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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.

The post Legislature stumbles into final weeks of session in a tax-fight funk: Legislative recap appeared first on Mississippi Today.

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Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has issued a state of emergency following a string of severe storms that have caused at least six deaths in the Magnolia State.

Governor Reeves in a social media post on Saturday evening said “tragically, as of now, 6 deaths have been reported – one in Covington County, two in Jeff Davis County, and three in Walthall County.”

Reeves went on to acknowledge a number of injuries and reports of missing persons.

“Also, as of now, three additional people are currently missing – two from Covington County and one from Walthall County. Preliminary reports indicate 29 injuries statewide – 15 in Covington County, two in Jeff Davis County, two in Pike County and 10 in Walthall County.”

Two separate likely tornadoes hit Walthall County on Saturday afternoon, killing three people near Darbun along Bethlehem Loop Road, according to the county’s Emergency Management Director Royce McKee.

Walthall County Sheriff Kyle Breland told WLBT there are also injuries, collapsed homes, and trees blocking roadways in the county.

The National Weather Service in Jackson on Saturday afternoon had issued a tornado emergency for two separate tornadoes that moved through Walthall County. That rare official designation of a “large and dangerous tornado” continued into Marion, Lawrence and Jefferson Davis counties. Numerous other tornado warnings were issued before storms cleared out of the state by Saturday late afternoon.

Before sunrise early Saturday morning, a likely tornado ripped through the Elliott community in Grenada County, destroying several homes and damaging other buildings. No fatalities were reported in that storm.

“All of a sudden, it got like a freight train,” Robert Holman told FOX Weather of the Elliott storm. “Then all of a sudden, we just heard stuff just falling all on the house.”

The storms knocked out power to about 25,000 people across the state.

Though Mississippi was in the Saturday bullseye for the tornado outbreak, the same storm system affected much of the U.S. over the weekend.

The number of fatalities increased after the Kansas Highway Patrol reported eight people died in a highway pileup caused by a dust storm in Sherman County Friday. At least 50 vehicles were involved.

Missouri recorded more fatalities than any other state as it withstood scattered twisters overnight that killed at least 12 people, authorities said. The deaths included a man who was killed after a tornado ripped apart his home.

“It was unrecognizable as a home. Just a debris field,” said Coroner Jim Akers of Butler County, describing the scene that confronted rescuers. “The floor was upside down. We were walking on walls.”

Dakota Henderson said he and others rescuing people trapped in their homes Friday night found five dead bodies scattered in the debris outside what remained of his aunt’s house in hard-hit Wayne County, Missouri.

“It was a very rough deal last night,” he said Saturday, surrounded by uprooted trees and splintered homes. “It’s really disturbing for what happened to the people, the casualties last night.”

Henderson said they rescued his aunt from a bedroom that was the only room left standing in her house, taking her out through a window. They also carried out a man who had a broken arm and leg.

Officials in Arkansas said three people died in Independence County and 29 others were injured across eight counties as storms passed through the state.

“We have teams out surveying the damage from last night’s tornadoes and have first responders on the ground to assist,” Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on X.

She and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared states of emergency. Kemp said he was making the declaration in anticipation of severe weather moving in later Saturday.

On Friday, meanwhile, authorities said three people were killed in car crashes during a dust storm in Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle.

Tornadoes hit amid storm outbreak

The Storm Prediction Center said fast-moving storms could spawn twisters and hail as large as baseballs on Saturday, but the greatest threat would come from winds near or exceeding hurricane force, with gusts of 100 miles per hour possible.

Significant tornadoes continued to hit Saturday. The regions at highest risk stretch from eastern Louisiana and Mississippi through Alabama, western Georgia and the Florida panhandle, the center said.

Bailey Dillon, 24, and her fiance, Caleb Barnes, watched a massive tornado from their front porch in Tylertown, Mississippi, about half a mile (0.8 km) away as it struck an area near Paradise Ranch RV Park.

They drove over afterward to see if anyone needed help and recorded a video depicting snapped trees, leveled buildings and overturned vehicles.

“The amount of damage was catastrophic,” Dillon said. “It was a large amount of cabins, RVs, campers that were just flipped over — everything was destroyed.”

Paradise Ranch reported on Facebook that all its staff and guests were safe and accounted for, but Dillon said the damage extended beyond the ranch itself.

“Homes and everything were destroyed all around it,” she said. “Schools and buildings are just completely gone.”

Some of the imagery from the extreme weather has gone viral.

Tad Peters and his dad, Richard Peters, had pulled over to fuel up their pickup truck in Rolla, Missouri, Friday night when they heard tornado sirens and saw other motorists flee the interstate to park.

“Whoa, is this coming? Oh, it’s here. It’s here,” Tad Peters can be heard saying on a video. “Look at all that debris. Ohhh. My God, we are in a torn …”

His father then rolled up the truck window. The two were headed to Indiana for a weightlifting competition but decided to turn around and head back home to Norman, Oklahoma, about six hours away, where they encountered wildfires.

Wildfires elsewhere in the Southern Plains threatened to spread rapidly amid warm, dry weather and strong winds in Texas, Kansas, Missouri and New Mexico.

A blaze in Roberts County, Texas, northeast of Amarillo, quickly blew up from less than a square mile (about 2 square kilometers) to an estimated 32.8 square miles (85 square kilometers), the Texas A&M University Forest Service said on X. Crews stopped its advance by Friday evening.

About 60 miles (90 kilometers) to the south, another fire grew to about 3.9 square miles (10 square kilometers) before its advance was halted in the afternoon.

High winds also knocked out power to more than 200,000 homes and businesses in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, according the website poweroutage.us.

Extreme weather encompasses a zone of 100 million people

The deaths came as a massive storm system moving across the country unleashed winds that triggered deadly dust storms and fanned more than 100 wildfires.

Extreme weather conditions were forecast to affect an area home to more than 100 million people. Winds gusting up to 80 mph (130 kph) were predicted from the Canadian border to Texas, threatening blizzard conditions in colder northern areas and wildfire risk in warmer, drier places to the south.

The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of far western Minnesota and far eastern South Dakota starting early Saturday. Snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches (7.6 to 15.2 centimeters) were expected, with up to a foot (30 centimeters) possible.

Winds gusting to 60 mph (97 kph) were expected to cause whiteout conditions.

Evacuations were ordered in some Oklahoma communities as more than 130 fires were reported across the state. Nearly 300 homes were damaged or destroyed. Gov. Kevin Stitt said at a Saturday news conference that some 266 square miles (689 square kilometers) had burned in his state.

The State Patrol said winds were so strong that they toppled several tractor-trailers.

Experts said it’s not unusual to see such weather extremes in March.

Mississippi Today editors contributed to this Associated Press report. Bruce Shipkowski reported from Toms River, New Jersey. Julie Walker reported from New York. Rebecca Reynolds contributed from Louisville, Kentucky. Jeff Roberson in Wayne County, Missouri, Eugene Johnson in Seattle and Janie Har in San Francisco contributed.

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A bill that would make it easier for K-12 students to transfer to other public schools outside their home districts, one of the last “school choice” measures to remain alive this session, died in the House this week.

That came after Senate leaders said House legislation easing public-to-public transfers, or “portability,” did not have the votes to pass that chamber.

The House initially responded to the Senate with a last ditch attempt to keep the measure alive by inserting language from the legislation into an unrelated bill. But Rep. Jansen Owen, the bill’s sponsor, said he knew the move would be challenged with a parliamentary point of order. Owen said opposition to portability, which he called the most basic of school choice measures, was rooted in outdated arguments.

“The opposition, they were citing things like the change in school culture and property values, which sounds a lot like the 1960s segregationist movement,” Owen said. “The only thing we were doing here was telling the school district they can’t tell me ‘no’ when I want to send my kid to another public school district. But that’s too much for Nancy Loome.”

Nancy Loome, director of the public education advocacy group, The Parents Campaign, said the measure would have harmed public school students because transportation was not provided. Few children would have real “choice,” and many would be left in schools with further reduced resources, Loome argued.

Republican House Speaker Jason White has been angered by the Senate killing most of the House’s education agenda this session, and has criticized fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who oversees the Senate.

“No need to send a milquetoast, very lame Senate Education agenda back to the House, it’s not even worthy of discussion,” White said in a social media post responding to a Magnolia Tribune report. “… We showed the Senate what Mississippi’s education future looks like with the House bills, and they wholeheartedly rejected them without so much as a whisper. Mississippians are beginning to take notice of the Lt. Governor and his Senate leaders doing the bidding of the status quo.”

Bills remain alive this session that would increase tax credits available to private schools through the Children’s Promise Act.

White vowed to try other measures again next year.

The post School transfer, most other ‘school choice’ measures dead in Mississippi Legislature appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Editor’s note: This essay is part of Mississippi Today Ideas, a new platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share fact-based ideas about our state’s past, present and future. You can read more about the section here.

Mississippi leaders say they are taking steps to protect the lives of our babies. One way they can do that is by ensuring they get a healthy, strong start.

About 100 babies are born in Mississippi each day — about one per county. Each of these new lives is full of potential and as a state we have a responsibility to support them during this crucial stage. From the very beginning, early relationships with parents and caregivers shape brain connections that lay the foundation for lifelong learning and relationships.

Given the importance of this window of time, it is exciting that the Mississippi Legislature has passed a bill that is pending the signature of Gov. Tate Reeves to provide six weeks of paid leave to state employees who are primary caregivers of newborns or adopted children. While research shows that at least eight weeks of paid leave for new or adoptive parents can strengthen babies’ brain development, reduce infant mortality, and improve overall child health outcomes, six weeks will still be beneficial. Additionally, any amount of leave can ease the burden on the child care system while also enhancing employee retention and productivity. By allowing families to spend time with their newborns during this pivotal time, Mississippi can create lasting benefits for both children and the workforce.

I was fortunate to have eight weeks of paid leave with my children, followed by an additional month at half pay. This time together was invaluable for my children’s  development, school readiness and overall health. Today, they are thriving– emotionally stable, socially engaged and eager learners in first and fifth grade.

However, not all children receive this time with and support from a parent or caregiver. In Mississippi, only 20% of workers have access to paid leave, and many mothers return to work just two weeks after giving birth.

This early separation can take a serious toll since the first eight weeks of life are a crucial period for brain growth and bonding. By two weeks, babies recognize their parents’ voices; by five weeks, they respond to faces with excitement; and by eight weeks, they find comfort in familiar caregivers. These early interactions lay the foundation for lifelong emotional and cognitive development, making paid leave not just a benefit, but a necessity for families and the future of our children.

Paid leave is more than just a brain-boosting tool—it’s a proven way to save infant lives. In 2024, Mississippi ranked last nationally in infant mortality, highlighting an urgent need for solutions. Research shows that 10 weeks of paid maternity leave is linked to about a 10% reduction in neonatal, infant and under-5 mortality.

Paid leave gives parents the time to attend critical medical appointments, receive guidance from doctors on how to care for and protect their babies, ensure proper vaccinations, and respond to health concerns before they become life-threatening. By providing paid leave, Mississippi can take a crucial step toward improving infant survival rates.

I believe that any amount of paid leave is valuable for children, but at least eight weeks of leave ensures that our babies remain safe and healthy when parents return to work. The CDC recommends that infants get most of their necessary vaccines at eight weeks–not before – and without these vaccinations they are not able to attend child care programs since they are susceptible to dangerous diseases. Without any paid leave, however, many parents must choose between caring for and protecting  their newborn’s health and avoiding financial hardship—a choice no parent should have to make.

Paid leave can also assist with Mississippi’s critical child care shortage. Many mothers struggle to find available infant care, forcing them to reduce work hours or leave their jobs entirely. According to Mississippi State University’s Systems Change Lab, in 2023 there were only enough child care slots for about two-thirds of Mississippi children. Infant care, the most limited and expensive form of care, is particularly scarce.

Paid leave alleviates pressure on the child care system by reducing immediate demand for infant slots and allowing families time to secure the best arrangements for their needs.

My own experience with paid leave allowed me to care for my newborns, ensure they received necessary vaccinations, and transition them into child care so I could return to work. Without this opportunity, I might have had to leave a job I loved, costing my employer money to recruit and train my replacement. Instead, I was able to return and contribute to my team. By offering paid leave to state employees, the state can retain new parents and save these same costs.

By offering paid leave, we can protect our state’s babies while also saving money and boosting efficiency by retaining state employees. More importantly, we can allow families to care for their newborns in ways that lay a strong foundation for their future– building their brains, supporting their health, and encouraging wellbeing—without jeopardizing their livelihoods.

Now is the time for the state to make this commitment for the sake of Mississippi and our babies.

Biz Harris is the executive director of the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance. She is also an alumna of Teach for America’s Mississippi Delta Region where she began her career in education as a teacher in Marks.

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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. 

A bill that cleared the Legislature Friday will give six weeks of paid family leave to primary caregivers who are state employees. It now heads to the governor to be signed into law.

“This is a great day for Mississippi,” said Rep. Kevin Felsher, R-Biloxi, author of the bill. “We’re placing the value on mothers and children in a post-Roe vs. Wade society. And it’s time we put our money where our mouths are.” 

House Bill 1063 will apply to state employees who adopt or give birth to a child and are the primary caregiver for that child. It applies to employees working for state government agencies but does not include public school teachers. 

The bill passed the House unanimously with a vote of 118-0. 

The original version of the House bill included eight weeks of paid leave for primary caregivers and two weeks of paid leave for secondary caregivers before it was amended by the Senate.

Felsher said he would consider expanding paid leave provisions in the future after seeing how effective it is. 

“I’ve been strong for pro-life and for mothers and children, and also fathers, so I’m all about the family. And so if this is something we can continue discussions on in the future and it’s successful, I would gladly lead the charge on that.”

The policy has garnered wide support from leadership in both chambers. Speaker of the House Jason White and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann have championed it. Attorney General Lynn Fitch has also publicly spoken out in support of it. 

Proponents say it acts as a recruitment and retention tool for the public sector, which tends to pay less than the private sector. 

“We have trouble retaining workers because our pay sometimes is not as competitive as the private sector, so this is just one more tool to allow us to retain folks,” said Felsher. 

Sen. Jeremy England, R-Vancleave, authored a similar bill which has also had overwhelming support this year. For him, the issue was personal – and simple. 

“The exhaustion of having a new baby at home, and the joy of doing that – it’s something that you’ll never get back,” England said. “And so for that reason, as a father, it was very important for me to do that.”

England said he was surprised to learn that this policy didn’t already exist.

“We’ve had state employees that have children, and we celebrate with them, and I just had no idea they weren’t getting that time,” he said. 

Mississippi will now join 36 other states in offering dedicated paid family leave for state employees, according to A Better Balance, a national nonprofit advocating for better work-life balance. 

“The cost of living, the turmoil in the world … you look around and I imagine you do think ‘Wow, is it a great time to be a parent?’ And this should not be one thing that you have to think about, in my opinion,” Felsher said. “If you want to be a parent, we as a state need to be here in that role as an employer and say: ‘We’ll stand behind you being a parent and having a healthy child.’”

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Highly pathogenic avian influenza – commonly known as bird flu – has been detected in a commercial chicken flock in Noxubee County. 

Birds from the infected flock, which were being raised for meat, have not entered the food system. 

This is the third case of avian influenza uncovered in commercial poultry in Mississippi since the spring of 2023. The virus, which is widespread in wild birds worldwide, has also been detected in migratory waterfowl in multiple areas of Mississippi since November 2024. 

The public health risk associated with avian influenza in birds remains low, and poultry and eggs are safe to eat when they are handled and cooked properly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Poultry and eggs should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F to kill bacteria and viruses. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory notified the Mississippi Board of Animal Health that the poultry tested positive for avian influenza after testing samples from the flock at a laboratory in Mississippi and confirming the samples at a national laboratory in Iowa. 

The area has been quarantined and birds on the property have been killed to prevent spread of the virus.

The Mississippi Board of Animal Health is working with the poultry industry to heighten monitoring of chicken flocks statewide.

There has been one death associated with avian influenza in Louisiana and 70 human cases reported in the United States since 2024. There have been no reported cases in humans in Mississippi. 

Most reported cases have been mild, and cases generally last from a few days to less than two weeks. Symptoms include eye redness and irritation, fever, cough and a sore throat, though some symptoms can be more severe. 

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