Mississippi News
Gunn withdraws from fundraiser for former Democrat Shanda Yates
After Republicans complain, Speaker Gunn withdraws from fundraiser for former Democrat Shanda Yates
After blowback from House Republicans, Speaker Philip Gunn and Speaker Pro Tem Jason White have backed out of hosting a fundraiser for former Democratic Rep. Shanda Yates, now an independent.
Gunn and White wrote a mea culpa to the House GOP caucus on Thursday. In their memo, they said, “We believe she is considering joining our party and hope she will,” and said they agreed to help with her fundraiser in an effort to get her to join the Republican Party. They said Yates has “voted with Republicans a large portion of the time, which got her kicked out of the Democratic Party.”
But Gunn and White participating in the fundraiser rankled many Republican House members, who said Yates still votes often with Democrats and is backed by some liberal groups. In their memo, the GOP House leaders acknowledged, “Shanda certainly has some liberal ideas and has cast some liberal votes.”
“In hindsight, as your elected Speaker and Pro Tem, we should not have agreed to host the reception unless she switched party affiliation,” Gunn and White wrote. “… because of the reservations expressed by us to many of you, we have informed Shanda that we will not be able to go forward with hosting or attending any reception for a candidate who is not the member of the Republican Party.”
READ MORE: Mississippi Democrats lost a promising up-and-comer in Rep. Shanda Yates. Now what?
Yates on Friday did not immediately respond to a request for comment and question of whether she is considering a switch to Republican.
Rep. Becky Currie, R-Brookhaven, on social media on Thursday blasted Gunn and White for planning to host the fundraiser and wrote, “The world has turned upside down!”
“The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Pro-Tem raising money for the most liberal members of the House,” Currie wrote. “She voted against pro-life abortion bills and the Fairness Act which keeps males out of female sports … The Speaker has informed lobbyist (sic) to send money to him and not legislators so we are able to run for re-election and he will decide how and who the money will be spent on. I guess this is his pick.”
Members of the Mississippi Freedom Caucus, which includes a small group of conservative House members, issued a press release Thursday calling on “Gunn and White to disavow liberal Shanda Yates.”
“Yates, who beat out a longtime Republican Bill Denny, ran under a far-left progressive platform,” the release said. “… During her time in the Legislature, Yates has authored bill to remove the prohibition on same-sex marriage, allow gay couples to adopt children, allow for early voting and online voter registration and several bills to expand Medicaid … This is certainly a new low for the Republican leadership in the Mississippi Legislature to help fundraise for a legislator that holds such extreme liberal views.”
The release also described White, seen as longtime Speaker Gunn's heir apparent, as “former-Democrat turned Republican Speaker Pro Tem Jason White.” White was first elected to the House as a Democrat in 2011, but switched to Republican in late 2012 and has been a top lieutenant on Gunn's GOP leadership team.
Yates of Jackson is in her first term representing the District 64 House seat, taking office in 2020. In January, Yates announced she was switching to independent because “members of my own caucus and party made it clear that I was not wanted within the Democratic Party.”
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Calm for tonight with thunderstorms by Sunday afternoon – Home – WCBI TV
SUMMARY: A few spotty showers are possible this evening, with thunderstorms expected tomorrow afternoon and into the overnight hours. Temperatures will reach the lower 90s by the middle of next week. Tonight, expect a few spotty showers with overnight lows in the mid 60s. Tomorrow will start off mild with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the middle 80s. Rainy conditions will continue into next week with temperatures climbing into the upper 80s and lower 90s. Heavier rain is expected by Thursday as a cold front pushes through.
The post Calm for tonight with thunderstorms by Sunday afternoon – Home – WCBI TV appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
2nd Jackson man sentenced for bank fraud scheme
SUMMARY: Ronald Gardner, a Jackson man, was sentenced to 61 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He and his co-conspirator, Anthony Craig Myrick, opened an account at a Jackson bank in someone else's name, deposited counterfeit U.S. Treasury checks, withdrew the cash, and used false identification cards. Gardner admitted to manufacturing the counterfeit checks and using another person's identity. The scheme affected at least 10 victims. Both Gardner and Myrick were indicted and pled guilty, with Myrick receiving a 26-month sentence. They were also ordered to pay restitution to the bank.
The post 2nd Jackson man sentenced for bank fraud scheme appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Multiple Vicksburg homes damaged by gunfire
SUMMARY: Vicksburg police are investigating a shooting incident where multiple homes and a vehicle were damaged by gunfire on May 3. No injuries were reported, but there were spent shell casings from different caliber weapons found at the scene. The incident occurred on Meadowvale Drive just before 9:30 p.m. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Vicksburg Police Department.
The post Multiple Vicksburg homes damaged by gunfire appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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