a result of the state’s poverty. 

With federal changes threatening already-existing health care programs, defending Medicaid for vulnerable groups such as those who are pregnant, elderly or disabled has become the new goal  for Mississippi advocates. Expanding Medicaid – arguably the biggest issue of the historic 2024 legislative session – has taken a backseat. 

But some urge it’s as important as ever. 

“In this moment we cannot shift gears, after all these years, and only beg our elected officials to save Medicaid,” the Rev. Jason Coker said. “We can’t give up that ground at a moment when we need to be gaining ground. We’ve got to keep pushing for Medicaid expansion, while we demand and pray for Medicaid to continue uncut.” 

Key lawmakers have said expanding Medicaid in Mississippi is all but dead this year – though a vehicle for expansion is still alive in the Legislature. 

“In a most practical sense, I’d say we probably won’t be doing anything this year,” Senate Medicaid Chairman Kevin Blackwell told Mississippi Today.

Mississippi is one of 10 states not to expand Medicaid, which would give health insurance to hundreds of thousands of low-income working Mississippians who can’t afford private health insurance and don’t qualify for subsidies that make marketplace insurance affordable.

“What kind of society are we to compound suffering with catastrophic costs to those in our congregations and so many across our state who fall within that coverage gap?” Coker asked. 

Dr. Randy Easterling, former president of the Mississippi State Medical Association, recounted a story of an uninsured patient who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a kind of cancer, around the same time that Easterling’s insured relative was also diagnosed with the disease. The uninsured patient, Jimmy, died, while Easterling’s relative is now in remission. 

“Is this what we boil down to?” Easterling asked. “If you have insurance, you live, if you don’t, you die? Let me tell you something, folks: That’s not what I signed up for when I went to medical school.”

The post Doctors, advocates rally at Capitol: ‘Defend and expand Medicaid’ appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Editor’s note: Errick Simmons is the third-term mayor of Greenville. This article is part of an ongoing Mississippi Today Ideas series showcasing perspectives of mayors across the state.

As mayor of Greenville, it’s my honor to share our city’s journey of growth and transformation. Greenville isn’t just a point on a map — it’s a vibrant community with a rich history, culture and shared vision for the future.

With billions of dollars in investments flowing into Greenville, including the recent $1.2 billion Entergy project, we’re witnessing the dawn of a new era. These milestones are creating opportunities across education, healthcare, infrastructure and economic development, fueling a Greenville that’s resilient, inclusive and built to last.

Historic investments reshaping Greenville

Greenville is seeing an unprecedented wave of investment that touches every corner of our community. In addition to a new federal courthouse positioning Greenville as a judicial hub, we’ve launched the Greenville Kearns Aerospace Maintenance (GKAM) program. In partnership with Mississippi Delta Community College, this initiative provides local students with hands-on aviation training, opening pathways to high-paying, skilled careers right here at home.

Through Mississippi’s first formalized college network — the Greenville College Access and Attainment Network (GCAAN) — we’re helping students move from high school to college with the support, resources and mentorship they need.

This past fall, we celebrated the groundbreaking $1.2 billion Entergy investment, which will transform Greenville, Washington County and the greater Delta region. Entergy’s new combined-cycle combustion turbine facility will use dual-fuel technology, primarily natural gas with hydrogen blending capability, enhancing energy reliability while moving toward cleaner power. Scheduled for completion in 2028, this plant will be Entergy’s first newly built natural gas station in 50 years and is expected to bring valuable jobs to our residents.

To add another billion-dollar icing on the cake, the Kinder Morgan Mississippi Crossing Project, a $1.4 billion natural gas project, is designed to transport 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day from Greenville to Butler, Alabama, with a planned operation date of November 2028. This project will create 700 temporary construction jobs.

Health and food access for a thriving community

Beyond economic development, we’re prioritizing health and food security, recognizing that wellness is foundational to a thriving community. Through partnerships with Mars Food, Molina Healthcare and Kroger, we’re expanding access to nutritious foods, addressing food deserts, and ensuring every Greenville resident has healthy options.

In healthcare, Delta Health System’s Mississippi Delta Family Residency Program and Delta Health Center’s new clinic are not only providing much-needed medical services but also training future medical providers who are passionate about serving right here in the Delta. This work is about more than access; it’s about building equity in the health of our community.

A resilient infrastructure for Greenville’s future

Our infrastructure investments are reshaping Greenville. With $260 million invested in the Greenville Freight Corridor, we’re creating new efficiencies for local businesses and industries. We’ve committed $92 million for essential road, bridge and wastewater repairs, and an additional $50 million in funding is supporting flood recovery and building resilience against future disasters. These projects go beyond routine repairs; they’re about Greenville’s long-term sustainability and strength.

Delta culture shines in the “City of Festivals”

Greenville’s heritage is a source of pride, celebrated through an array of festivals that showcase the best of Delta culture. Newly dubbed the “City of Festivals,” Greenville is home to the Delta Hot Tamale Festival, (2024 USA Today No. 1 Specialty Food Festival); the Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival (world’s longest running blues festival), and a host of newer festivals and events. These gatherings draw thousands of national and international visitors and embody the unique community spirit that makes Greenville special. Our partnership with Viking River Cruises is another significant achievement, bringing tourists annually to experience our history, music and culinary traditions.

Business boom and community recognition

Our city’s economic resurgence extends to our business community. Greenville has seen record-breaking business openings, including national brands like NuFarm, Hobby Lobby, Chick-fil-A and Tru by Hilton, along with a boom in small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses. This growth reflects Greenville’s welcoming climate for entrepreneurs and business leaders who are breathing new life into our local economy.

Greenville’s commitment to creating a livable, family-friendly city has gained national recognition. We were honored with the City Livability Achievement Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors for our “Worship on the Water” initiative, which fosters community connections, and the National Child Well-Being Champion Award from FoodCorps, highlighting our commitment to food education in schools. As chair of the Southern Municipal Conference, I am privileged to help lead conversations around solutions to shared challenges across Southern cities, driving positive change for the Delta and beyond.

Greenville’s global advocacy for the Mississippi River

As mayor of Greenville, I have the privilege of placing our city on the global stage, advocating for the Mississippi River’s significance to global food security, trade and climate resilience. Recently, I delivered a “TED Talk” style presentation at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce during the Building Resilience Conference in Washington, D.C. I addressed executives from Fortune 500 companies and federal agency representatives about the resilience-at-scale work cities are undertaking along the Mississippi River.

Together with 104 bipartisan mayors, we are collaborating with Ducks Unlimited to deploy 100,000 acres of nature-based infrastructure. This advocacy continues at international forums, such as COP26 in Glasgow, COP27 in Egypt and COP28 in Dubai, where I represented Greenville alongside mayors from around the globe, urging global investment in the Mississippi River Basin, which spans 10 states.

This collaborative work with local and international partners is essential for both food security and water quality. By highlighting the importance of the Mississippi River, we are not only advocating for our community but also positioning Greenville as a key player in the global conversation around sustainable development and climate resilience.

Greenville: A community that moves forward together

I invite you to see the progress happening in Greenville — a city bridging its rich past with a promising future. From our investments in cleaner energy and resilient infrastructure to the growth of new businesses and cultural festivals, Greenville embodies the spirit that is our Delta heritage. This is a community where opportunity meets ambition, and where every project, partnership and celebration is part of a larger story — a story of a Delta city with a legacy as rich as its future is bright.

Our journey is ongoing, but every day, I see Greenville becoming a place of hope and opportunity. We’re not just building for today; we’re building for generations to come, with Greenville as a model of what a city can achieve with vision, determination and the strength of its people.

The post Mayor Simmons: Greenville aims to be city of hope and opportunity appeared first on Mississippi Today.

A baby cried as Gwendolyn Chapman wrote down a question in precise pencil script. 

A former mayoral hopeful, Chapman was just another voter Monday night. She’d gone to the candidate forum at the Afrikan Art Gallery, a space for Jackson’s activist community and one of the few surviving businesses on historic Farish Street, historically the center of Black business in the city. 

Chapman, 70, wanted to know how the nine candidates who’d shown up would work together after the election to better the city she’s called home for most of her life, even if they didn’t win, she told Mississippi Today. The primary — a faceoff between 12 democratic candidates — will be on April 1.

But nearly two hours in, Chapman hadn’t gotten much of an answer. Some candidates sounded more invested in the loss of one of their opponents than in their own victory. Even though one of the forum’s organizers, Asinia Lukata Chikuyu, said he’d tried to get the candidates to focus on policies, some kept lobbing insinuations and outright attacks at the others in front of the 50 or so attendees. 

Chapman hoped to help bring some clarity. But she couldn’t get the moderator’s attention. Every time she stood up, Eldridge Henderson, a local radio host, would call on someone else. A pole in front of Chapman’s chair blocked her from view. 

Finally, she spoke up — loudly. “I have a question,” she announced. 

Henderson pointed at a woman to his left. “She’s next and then you,” he said. 

The woman mainly directed her question to Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the current mayor whose federal indictment for bribery has left many Jacksonians wondering if he will be able to win a third term. She asked if Lumumba could speak to the city’s broken relationship with the state, which she said has “closed its pockets.” 

“Absolutely,” he began. “First of all, if you think that the issue with the state of Mississippi has anything to do with the mayor, not only have you not been following history, you’re falling right into the trap, right?” 

No one in the state had an issue with him, Lumumba continued, until he refused to give up the airport and until the city’s gun violence increased, something he said he predicted would happen after the pandemic, which is why he tried to ban open carry via executive order. 

“You have to understand there’s a difference between being friendly and being a friend,” he added. “A friend funds things not in campaign season, but for 30 years. Friends support you in that way, right? So that’s a misnomer. And we have to understand that there’s a difference between being a diplomat and a doorman.” 

Next to respond was state Sen. John Horhn, a four-time candidate for mayor who some view as Lumumba’s most formidable challenger.

“Our city is broken,” Horhn began. “Just about every department doesn’t function. The police? Maybe. The fire department? Maybe. I don’t like how they did the contract, but the garbage is being picked up. Everything else is dysfunctional. We don’t even have a bond rating, right, because audits haven’t been submitted the way they’re supposed to be submitted—”

Lumumba muttered something about “the council.” 

“Can I get 5 seconds back from that interruption?” Horhn asked. He went on to say that he believes that no one trusts the city — not the residents, the county, the state or the federal government, which he claimed took $800 million in funds from the city and gave it to JXN Water, the third-party administrator overseeing the city’s water system, precisely due to a lack of trust.

“That, that’s something I have to directly respond to,” Lumumba said, rising from his chair. “Because that’s not true.” 

Henderson and Lukata rushed toward the moderator’s podium, their hands outstretched. “Not right now,” Lukata said. Lumumba sat back down. 

It seemed like Chapman’s time. But more candidates kept standing up to answer. The baby babbled.

Socrates Garrett, a local businessman and city contractor, called on divided Jacksonians to come together and march on the state Capitol to expose the state government’s racism. In a response to Horhn, James Hopkins, a community activist who works in retail management, said the city’s current administration is not the reason that Jackson can’t get the state and federal funds it needs. 

“When Jackson went Black, the state held back,” Hopkins said. “That’s what we’re dealing with. It has nothing to do with this administration, absolutely nothing.”

Then candidate David Archie, a former Hinds County supervisor, stood up. 

“I have to answer this,” he said. 

“No, no, gentleman, no,” Henderson pleaded. He pointed at Chapman. It was finally her turn. She stood.

“I’ve really enjoyed this forum,” Chapman said. “This is what I would like to know: The person who do become mayor, of all the candidates that’s sitting there, about how many percent would come together to express their ideas, express their problems, express what’s going on, to support the mayor? 

“We need some unity in this community, especially among our nation of people,” she added. 

The first to answer, Lumumba rephrased her question.

“The question — hopefully this doesn’t count against my time — the question is, would you be willing to work with everyone else, essentially, right, if you are elected mayor or if you are not elected mayor,” he said. 

He went on to name former Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber, who defeated Lumumba in the 2014 special election held to replace Lumumba’s father after he died eight months into his first term. When he lost, Lumumba said he didn’t sulk, instead he stood with Yarber to defend the city’s ownership of the airport. But when Lumumba finally won election in 2017, beating Horhn, Lumumba said the state senator called Jackson voters “fickle” and “uneducated.” 

“Clarion Ledger, May 3, 2017,” Lumumba said, urging voters to look up the article that contained those quotes from Horhn. 

“Hmm, okay,” Chapman said. “May 3. Alright, May 3.” 

Next, candidate and local personal injury attorney Delano Funches said that if he didn’t win, he would continue doing what he’s been doing for the last 10 years — working with Jackson’s youth and trying to reduce crime. 

This answer did not satisfy Chapman. 

“That wasn’t my question but go ahead,” she said. 

Archie said he got his start as a community activist. 

“That didn’t answer my question either,” Chapman said. “Just one person answered so far.” 

A woman in a floral dress leaned over her chair and whispered to Chapman, “you ain’t gonna get no answer.”

Candidate Albert Wilson, a nonprofit founder and former geometry teacher, went next. In a seeming answer to the question before Chapman’s, he said Thalia Mara Hall wouldn’t be closed for as long as it has been if Jackson were able to adequately maintain its facilities. 

“Well, just one person answered my question,” Chapman stated, seeming to no longer care to listen to Wilson, who was still talking. “Nobody answered it yet but one person. So it is egotistical narcissism. No unity in the community. This is a grand example.” 

The baby started crying again. More candidates got up. 

Garrett said he would be willing to work with everybody, win, lose or draw, because he was an elder with gray hair who could help guide young leaders. Horhn said that over the past 32 years, he has delivered construction projects for every administration, from the Civil Rights Museum to the convention center and the parkway by Jackson State University, but that some of the other candidates have not been as proactive.

“These folks have left the nose of the camel under the tent and now the whole body of the camel is under the tent,” Horhn said.

In response to Lumumba’s shot at him, Horhn said that Jackson voters are “sweet and innocent” but “fickle sometimes in terms of how we pick our folks. And when we hear somebody say ‘free the land, power to the people. When I’m the mayor, you’re the mayor’” — Horhn said, repeating common Lumumba phrases — “do you feel like you’re the mayor? After eight years, is life better for you in Jackson?”

Candidate and construction company owner Marcus Wallace said he thought Chapman’s question was a good one, but he did not directly answer it, instead speaking about times he had worked with past administrations.

The baby wailed even louder. Lumumba and Archie looked at their phones. 

Then candidate and retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Tim Henderson, who had introduced himself as “Tim Henderson, the military guy,” stood up. 

He spoke somewhat quietly. The easy answer, he said, was yes, but he had learned a lot since announcing his candidacy. 

“The elephant in the room on that question is there are cliques in the city,” he said. “There are groups of people in different parts of this city that are making decisions for everybody else in the city and don’t even consult the folks that it affects the most.” 

“True,” Wallace said.

“You’ve got to have a leader that recognizes this is the challenge,” Henderson continued. “It’s not going to be easy because there are folks that are dug in in this city.” 

That was it. As another voter asked a question, Chapman and her cousin who she’d attended the forum with got up and left. 

Outside in the parking lot, Chapman said she thought Lumumba was the only candidate who answered her question. The only reason any of the others were on topic, she said, was because they saw she was applauding Lumumba’s answer. 

But the city’s future is more important than any one person, she said. 

“They have to see that if the winner, which is the mayor, wins, and the other candidates come together in terms of support, that would bring a lot together,” she said. “It really will.” 

The post ‘That wasn’t my question:’ Jackson voters seeking answers contend with candidate ‘ego’ at forums appeared first on Mississippi Today.

A Mississippi State University staff physician who had an inappropriate relationship with a graduate student who was also his patient remained employed at the student health center for a year after a nurse reported concerns to the Title IX office. 

That physician, Cliff Story, had served as executive director of university health services since 2013. Story would go on to have his medical license suspended last year for his sexual misconduct toward the graduate student. 

In January 2021, the student was contacted by the Title IX office about an anonymous report regarding her relationship with Story, according to public records obtained by Mississippi Today and reported here for the first time. 

But after the student said Story instructed her to keep their relationship a secret, she did not tell the Title IX office about his treatment of her. 

“He told me not to discuss anything that could indicate he engaged in sexual misconduct, or I was ‘special’ to him because he would lose his job and financial support for his [redacted],” the victim told the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure. 

Story remained at the university’s Longest Student Health Center as a staff physician for another year and continued to initiate sex with the student, public records show. He left in January 2022 of his own volition and joined North Mississippi Health Services.

In a statement, the university’s spokesperson, Sid Salter, wrote that while “the university does not discuss the contents of sexual misconduct investigations,” no Title IX complaint or criminal charge was filed against Story during his employment at Mississippi State. 

Story continued to treat patients at the student health center.

“But MSU Title IX officials did interview the woman and Dr. Story after hearing rumors and having a Health Center colleague nurse report concerns to the Title IX office,” Salter wrote. “Both individuals denied that any improper relationship had occurred or was ongoing. Without a Title IX complaint or criminal charges, such allegations are very difficult to substantiate.”

In 2021, the Title IX office received 21 complaints that were usually resolved within 60 days, Salter wrote. 

At a hearing before the medical board in November, Story said that he had never taken a break or been suspended from the practice of medicine during his relationship with the victim, which began in mid-2020 and ended in 2023. He also denied that he instructed the victim to lie or conceal their relationship.

Story’s victim filed a complaint in March 2024 with the State Board of Medical Licensure, which opened an investigation and ultimately found Story guilty of unprofessional conduct, including sexual misconduct, after that November hearing. His license was suspended for a year. 

Despite multiple attempts, neither Story nor his attorney, Matthew Thompson, could be reached before press time. 

During the board hearing, Thompson argued that his client was aware he had committed an ethical violation but thought he had a “mutual” relationship with the victim, to whom he also believed he provided adequate care. 

Thompson further noted a professional acumen test found that Story’s conduct could be improved through an intensive treatment program focused on medical ethics. The test also concluded that Story did groom the victim, whom he first met when she was a freshman in 2013, but that it was likely he had not had sexual contact with any other current or former patients. 

“Dr. Story is a good doctor,” Thompson told the medical board. 

But some of Story’s testimony raised more questions than answers about evidence the board obtained in its investigation. 

The victim testified to the board’s investigator that Story had told her in January 2021 he was involved with human resources and someone from Title IX might contact her. Her therapist submitted a timeline to the board that stated Story was contacted by the Title IX office in December 2020.  Salter also said Title IX contacted Story.

When the board’s attorney, Paul Barnes, asked Story if anyone from MSU had asked him about his relationship with the victim, Story responded “yes” before Thompson objected, forcing Barnes to change tack. 

Barnes then asked if Story knew of any complaints that were made to MSU about him and his relationship to the victim, in an apparent attempt to put more information about Title IX onto the record.

Story responded with confusion. 

“I don’t know of anybody complaining to me, to them,” Story said. “I don’t know what anybody — nobody tells me that ‘John’ has complained about this. I don’t know what people have complained about.”

“So, no one ever contacted you and said ‘there’s been a complaint about you’?” Barnes asked. 

“Well, again, not about any complaint,” Story said. “People might say something about rumors, but, I mean.” He trailed off.  

Barnes was not permitted to ask Story what he meant by “rumors” after the board sustained another objection from Thompson.  

In another instance, a board member asked Story about a screenshot the victim saved of a text on Signal, a messaging app that allows users to automatically delete messages. This was important because the victim told the board that Story used the app to communicate with her “very secretly.” 

The screenshot shows that “Doc MSU set disappearing message time to 1 day.”

“Do you remember when that might’ve been?” the board member asked. The screenshot is undated but appears, based on the phrasing of Story’s text to the victim, to be from near the end of their relationship.

Story seemed to respond with more confusion. 

“I would think she put that, I don’t know, because even now I don’t have disappearing texts, and I don’t know how to do it on my phone, so if that was done,” Story said before pausing. “First, I don’t recall it. Second, I don’t even do it now, and I don’t know that I could fumble through it and guess — I don’t know why that was done. That’s not something even I would do.” 

There were more reasons the victim thought Story was working to keep their relationship under wraps, according to evidence submitted to the medical board. 

Story had worked as a physician at MSU since 2008, and the student first met him in 2013, the same year he was promoted to executive director. Through medical records, the board determined that Story treated the student until January 2021. 

In late 2019 or early 2020, Story began frequently texting the victim, according to a timeline the victim’s therapist constructed. During office visits, Story would compliment and hug her. Then in the summer of 2020, “the first sexual abuse incident” occurred at the student health center, according to the therapist. 

In one text message, the date of which is unclear, the victim wondered if people would think her presence at the health center was “weird,” so Story offered to meet her in the stairwell or talk by the cars. 

In September 2020, the victim had a medical incident that resulted in Story giving her a ride from the health center, bringing her medication and having sex with her in her home over the course of multiple visits, according to the therapist’s timeline. 

“He later told her she couldn’t come to the clinic any longer because people didn’t understand their connection and made her feel like he was the only person she could trust to help her,” the therapist wrote. “He frequently talked to her about their ‘special connection’ because of how long he’s helped her, all they have been through, and that no one else but himself had witnessed all she had been through.” 

By early 2021, the university’s Title IX office started asking questions. The victim said Story told her “to keep everything they had been through a secret because he believed others were out to get him,” the therapist wrote. 

On Jan. 19, the victim said she was approached by a Title IX coordinator, who requested to meet with her virtually. 

“At the time, she was afraid and said, ‘No,’” when the coordinator asked if Story had mistreated her, the victim’s therapist wrote. “They continued talking and sexual assault continued to occur.”

The post Former doctor remained at Mississippi State for a year after nurse reported concerns appeared first on Mississippi Today.

This story has been updated since publishing with numbers the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency released Tuesday morning.

County officials are continuing to tally damages throughout Mississippi, hopeful that the aftermath will qualify the areas for federal disaster assistance.

Gov. Tate Reeves said during a press conference Monday afternoon that the state will apply for aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but that more assessments are needed first.

The governor added that, based on previous experiences, there is a “high likelihood” the state will qualify for FEMA’s Individual Assistance, which provides resources directly to disaster victims. Reeves said he’s “hopeful” the state will also receive Public Assistance, which funds recovery for public buildings and infrastructure.

Seventeen tornadoes landed in the state between Friday and Saturday, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. In total, 23 counties took damage, Reeves said during a press conference at the Tylertown Baptist Church in Walthall County. Seven people died in Walthall, Covington and Jefferson Davis counties, and 29 were injured in those places as well as Pike County. Reeves said on Sunday that 217 people were displaced from their homes. The governor also confirmed that three people who were initially missing have been found alive.

On Tuesday, MEMA said it was aware of damages to 715 homes, 29 businesses, and 16 farms around Mississippi. Of those homes, 230 were in Leflore County, 182 in Walthall County, and 74 in Smith County.

One of the two tornadoes that hit Walthall County traveled across the Louisiana state line, Reeves said, staying on the ground for over 70 miles.

“That is not usual,” said the governor, who signed a State of Emergency declaration on Saturday.

Walthall County Board President Doug Popwell said that while the county’s assessment on Monday morning estimated 35 to 40 homes damaged, the total will likely reach over 100. Popwell added that “a lot of” chicken farms were hit as well. He said the Salem Attendance Center, a K through 12 public school in Tylertown, and some churches were also damaged.

“It’ll make you sick to your stomach when you go around and see people you know without homes,” he said. “It’s by far the worst thing I’ve ever seen.”

Popwell said this was as bad of a storm as he could remember in the county.

“We took a hard hit from (Hurricane) Katrina, and then in 2020 we had several bad tornadoes, but this is probably worse than either as far as the amount of lost homes,” he said.

He said Walthall County doesn’t have a long-term recovery committee, which the state recommends to help counties expedite the rebuilding process after a disaster. Popwell said they’ve received an “overwhelming” amount of food and water.

“More than anything, what we need right now is this (federal disaster) declaration from FEMA,” he said.

In Jefferson Davis County, emergency director Jocelyn Ragsdale emphasized that assessments were ongoing, so her estimates could change, but said as of now: 6o to 70 homes received damage, about 30 of which were destroyed; some chicken farms were total losses, and some county buildings also received damage.

Ragsdale said her area received similar damage from the Easter tornadoes of 2020.

“Total devastation,” she described. “We need as much help as we can get.”

President Trump has threatened to scrap FEMA altogether, something that would require congressional action. Last month, he approved making federal funds available to Kentucky and West Virginia, while threatening to attach strings to any money to help California recover from the deadly wildfires there. FEMA is also demanding the names of immigrants served by El Paso charities and local governments before reimbursing them for expenses.

When asked about potential changes to FEMA on Monday, Reeves said he wasn’t worried, emphasizing that disaster recoveries, as designed by the 1988 Stafford Act, are “state managed, locally executed, and federally supported.”

Both Popwell and Ragsdale said their respective counties did not have public safe rooms for residents to take shelter in prior to storms. Ragsdale said Jefferson Davis County is looking for funding to build a safe room.

In addition to the tornadoes, MEMA said that north Mississippi — in Prentiss and Tishomingo counties — received some flooding over the weekend (Tishomingo County emergency director Peyton Berklite said Monday no homes were damaged or trapped, though), and that there was a 3.0-magnitude earthquake in Magee on Saturday that hasn’t had any reported impacts. Reeves said on Sunday that power outages dropped from a high of 36,000 to below 8,000, with many of those being in Grenada and Walthall counties.

So far in 2025, Mississippi has already seen 57 tornadoes, according to preliminary data from the National Weather Service, by far the most of any state this year. Last week’s tornadoes came about a week and a half before the two-year anniversary of the 2023 tornado storm that devastated Rolling Fork, Amory and other parts of the state.

MEMA shared this link for information on where to find shelters as well as to make a donation. The agency advised anyone looking to help not to self-deploy to impacted areas, but instead to connect with volunteer groups.

Updated 3/18/24: This story has been updated with new numbers of deaths and damage.

Below are more images of the damages caused by the March 14 and 15 storms:

The post State prepares to apply for federal disaster aid after ‘total devastation’ over the weekend appeared first on Mississippi Today.

House and Senate leaders on Monday evening unveiled new plans to eliminate the state income tax and raise gasoline taxes — charting a path to more negotiations over the most notable legislative debate of the 2025 session. 

Monday marks the first time the Senate leadership has proposed a plan to eliminate the income tax, a significant move from its previous position wanting only to cut the tax that accounts for nearly one-third of the state budget.

Republican House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar said the move could bring the chambers closer to reaching a final agreement. 

“I can’t underestimate the importance of the Senate placing into written form and out in the open public that they are agreeing to eliminate the income tax,” Lamar said. “We’re willing to work with them. We are not willing to compromise on total elimination of the income tax and taking care of some the infrastructure needs we have.”

The House also changed its position Monday on a few key provisions. It agreed to increase the state’s net sales tax from 7% to 8%, down from the eventual 8.5% target the chamber had originally proposed. The revenue from this tax increase would provide $48 million annually to pay for infrastructure improvements via the State Aid Road Fund. The remaining funds would go into the state’s general fund.

It also changed what had been a new 5% sales tax on gasoline to a 15-cents-a-gallon excise tax increase, phased in at 5 cents a year over a three-year period. That would bring in approximately $23 million a year once fully phased in, Lamar said. This would be added to the current 18.4-cents-a-gallong excise Mississippi motorists currently pay.

The House plan would also cut the sales tax on groceries from 7% to 5%.

The new House plan would also create a new fund that gives those over the age of 65 property tax credits of $200 a year. This provision is designed to allay the concerns of senior citizens, who stood to benefit little from income tax elimination because Mississippi exempts retirement and Social Security income from state income taxes. 

However, the most surprising development was in the GOP-majority Senate, which finally answered calls from House leadership and Republican Gov. Tate Reeves to propose a plan that eliminates the income tax. 

READ MORE: Mississippi lawmakers struggle to reach tax agreement as federal cuts loom

Senators proposed phasing out the tax over an undefined period, but it would most likely take longer than the House has proposed. The House held to its position that the income tax must be eliminated by 2037.

Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann called the Senate plan fiscally responsible, while House leaders said a quicker timeline is needed for abolishing the tax to ensure that economic growth for the state. 

The Senate plan would decrease the 4% income tax rate — already among the lowest in the nation — by .25% each year from 2027 to 2030 and leave it at 3% in 2030. Afterward, the income tax would be reduced with “growth triggers” or at a proportional rate depending on the difference between the state’s revenue and spending plans that year. 

READ MORE: How soon we forget: Mississippi House push for record tax cuts revives fear of repeat budget crises

“We’re going to basically let our economy dictate the rate and how progressive we are in reducing the income tax on citizens in our state while protecting the core functions of government that we’re supposed to provide,” Senate Finance Chairman Josh Harkins said. 

Lamar said the Senate’s language on triggers, which he had not seen as of Monday afternoon, would be crucial to reaching a final agreement.

“The last thing we want to do is mislead the Mississippi citizens to have them believe they’re going to get their income tax eliminated and not (have it) actually work,” Lamar said. “So that trigger language will be key.”

The Senate plan also immediately reduces the sales tax on groceries from 7% to 5%, increases the gasoline tax by 9 cents over three years to fund infrastructure projects and overhauls the state public employee retirement system. 

Many Democrats are expected to oppose either plan. Democratic Sen. Hob Bryan of Amory said the new Senate plan marks a “sad day” in the state’s history because it forsakes the government’s responsibility to provide key services in one of the poorest states in the nation.

READ MORE: Legislature stumbles into final weeks of session in a tax-fight funk: Legislative recap

Bryan and others have warned that cutting revenue and upending the state’s tax structure in uncertain economic times — with potential massive cuts in federal money Mississippi relies on — is foolhardy.

“I know the snake oil salesman who showed up in Mississippi selling this bill of goods must be happy,” Bryan said. 

Despite the new offers from each side, the two chambers are still far apart in their negotiations and the Republican leadership of each has continued criticizing the other as the 2025 legislative session is scheduled to end in roughly two weeks.

Lawmakers will likely conduct negotiations on a final tax cut proposal in a conference committee. The deadline for them to reach a final agreement is March 29. If they don’t meet that deadline, they could try to suspend their rules. 

If the two chambers can’t reach an agreement, the governor could call them into a special session and try to pressure the two chambers to find a way to abolish what he and others call the “tax on work.” 

The post Senate, House propose new income tax elimination plans, set stage for late-session showdown appeared first on Mississippi Today.

World War II veteran Medgar Evers, whom President Trump called “a great American hero,” has been erased from the Arlington National Cemetery website, which featured a section honoring Black Americans who fought in the nation’s wars.

The U.S. Army purged the section that had lauded the late Army sergeant and civil rights leader, who was assassinated by a white supremacist in Jackson in 1963. The decision to erase Evers came after an executive order by Trump to eliminate all Diversity, Equality and Inclusion programs.

Former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Reuben Anderson, who gave Trump a 2017 tour of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, said he can’t imagine the president would want Evers removed. “That’s got to be a mistake,” he said. “That involves a great American who served in the military and was one of the most courageous Americans of all time.”

The White House could not be reached for comment.

Evers is far from the only war veteran whose name has been struck from the website. So was Army Maj. Gen. Charles Calvin Rogers, who was awarded the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War.

“He got shot three times in Vietnam and survived,” said U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson. “History has not been kind to minorities, whether women, people of color or religious groups. Part of what we do in the greatest democracy known to man is to correct the record.”

The Mississippi Democrat said if the Trump administration truly cared about veterans, it wouldn’t have fired 80,000 people from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. “You think it’s hard to get a medical appointment now?” he asked. “You take 80,000 out of that system, and it’s not going to work.”

In 2013, Arlington National Cemetery held a service honoring Evers and his family on the 50th anniversary of his assassination, where Evers drew praise from Republicans and Democrats.

Mississippi’s entire congressional delegation pushed for Evers to posthumously receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom, which his family accepted last year.

President Trump came to Mississippi for the opening of the Civil Rights Museum in 2017 and spent much of his time praising Evers.

“He fought in Normandy in the Second World War,” Trump said, “and when he came back home to Mississippi, he kept fighting for the same rights and freedom that he had defended in the war. Mr. Evers became a civil rights leader in his community. 

“He helped fellow African Americans register to vote, organized boycotts, and investigated grave injustices against very innocent people. For his courageous leadership in the Civil Rights movement, Mr. Evers was assassinated by a member of the KKK in the driveway of his own home.”

Trump recalled how “Sgt. Evers was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. In Arlington, he lies beside men and women of all races, backgrounds, and walks of life who have served and sacrificed for our country. Their headstones do not mark the color of their skin, but immortalize the courage of their deeds.

“Their memories are carved in stone as American heroes. That is what Medgar Evers was. He was a great American hero. That is what the others honored in this museum were: true American heroes.”

He called Evers an inspiration for everyone. “We want our country to be a place where every child, from every background, can grow up free from fear, innocent of hatred, and surrounded by love, opportunity, and hope,” he said. “Today, we pay solemn tribute to our heroes of the past and dedicate ourselves to building a future of freedom, equality, justice, and peace.”

Each summer, Civil War historian Kevin M. Levin takes teachers to visit the grave of Medgar Evers. “It’s impossible to talk about his accomplishments in the field of civil rights without mentioning his service in World War II,” he said. “There’s a straight line from his service to trying to expand voting rights and desegregate the University of Mississippi law school.”

It’s impossible to understand the sacrifices of his service in the civil rights movement without understanding the sacrifices of his service in the Army, he said. “Any attempt to minimize this history is being incredibly dishonest.”

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Rape victims aren’t guaranteed a rape kit when they show up at a hospital emergency room – though it’s not clear how often they are turned away. 

“We cannot prosecute rape cases without forensic evidence, and we can’t obtain forensic evidence if hospitals refuse to perform rape kits,” said Rep. Dana McLean, R-Columbus, who was inspired to author legislation addressing the issue after hearing about sexual assault survivors who didn’t receive the care they needed from emergency rooms. 

While McLean’s bill passed unanimously in the House, it died in the Senate Public Health Committee after chairman Hob Bryan, D-Amory, chose not to bring it up before deadline. Bryan told Mississippi Today it was brought to him late in the session and he would like time to further study how specific language may adversely affect hospitals. 

But McLean revived her legislation by adding it to a Senate bill before the deadline Wednesday. 

McLean joined other lawmakers, law enforcement officers, and representatives from the Attorney General’s Office and the Center for Violence Prevention at a press conference last week to rally support for the legislation. 

Among the attendees was Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven, who worked as a registered nurse for 45 years and in the emergency room for 25 years. 

“If you’re an open ER and you can take a gunshot wound, how dare you not do a rape kit,” Currie said at the press conference. “This has to be done, and I am asking that the powers that be in this building – and we all know it can be done – give CPR to this bill so we can take care of patients when they come asking for help.”

McLean called her legislation a “three-pronged mandate” that guarantees rape victims proper care through adequate staffing, supplies and treatment. But she stressed that the legislation does not impose an additional staffing requirement. 

McLean has championed justice for sexual assault victims in the past, successfully passing legislation to change archaic language in the law, remove the spousal defense for rape, and streamline rape kit processing. 

Richard Roberson, CEO and president of the Mississippi Hospital Association, said he is grateful for the leadership of Attorney General Lynn Fitch and McLean in addressing what he calls “a critical issue.”

“To support this effort, we have proposed language to strengthen the bill, ensuring that emergency departments can fulfill their responsibilities to sexual assault survivors while maintaining their ability to provide life-saving care to all patients with emergency medical conditions,” Roberson said.

A spokesperson for the Association said they offered language to clarify that the standard is in line with EMTALA, the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, which requires medical providers to stabilize everyone entering the emergency room before discharging or transferring them.

Requests for comment to the Mississippi Healthcare Collaborative, which represents dozens of hospitals that splintered off from MHA in 2024, were not returned.

Anyone working in an emergency room has the skills and is legally allowed to perform a rape kit, which comes with detailed instructions. McLean’s legislation would merely enshrine in law that hospitals have at least one provider – a registered nurse, advanced practice nurse, physician or physician assistant – who is willing and able to perform the rape kit. 

“It’s very simple, it’s a no-brainer,” McLean said. “They should be doing this already. It’s very unfortunate that we have to legislate this.”

Several advocates who work with rape victims told Mississippi Today that they have heard of cases where a rape victim was unable to get a rape kit after going to the emergency room.

Jackson-area hospitals are able to guarantee their patients get care from a highly trained nurse through agreements with the Center for Violence Prevention, explained the center’s executive director Sandy Middleton. 

“When a rape victim presents to their hospitals, they call us and we send our (sexual assault nurse examiner) and it’s a wonderful working relationship we have,” Middleton said.

This is a luxury not afforded to many hospitals around the state, which only has a total of seven SANE-certified nurses. 

But a provider doesn’t need to be SANE-certified in order to perform a rape kit on a patient. 

Rape kits come with instructions that are state-specific, and Mississippi’s has gotten particularly good feedback, explained Shalotta Sharp, registered nurse and special projects coordinator with the Mississippi Coalition Against Sexual Assault. 

“When other states look at our kits, they’re impressed with our details … It’s very user-friendly and that’s the reason we re-did the kit – to make it so accessible to other clinicians.”

Provider apprehension about doing the kits mostly comes from a lack of experience and anxiety about the gravity of the situation, according to Sharp.

“This recently happened,” Sharp recalled. “A nurse right out of nursing school had a sexual assault patient and called me in a panic, and I said, ‘Have you got the kit? I’m going to be right there with you.’ And because they’d never opened the kit, they didn’t realize the detailed instructions that were in there and the feedback was ‘Wow, that took a lot of the fear out of that.’”

Sharp said she makes herself available to providers who want phone support as they open a kit for the first time. 

“I feel like at this point, about 80% of Mississippi probably has my number,” she joked. 

Sharp also travels the state and provides informal training to providers at no cost to them or their hospital. 

For those interested in going the extra mile – though Sharp stressed these courses are not necessary to perform rape kits – she also provides formal training to become officially SANE-trained, which requires 40 hours of education, and further clinical training for those who want to become SANE-certified.

Sharp said her coalition will be available for support regardless of whether McLean’s legislation passes, adding that she hopes hospitals and other institutions have a voice in the conversation in the future. 

“Anything that they legislate, a requirement of any agency – I just feel like that agency needs to have representation at the table,” she said. 

The bill to which McLean’s amendment has been added will now go back to the Senate, where it will need to pass a full floor vote by March 27 to survive.

The post Following reports of victims unable to access rape kits in ERs, lawmaker pushes fix appeared first on Mississippi Today.

As the Mississippi Legislature stumbles into what is supposed to be the final few weeks of its 2025 session, it’s in a funk, caused primarily by the continuing standoff between Republican House and Senate leaders over cutting/eliminating/increasing taxes.

It doesn’t help that wild, whiplashing policies and economic omens are coming out of Washington, making proceeding with any major tax structure overhaul in one of the poorest states a more risky gambit.

“Trump said, I heard this morning, be prepared for a recession,” Senate President Protem Dean Kirby said as he and Republican House Rep. Gene Newman, both Republicans from Pearl, spoke last week on the city of Pearl’s podcast.

Newman said: “The biggest concern that I have personally is what is the federal government going to do about Medicaid? Because some of the ideas I’ve heard talked about would really hurt Mississippi. The amount of money we get from the federal government to run Medicaid is nuts, and it would really hurt us in a large way to lose that money, the way the hospitals are already screaming because we didn’t (expand Medicaid) … It’s going to be kind of hard to just go in there and do away with the income tax completely and do all that stuff the way we are talking about doing it.”

At this point, it appears the House is standing pat that any plan include the elimination of the state’s already low personal income tax, not just cuts, and on eliminating it within a decade or so.

The Senate, which has urged a more cautious approach — further cuts without total elimination — reportedly offered concession last week: eliminate the income tax over 20 years, but with growth triggers: It would be reduced each year over 20 years provided the state met revenue growth numbers.

The Senate also appears firm against the House proposal to allow local governments to add a 1.5% sales tax, on top of the current 7%.

Senate leaders are also calling for the House to help revive its proposal to overhaul the state employee retirement system, including offering less benefits to people hired in the future, as part of any deal on taxation. The Senate had passed changes including more austere benefits for people hired in the future, saying the system must be shored up financially for the future. Over last weekend, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Jason White exchanged barbs on social media over the PERS standoff.

READ MORE: PERS overhaul sputters: Securing the future, or giving new state employees ‘worst of both worlds’?

Both chambers appear to still want a gasoline tax increase to help pay for state roadwork, but with differences — the House would put a 5% sales tax on fuel; the Senate a 9 cents-a-gallon increase, imposed 3-cents-a-year over three years, then future increases based on an index of construction costs.

The session hasn’t reached a total deadlock on passage of legislation over the tax debate as some had feared, but it has crawled along and the House and Senate have killed much of each others’ major policy proposals. To date, providing paid parental leave to state employees and allowing Mississippians to mail-order wine are the hallmarks of this year’s session.

There is still talk around the Capitol about lawmakers remaining at an impasse and not reaching a deal on taxes before the clock runs out on the session in April. Some speculate lawmakers would pass a budget, triage what other legislation they can, and go home and tackle tax changes again next year.

Others speculate Gov. Tate Reeves would force lawmakers back into special session and make them try again on taxes. That’s unclear. Reeves has said eliminating the income tax is a top priority of his, but he hasn’t offered his own plan or fully endorsed the House’s, nor has he made any real effort to help lawmakers reach compromise. He’s mainly lobbed bombs from the sidelines on social media.

Kirby, on his hometown podcast, appeared to try to use lemons from this session to make lemonade or, as it were, wine.

“It’s been a good session,” Kirby said. “We’ve accomplished a lot. The folks who like wine are happy.”

WATCH: Former Governor Haley Barbour on the strength of the Democratic Party in MS

Quote of the Week

“No need to send a milk toast, very lame Senate Education agenda back to the House, it’s not even worthy of discussion …” — House Speaker Jason White, on social media Tuesday night. He later corrected the post to “milquetoast,” instead of the tasty economical breakfast popular in the 19th Century.

In Brief

Prenatal care for poor women bill sent to governor

A bill to help poor women access prenatal care passed the full Legislature on Wednesday. It now heads to the governor to be signed into law. 

The policy was signed into law last year, but never went into effect because of administrative hiccups. Rep. Missy McGee, R-Hattiesburg, re-worked the bill this year to match federal guidelines so the program can take effect. 

Presumptive eligibility for pregnant women allows low-income women who become newly eligible for Medicaid once pregnant to receive immediate coverage as soon as they find out they’re pregnant – even if their Medicaid application is still pending. The program is especially effective in states that have not expanded Medicaid.  

Mississippi is currently one of only three states with neither expansion or presumptive eligibility for pregnant women. 

Expectant mothers will be eligible if they make below 194% of the federal poverty level. That’s about $29,000 annually for an individual, or $50,000 annually for a family of three.  – Sophia Paffenroth

Immunity for those who report abuse or assault debated

A measure that will provide immunity to people who possess alcohol while underage or small amounts of drugs if they report instances of sexual abuse or sexual assault to law enforcement authorities will head to a conference committee for final negotiations. 

The House and Senate passed different versions of House Bill 861, which passed both chambers with broad support. The House speaker will appoint three House members, and the lieutenant governor will appoint three senators to negotiate the final version. 

Proponents of the measure say a law is needed to give some level of protection to college students at a party where drugs were present who might be worried they would receive punishment from law enforcement if they were a survivor or a witness to sexual assault.  – Taylor Vance

Legislative redistricting awaiting court approval

Three federal judges will have the final say on how many legislative districts will be required to participate in a special election this November. 

The Mississippi Legislature last week approved two maps that redraw five House districts and ten Senate districts. Two of the Senate districts in the maps contain no incumbents. But if a federal court agrees, the remaining 13 districts will require incumbents to run in a special election and allow challengers to compete against them. 

The NAACP is the plaintiff in the case, and they have objected to portions of the Legislature’s map. The Court will soon rule if they agree with the Legislature’s map or if more changes are needed. – Taylor Vance

Turkey stamp bill heads to governor’s desk

A bill requiring hunters to obtain a turkey stamp before harvesting the wild birds will head to Gov. Tate Reeves’ desk for consideration. 

The Legislature passed Senate Bill 2280, which requires in-state hunters to purchase a $10 turkey stamp and out-of-state hunters to pay a $100 fee for the stamp. In addition to the new stamp, the law still requires hunters to obtain a normal hunting licence. 

Proponents of the measure said the fees generated from the stamps will be used to maintain and improve turkey-hunting lands around the state.

Another measure, which would have required hunters to report deer they kill online or by phone, died in Senate committee without a vote. – Taylor Vance

Lawmakers debating intoxicating hemp ban

Lawmakers continue to argue the regulation or banning of intoxicating hemp products, such as drinks or candy, being sold in convenience stores.

The Senate last week after much debate and amendment, passed HB 1502. It would still allow some beverages with low amounts of THC to be sold in convenience or grocery stores to people 21 or older. Some lawmakers are pushing for an outright ban of the products. – Geoff Pender

By the Numbers

6, and 118-0

House Bill 1063, pending the governor signs it into law, would provide six weeks of paid parental leave to state employees, except school teachers, who adopt or give birth to a child and serve as primary caregiver. The House passed the bill on to the governor last week with a vote of 118-0.

Full Legislative Coverage

Are House leaders rubber stamping some bills without apparent committee support?

In recent years, particularly in the House, publicly held committee hearings and votes have become pro forma. Real decisions appear to be hashed out, and straw polled, in closed door Republican Caucus meetings. Read the story.

‘Not COVID. It’s Trump’: Lawmakers prepare for tumultuous Trumpenomics by … upending state tax structure

But staring down the barrel of potential economic chaos or calamity, Mississippi lawmakers are not drastically cutting spending, hoarding tax dollars or even proceeding with caution. Their main focus this legislative session is a total overhaul of the state’s tax structure including massive tax cuts combined with fairly massive tax increases — an unprecedented economic experiment betting that the state’s fortunes will rise and cover the spread. Read the story.

‘How can we stand by?’: Moms worry Medicaid cuts will hurt their children

Advocates, Medicaid recipients and their family members gathered outside the Capitol Tuesday to urge both state and federal lawmakers to “protect and expand Medicaid now.”  Read the story.

Anti-DEI bill would impact K-12 schools, put university ‘efficiency’ taskforce on hold

Mississippi lawmakers are poised to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs from K-12 schools in addition to universities, while the creation of a taskforce to study “efficiency” in the state’s higher education system would likely be delayed. Read the story.

Mississippi Legislature again fails to replace statues of white supremacists in U.S. Capitol 

Mississippi remains an outlier for its statues, even among other Southern states. The Magnolia State is currently the only state in the nation to honor two Confederate leaders in the National Statuary Hall Collection.  Read the story.

‘A good start’: Senate passes pharmacy benefit manager reform bill

The bill’s passage came after a strong showing of support for reform from independent pharmacists, who have warned that if legislators do not pass a law this year to regulate pharmacy benefit managers, which serve as middlemen in the pharmaceutical industry, some pharmacies may be forced to close. Read the story.

Legislature sends paid family leave bill to governor

Mississippi women who work in government don’t get a single day of paid time off after giving birth or adopting a child. That’s about to change. Read the story.

Mississippi lawmakers struggle to reach tax agreement as federal cuts loom

House and Senate negotiations over proposals to drastically overhaul Mississippi’s tax code appear to be at a standstill as lawmakers weigh the impact federal spending cuts could have on one of the nation’s poorest and most federally-dependent states. Read the story.

Podcast: Is the Mississippi Legislature any closer to a tax cut/elimination/increase deal?

Senate Finance Chairman Josh Harkins gives an update on where negotiations stand on tax overhaul proposals in the Mississippi Legislature, and his thoughts on the differing Senate and House proposals that would include cutting or eliminating the personal income tax and raising taxes on gasoline. Listen to the podcast.

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