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No Republican lawmaker in the Mississippi House or Senate voted in favor of Medicaid expansion when legislative Democrats forced votes on the issue during the recently completed 2023 session.

But those votes do not necessarily mean the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature opposes opting into the policy that would provide health coverage for hundreds of thousands of poor, working Mississippians and revive rural hospitals that have been struggling to stay open.

Only a handful of lawmakers in both the House and Senate say they outright oppose Medicaid expansion, according to a Mississippi Today survey of legislators conducted during the 2023 legislative session.

Just 21 of the House members surveyed, or 18% of the House, said they outright opposed Medicaid expansion. And just 18 of the Senate members surveyed, or 38% of the Senate, said they outright opposed it.

In the House, 67 members — a voting majority — said they either supported Medicaid expansion or were undecided. Mississippi Today could not get answers from 32 representatives.

And in the Senate, 25 members — one vote shy of a voting majority — said they either supported Medicaid expansion or were undecided. Mississippi Today could not get answers from nine senators.

But among the lawmakers who said they opposed expansion or asked to be labeled as “undecided,” several went on to add that they were actually open to some version of expansion.

Several lawmakers who said they opposed expansion said they supported policies similar to those passed in states such as Arkansas, Kentucky or Indiana — all states that have passed versions of Medicaid expansion.

Sen. Kevin Blackwell, a Republican from DeSoto County who chairs the Senate Medicaid Committee, was among those. Other key legislative leaders fell in this camp.

“I am open to considering something like Indiana has done,” said Rep. Trey Lamar, a Republican from Senatobia, after asking to be labeled “undecided.”

“I’m against it other than I would consider something like in Kentucky or Indiana, where everyone’s got skin in the game,” said Rep. Kevin Horan, a Republican from Grenada who asked to be labeled “no.”

Mississippi is one of just 10 states that have resisted Medicaid expansion. Economists say the policy would bring $1.5 billion in new revenue annually while creating jobs, helping bolster the budgets of struggling hospitals and providing up to 300,000 poor, working Mississippians with health coverage.

The years-long resistance to expansion has come most directly from Republican leaders — namely Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn — who have likened the policy to socialism. Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, has in the past indicated support for some version of expansion but hasn’t earnestly pushed legislation since he was elected in 2020.

And as poor Mississippians struggle to afford basic health care and dozens of the state’s rural hospitals struggle to keep their doors open, Mississippi voters appear resolutely behind expansion. An April poll from Mississippi Today/Siena College showed that 66% of Mississippians support Medicaid expansion. An earlier survey in January showed 80% of Mississippians favored expansion.

Several rank-and-file Republican lawmakers polled by Mississippi Today said they were open to expansion, and some shared they believed there was a greater willingness among Republicans to pass expansion than in previous years. All 57 Democratic lawmakers support expansion.

Still, there was no serious push by Republicans in the 2023 session to even debate expansion, let alone vote on it.

“I think people are a little more open-minded about it than they were,” said Rep. William Tracy Arnold, a Republican from Booneville who supports Medicaid expansion. “We have a substantial amount of revenue now. We have to help save our struggling hospitals, and this would not only be giving hospitals more funding, it would help the struggling, tax-paying citizen.”

“Years ago when I first ran, I was totally opposed to Medicaid expansion,” said Rep. Mark Tullos, a Republican from Raleigh. “But I’ve looked at it further, and looked at what Arkansas did, and I would support something similar to what Arkansas has, with coverage for low income working people. Being from rural Mississippi, hospitals play a large role in our community. For rural Mississippi we are going to have to do something.”

“I’m for giving the working people of Mississippi health coverage,” said Rep. Sam Creekmore, a Republican from New Albany. “I’m for giving the working people health coverage. It would save lives. It would keep people working and prevent medical issues down the road.”

“I am for health insurance for our working people in Mississippi,” said Rep. Jerry Turner, a Republican from Baldwyn. “I’m for a program that would have everybody have skin in the game.”

Dozens of other Republicans asked to be marked as “undecided” in Mississippi Today’s expansion database. Some of those indicated they were waiting on leadership to present some options, and others said they wouldn’t speak to any theoretical policy change without first seeing a bill.

“We need to have the conversation,” said Sen. Bart Williams, a Republican from Starkville. “We have a hospital crisis and we need to listen to any and all ideas.”

“Without knowing what a bill looks like, it is hard to say. But we have to do something to help our rural hospitals,” said Rep. Jon Lancaster, a Republican from Houston. “But I am concerned about the federal strings.”

“We need to have discussions about it,” said Rep. Nick Bain, a Republican from Corinth. “There are good parts to it and not so good.”

“The devil is in the details, where the money is coming from,” said Sen. Walter Michel, a Republican from Ridgeland. “I do want to help the hospitals, but I would have to see the bill.”

Still, several Republicans remain firmly opposed to expansion. And many of those opposed declined to expound on why they are opposed.

But Rep. Dana Criswell, R-Olive Branch, said: “It’s bad insurance, so there’s no reason to keep expanding it.”

The post Few Mississippi lawmakers outright oppose Medicaid expansion appeared first on Mississippi Today.

As candidates for state offices begin to make their campaign pitches to voters, a new Mississippi Today/Siena College poll shows that a vast majority of Mississippians across partisan and demographic lines still support expanding Medicaid access to the working poor.

The poll conducted on April 16-20 shows that 66% of Mississippians — including 82% of Democrats and 52% of Republicans — support “lawmakers voting to accept federal funds to expand Medicaid” coverage. 

Only 22% of respondents said they were opposed to the policy, and 11% said they did not know enough information about the issue. 

Editor’s note: Poll methodology and crosstabs can be found at the bottom of this story. Click here to read more about our partnership with Siena College Research Institute.

Despite repeated data showing Mississippians across the state support the policy, the state’s Republican leadership has consistently rejected expanding coverage under the Affordable Care Act. 

The GOP-dominated leadership in the state Legislature earlier this year killed all efforts to expand the federal insurance program to more people and even cut off debate from Democratic lawmakers over the topic. 

And the policy debate over expansion is already starting to form as a key wedge issue during the 2023 gubernatorial election. 

Brandon Presley, the Democratic candidate for governor, has made expanding Medicaid a core component of his campaign and has repeatedly cast incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves as a hypocrite for espousing pro-life values and opting not to expand Medicaid.

“We’ve turned back billions of dollars in Mississippi,” he said in an April 19 press release. “Not because of policy. The only reason we’ve turned down federal dollars for health care in Mississippi is petty, partisan, cheap politics.”

Reeves, the Republican running for reelection, at a recent press conference doubled down on his stance that he is opposed to the policy, which he often derisively refers to as “Obamacare.” 

“I have not changed my position on the expansion of Obamacare,” Reeves said. “Adding 300,000 additional people to welfare in our state is not the right path for Mississippi.”

READ MORE: Governor’s race poll: Brandon Presley slips, Gov. Tate Reeves remains unpopular

Evidence shows that if state leaders would expand the insurance program to the working poor, it would economically benefit the state. 

Mississippi’s state economist, employed by the state’s public university system, published a 2021 report concluding that if Mississippi put up the money for the 10% match, the benefits it received would more than cover the initial match.

“Based on our estimates of the costs and savings associated with Medicaid expansion, Mississippi could enter Medicaid expansion in 2022 and incur little to no additional expenditures for at least the first decade of expansion,” the report said.

Over one-third of Mississippi’s rural hospitals are at risk of immediate closure soon, according to a report, and some hospitals have recently shuttered critical patient services. 

READ MORE: Poll shows Mississippians strongly favor Presley’s ideas but he still trails in governor’s race

Given the financial struggle of rural hospitals, some voters are openly wondering if the crisis will have a ripple effect that trickles down into their communities.

Estella Cox-Williamson, a Grenada County resident who attended a recent campaign event for Presley, said access to health care in Grenada was one of her main issues she wants statewide candidates to address this election cycle.

“Really, I just want a governor who will actually produce results this time,” she said. “And that includes health care.”

The Mississippi Today/Siena College Research Institute poll of 783 registered voters was conducted April 16-20 and has an overall margin of error of +/- 4.3 percentage points. Siena has an ‘A’ rating in FiveThirtyEight’s analysis of pollsters.

Click here for crosstabs and methodology relevant to this story.

The post Poll: Two-thirds of Mississippians support Medicaid expansion  appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Brandon Presley is a proud Democrat, but you can guarantee he’ll be beat over the head with the “D” behind his name by Tate Reeves as the campaign progresses.

The post Marshall Ramsey: Suspicious Minds appeared first on Mississippi Today.

MAY 1, 2001

A jury convicted Thomas Blanton of taking part in the Ku Klux Klan’s 1963 bombing of a Birmingham church that killed four girls, and he was given four life sentences — one for each girl murdered. 

After the verdict was announced, U.S. Attorney Doug Jones announced, “Justice delayed is still justice, and we have it in Birmingham, Alabama.” 

Jones told the story of the conviction of both Blanton and Bobby Cherry in his memoir, “Bending Toward Justice.”

The post On this day in 2001 appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Mississippi Today’s political team breaks down statewide 2023 primary and general elections of interest, including the increasingly bitter GOP primary for lieutenant governor and the general election between Republican Tate Reeves and Democrat Brandon Presley. 

The post Podcast: It’s officially 2023 election season appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Laurel native Ralph Boston, a three-time Olympic long jump medalist and surely one of the most accomplished athletes in Mississippi history, died April 30 at his home in Peachtree City, Ga., following a massive stroke suffered in late March. Boston would have turned 84 on May 9. 

In addition to his remarkable athletic accomplishments, Boston will be remembered as a smart, friendly, courteous gentleman, immensely proud of his Laurel and Oak Park High School roots and the fact that he was the first Black athlete ever inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (1976).

Boston won a gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics, a silver medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and a bronze in the ’68 Olympics at Mexico City. “Yes sir, I got the complete Olympic set,” Boston once told this writer, which was as close to boastful as Boston would ever get.

The story behind the bronze medal at Mexico City might tell us more about Boston’s sportsmanship and character than all his other accomplishments. Those were the Olympic Games when Bob Beamon set perhaps the most astounding track and field record ever, leaping 29 feet, 2.5 inches, an amazing two feet beyond the world record.

Beamon, making a promotional appearance in Jackson three decades later, sat down for an interview with this writer. “What people don’t know is that I wouldn’t have done any of that if it hadn’t have been for Ralph Boston,” Beamon said. “I fouled on my first two attempts and was about to get disqualified and then Ralph told me how I needed to adjust my footwork leading to my takeoff. I figured I had better listen to the master, and I did. The rest, as they say, is history. I owe a lot to Ralph Boston.”

A few days later, Beamon’s words were recounted to Boston, who chuckled and then said, “He beat me by two feet; that’s a heck of a way to treat your teacher isn’t it. If you see Bob again, tell him I’m still waiting for my check.”

Another time, Boston recounted the day that made him famous. The 1960 U.S. Olympic track and field team was holding a conditioning meet in preparation for Rome at Mt. San Antonio College near Los Angeles. Boston leaped 26 feet, 11 inches, breaking the 25-year-old record of the legendary champion Jesse Owens. It was the last world record Owens owned.

“Suddenly people recognized me,” Boston said. “Before that night nobody outside of Laurel, Mississippi, knew who I was, and the people in Laurel knew me as Hawkeye Boston, not Ralph Boston.”

Boston remembered a short time later getting ready to board a plane for Rome and the Olympics. A handsome, strapping young man from Louisville, Ky., stopped him and asked if he could have his photo made with him. Said Boston, “He introduced himself as Cassius Marcellus Clay and told me, ‘You don’t know who I am yet, but you will soon.’ You don’t forget moments like that.”

Boston recalled entering the Olympic stadium in Rome for the opening ceremonies. “I was just a bright-eyed, skinny kid from Laurel who didn’t know which way was up. And then I walked into that stadium and there were more people there than I had ever seen in my life. I thought, man, what have I gotten myself into.”

And then the skinny kid from Laurel won the gold medal. “Boston! Boston! Boston!” a crowd of nearly 75,000 chanted. He had just turned 21.

Today, the same feat most likely would earn Boston millions in endorsements. Back then, there were no such rewards for Olympic athletes, who were amateurs in the strictest sense of the word. Boston worked as a school counselor and trained and competed on the side.

“I’ve got no complaints, no regrets,” Boston said when a writer mentioned that 40 years later. “I did OK for myself.”

He surely did. The 10th of 10 children born to a Laurel farmer and his wife, Ralph Boston did far, far better than OK.

The post Olympic champion Ralph Boston, ‘a skinny kid from Laurel,’ dies at 83 appeared first on Mississippi Today.

In this episode of Mississippi Stories, Mississippi Today Editor-at-Large Marshall Ramsey sits down once again with Pamela Junior, who is retiring as the director of the Two Museums – The Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, Mississippi. She talks about the museum, its mission, and some of her favorite memories.

Junior, a native Jacksonian, is a Jackson State University graduate, the former manager of the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center, and even was a park ranger with the National Park Service in Washington, D.C. Honored by many national and local groups, prepared to be inspired by Junior’s story.

The post Mississippi Stories: Pamela Junior appeared first on Mississippi Today.

The post Marshall Ramsey: Mouse Trap appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Poll: Tate leads Brandon. Sixty-percent want another choice.

The post Marshall Ramsey: The Final Rose appeared first on Mississippi Today.

APRIL 29, 1945

The memoir by Richard Wright about his upbringing in Roxie, Mississippi, “Black Boy”, became the top selling book in the U.S. He described Roxie as “swarming with rats, cats, dogs, fortune tellers, cripples, blind men, whores, salesmen, rent collectors, and children.” 

In his home, he looked to his mother: “My mother’s suffering grew into a symbol in my mind, gathering to itself all the poverty, the ignorance, the helplessness; the painful, baffling, hunger-ridden days and hours; the restless moving, the futile seeking, the uncertainty, the fear, the dread; the meaningless pain and the endless suffering. Her life set the emotional tone of my life.” 

When he was alone, he wrote, “I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of the hunger for life that gnaws in us all.” 

Reading became his refuge. “Whenever my environment had failed to support or nourish me, I had clutched at books,” he wrote. “Reading was like a drug, a dope. The novels created moods in which I lived for days.” 

In the end, he discovered that “if you possess enough courage to speak out what you are, you will find you are not alone.” 

He was the first Black author to see his work sold through the Book-of-a-Month Club. His novel, “Native Son”, told the story of Bigger Thomas, a 20-year-old Black man whose bleak life leads him to kill. Through the book, he sought to expose the racism he saw: 

“I was guided by but one criterion: to tell the truth as I saw it and felt it. I swore to myself that if I ever wrote another book, no one would weep over it; that it would be so hard and deep that they would have to face it without the consolation of tears.” 

The novel, which sold more than 250,000 copies in its first three weeks, was turned into a play on Broadway, directed by Orson Welles. He became friends with other writers, including Ralph Ellison in Harlem and Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus in Paris. His works played a role in changing white Americans’ views on race.

The post On this day in 1945 appeared first on Mississippi Today.