Mississippi Today
Gov. Tate Reeves wants $1.3 billion from lawmakers for his new road plan
Gov. Tate Reeves wants $1.3 billion from lawmakers for his new road plan
Gov. Tate Reeves announced Thursday he has a plan for infrastructure improvements to drive economic development, and he's asking lawmakers for $1.3 billion this session so he can kick off road projects statewide.
Reeves said the “vast majority” of the projects are already in the Mississippi Department of Transportation's three-year plan for road work, but he's picked ones that are shovel ready and that will help traffic capacity and give “Mississippi the competitive advantage it needs to land more economic development projects and deliver more high-quality, high-paying jobs for Mississippians.”
Reeves wants lawmakers to use a historically large budget surplus to fund his road plan, during an election year.
Reeves announced his “plan to drive further economic development and growth in Mississippi” at a press conference on Thursday. He had a large state map showing numerous proposed projects dotted statewide, many of them long in the works by MDOT or requested by local leaders.
It is unclear why Reeves would go around MDOT and normal channels and ask lawmakers to put $1.3 billion in a special account for his plan, or why it wasn't part of his budget recommendation to lawmakers in the fall. He said time is of the essence, particularly with high inflation rates driving up cost of road construction, although he acknowledged all the projects couldn't be completed during one fiscal year.
Reeves' proposal includes a request for $100 million for the state Emergency Road and Bridge Repair program, which provides money for local governments. Lawmakers allocated $100 million for the program last year, with the Senate pushing unsuccessfully for $300 million. Reeves also is asking for more money for grants to develop project-ready industrial parks statewide.
Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on Thursday issued a statement about the governor's proposal.
“The Senate has prioritized infrastructure funding, with billions allocated for road, bridge, water, and sewer projects over the past several years,” Hosemann said. “We look forward to reviewing the Governor's recommendations and continuing our emphasis on critical infrastructure.”
MDOT Director Brad White, Reeves' former chief of staff, and Tom King, chair of the three-member elected Transportation Commission that oversees MDOT, both supported Reeves' request in statements on Thursday.
“There is no better use for the one-time money our state currently has than investing in a core function of government — our state's public infrastructure,” White said. “I applaud Gov. Tate Reeves and the Legislature for their vigorous support and focus on Mississippi's transportation system.”
King said: “Our top priorities at MDOT are safety, efficiency and economic development. This initiative hits all three. Increasing capacity and safety with projects that are nearest shovel-ready is efficient use of one-time funds. This investment will in-turn help encourage economic development and expansion across the state. I look forward to continuing this conversation with our state leaders in the days and weeks to come.”
Reeves said, “We have had conversations with individual members (of the Legislature) and the leadership” about his road plan.
Asked how he views the chances of lawmakers earmarking $1.3 billion for his road plan, he said: “I am forever an optimist when it comes to working with the Legislature.”
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi Today
Renada Stovall, chemist and entrepreneur
Renada Stovall sat on the back deck of her rural Arkansas home one evening, contemplating life when she had a life-altering epiphany…
“I gotta get out of these woods.”
She heard it as clear as lips to her ear and as deep as the trees surrounding her property. Stovall's job as a chemist had taken her all over the country. In addition to Arkansas, there were stints in Atlanta, Dallas and Reno. But she was missing home, her parents and friends. She also knew, she needed something else to do.
“I thought, what kind of business can I start for myself,” said Stovall, as she watered herbs growing in a garden behind her south Jackson home. Some of those herbs are used in her all-natural products. “I know when I lived in Reno, Nevada, where it's very hot and very dry, there really weren't products available that worked for me, my hair, and my skin suffered. I've got a chemistry degree from Spelman College. I took the plunge and decided to create products for myself.”
In 2018, Stovall's venture led to the creation of shea butter moisturizers and natural soaps. But she didn't stop there, and in December 2022, she moved home to Mississippi and got to work, expanding her product line to include body balms and butters, and shampoos infused with avocado and palm, mango butter, coconut and olive oils.
Nadabutter, which incorporates Renada's name, came to fruition.
Stovall sells her balms and moisturizers at what she calls, “pop-up markets,” across the state during the summer. She's available via social media and also creates products depending on what of her ingredients a customer chooses. “My turmeric and honey is really popular,” Stovall added.
“The all-natural ingredients I use are great for conditioning the skin and hair. All of my products make you feel soft and luscious. The shea butter I use comes from West Africa. It's my way of networking and supporting other women. And it's my wish that other women can be inspired to be self-sufficient in starting their own businesses.”
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi Today
On this day in 1954
MAY 17, 1954
In Brown v. Board of Education and Bolling v. Sharpe, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the “separate but equal” doctrine in Plessy v. Ferguson was unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment, which guaranteed equal treatment under the law.
The historic decision brought an end to federal tolerance of racial segregation, ruling in the case of student Linda Brown, who was denied admission to her local elementary school in Topeka, Kansas, because of the color of her skin.
In Mississippi, segregationist leaders called the day “Black Monday” and took up the charge of the just-created white Citizens' Council to preserve racial segregation at all costs.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi Today
Every university but Delta State to increase tuition this year
Every university in Mississippi is increasing tuition in the fall except for Delta State University.
The new rates were approved by the governing board of the eight universities, the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees, at its regular meeting Thursday.
The average cost of tuition in Mississippi is now $8,833 a year, a roughly 3% increase from last year. Students can expect to pay tuition ranging from $7,942 a year at Mississippi Valley State University to $10,052 a year at Mississippi State University.
In recent years, universities have cited inflation and rising insurance costs as reasons for the tuition increases. At Thursday's meeting, the board heard a presentation on how property insurance is becoming more expensive for the eight universities as Mississippi sees more tornadoes and storms with severe wind and hail.
READ MORE: Tuition increases yet again at most public universities
But it's an ongoing trend. Mississippi's public universities have steadily increased tuition since 2000, putting the cost of college increasingly out of reach for the average Mississippi family. More than half of Mississippi college students graduated with an average of $29,714 in student debt in 2020, according to the Institution for College Access and Success.
At Delta State University, the president, Daniel Ennis, announced that he will attempt to avoid tuition increases as the regional college in the Mississippi Delta undergoes drastic budget cuts in an effort to become more financially sustainable.
“We will resist tuition increases so that our most economically vulnerable students can continue to have access to the opportunities that a college degree can provide,” he wrote in a memo to faculty and staff on Monday. “We will move beyond basic survival and into a place where we have the capacity to take better advantage of our undeniable strengths.”
Delta State didn't increase tuition last year, either. Officials have been concerned the university is becoming too pricey for the students it serves.
Tuition for the 2024-25 academic year, by school:
- Alcorn State University: $8,105
- Delta State University: $8,435
- Jackson State University: $8,690
- Mississippi State University: $10,052
- Mississippi University for Women: $8,392
- Mississippi Valley State University: $7,492
- University of Mississippi: $9,612
- University of Southern Mississippi: $9,888
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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