Mississippi Today
This man could save the lives of countless Mississippi mothers
This man could save the lives of countless Mississippi mothers
Note: This editorial anchored Mississippi Today’s weekly legislative newsletter.Subscribe to our free newsletterfor exclusive access to legislative analysis and up-to-date information about what’s happening under the Capitol dome.
Every so often in Mississippi politics, there are moments for unexpected heroics — cracked windows of opportunity when someone stands up to lead and does something so brave that it’s remembered for years down the road.
For the next 36 hours or so, one little-known elected official will be sitting alone, squarely in front of that window. He has to decide whether to reach out and open it or let it fall closed.
State Rep. Joey Hood, a 46-year-old Republican from Ackerman, could buck his party leaders and pass a policy that more than two-thirds of Mississippi voters want, that every major medical association in the state wants, that the majority of the GOP-led Senate wants, and that the majority of his GOP-led House wants.
Passing postpartum Medicaid extension would increase health coverage for new, poor mothers from two months to 12 months. It’s a common-sense deal passed by dozens of other states that would tremendously help moms and kids in Mississippi, which boasts one of the highest maternal mortality rates and the highest infant mortality rate in the nation. And it would cost the state just $7 million per year — a drop in the bucket given our current $3.9 billion surplus.
READ MORE: Majority of lawmakers support postpartum Medicaid extension, Mississippi Today survey shows
Despite its broad popularity and clear need, Speaker of the House Philip Gunn continues to block it, saying he doesn’t support Medicaid expansion in any form and doesn’t see the health benefits of providing health care to the mothers. And Gov. Tate Reeves, who legislative leaders say could sign the policy into effect himself without their approval, reversed his long opposition on Sunday and said he wants lawmakers to pass it.
But Hood, a husband and father of two young boys, could take matters into his own hands this week. The Senate bill that would extend postpartum Medicaid, which passed overwhelmingly earlier this session, was assigned to the House Medicaid Committee, which Gunn appointed Hood to lead. The bill must pass out of his committee by midnight on Tuesday, Feb. 28, to stay alive.
In the past three terms, Gunn has corralled nearly complete power over bills that enter the House of Representatives. He demands loyalty from his committee chairs and has strategically created an “inner circle” of Republicans most faithful to him. That way if Gunn wants a certain bill to die, he knows his hand-picked chairs will dutifully follow his lead, keeping the bill from being debated in their committee until it dies a quiet and unseemly death at deadline.
Hood, first elected in 2011, is indeed one of Gunn’s “inner circle” Republican chairs and a most loyal soldier. That was evident earlier this session when Hood refused to call a Medicaid Committee meeting, ensuring his House colleagues would not have the chance to even debate the House version of postpartum Medicaid extension.
But whether the speaker likes it or not, Hood possesses the power to place the Senate bill on his committee’s calendar for debate and consideration this week. The speaker, who reiterated last week he does not support postpartum Medicaid extension, cannot legally stop Hood from bringing the bill up in his committee. And if Hood brings it up before his committee, it would almost certainly pass, based on the Mississippi Today survey of House members.
So why would Hood go so directly against Gunn’s wishes? Why is this deadline different? Why is there a cracked window of opportunity?
Because for the first time in 12 years, Gunn’s power is waning in a very real way. The speaker announced last fall he would not seek reelection to his House seat, meaning this current legislative session is his last not just as speaker but in the Legislature. He’s as lame a duck as there is in politics.
Entering this session, there was broad speculation about how Gunn’s final year on High Street might play out. There’s been some behind-the-scenes power positioning happening, with several longtime House Republicans maneuvering to become the next Speaker of the House. But the heir apparent to the speakership is state Rep. Jason White, who has been Gunn’s right-hand man for several years.
Last week, the lame duck reality became clear when House Republicans handed Gunn what must be the single most bitter defeat of his career. At least 25 House Republicans blocked what he calls the single biggest goal of his political life: eliminating the Mississippi income tax. To make matters worse for Gunn, the stand came in a closed-door Republican caucus meeting — a setting famously used by the speaker for years as a power tool to whip votes for his desired policies.
READ MORE: How House Republicans are avoiding tough votes on health care solutions
Fresh off the first big dramatic change of this new House order, it’s unclear what Hood will do. Last week, when a Mississippi Today reporter asked him a handful of questions about whether he’ll let the Senate bill come up for a vote in his House committee by deadline, he repeatedly answered: “We’re just going to continue to work it through the process.”
But if he’s thinking clearly about the process and whether to reach out and open the cracked window, he should consider a few things.
First, Gunn’s waning power will very soon fade into complete darkness. When the April 2 end to the 2023 legislative session arrives, it’s White’s gavel to lose. For what it’s worth, White told Mississippi Today he was “undecided” on whether to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage for new moms. That’s an obvious tell that he is at least open to considering the policy if not outright in support of it.
Second, the earliest Hood could face any political consequences for any decision is August of 2027. He is among the 40% of state lawmakers who has no single challenger in the 2023 election, meaning his reelection is guaranteed. And if he were to bravely buck Gunn’s wishes this week, it would be tough for any 2027 challenger to argue that it was the wrong thing to do, especially given the immense public popularity of the policy.
Lastly, it’s the right thing to do. And he doesn’t have to take it from this journalist. He can take it from the countless physicians, nurses, mothers, children and everyday Mississippians that have all but gotten down on their knees to beg. He can take it from 27-year-old Chelsea Brooks of Florence, 32-year-old Courtney Darby of Heidelberg, 30-year-old Kristen Elliott of Brandon, 31-year-old Laura McCardle of Copiah County, or 32-year-old Emma To of Madison County — real Mississippi mothers who have important postpartum stories to share.
What will they remember about Rep. Joey Hood years from now?
READ MORE: ‘Mississippi moms can’t wait’: Doctors urge legislators to extend postpartum coverage
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi Today
Jackson’s performing arts venue Thalia Mara Hall is now open
After more than 10 months closed due to mold, asbestos and issues with the air conditioning system, Thalia Mara Hall has officially reopened.
Outgoing Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba announced the reopening of Thalia Mara Hall during his final press conference held Monday on the arts venue’s steps.
“Today marks what we view as a full circle moment, rejoicing in the iconic space where community has come together for decades in the city of Jackson,” Lumumba said. “Thalia Mara has always been more than a venue. It has been a gathering place for people in the city of Jackson. From its first class ballet performances to gospel concerts, Thalia Mara Hall has been the backdrop for our city’s rich cultural history.”
Thalia Mara Hall closed last August after mold was found in parts of the building. The issues compounded from there, with malfunctioning HVAC systems and asbestos remediation. On June 6, the Mississippi State Fire Marshal’s Office announced that Thalia Mara Hall had finally passed inspection.
“We’re not only excited to have overcome many of the challenges that led to it being shuttered for a period of time,” Lumumba said. “We are hopeful for the future of this auditorium, that it may be able to provide a more up-to-date experience for residents, inviting shows that people are able to see across the world, bringing them here to Jackson. So this is an investment in the future.”
In total, Emad Al-Turk, a city contracted engineer and owner of Al-Turk Planning, estimates that $5 million in city and state funds went into bringing Thalia Mara Hall up to code.
The venue still has work to be completed, including reinstalling the fire curtain. The beam in which the fire curtain will be anchored has asbestos in it, so it will have to be remediated. In addition, a second air-conditioning chiller needs to be installed to properly cool the building. Until it’s installed, which could take months, Thalia Mara Hall will be operating at a lower seating capacity of about 800.
“Primarily because of the heat,” Al-Turk said. “The air conditioning would not be sufficient to actually accommodate the 2,000 people at full capacity, but starting in the fall, that should not be a problem.”
Al-Turk said the calendar is open for the city to begin booking events, though none have been scheduled for July.
“We’re very proud,” he said. “This took a little bit longer than what we anticipated, but we had probably seven or eight different contractors we had to coordinate with and all of them did a superb job to get us where we are today.”
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The post Jackson’s performing arts venue Thalia Mara Hall is now open appeared first on mississippitoday.org
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article presents a straightforward report on the reopening of Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson, focusing on facts and statements from city officials without promoting any ideological viewpoint. The tone is neutral and positive, emphasizing the community and cultural significance of the venue while detailing the challenges overcome during renovations. The coverage centers on public investment and future prospects, without partisan framing or editorializing. While quotes from Mayor Lumumba and a city engineer highlight optimism and civic pride, the article maintains balanced, factual reporting rather than advancing a political agenda.
Mississippi Today
‘Hurdles waiting in the shadows’: Lumumba reflects on challenges and triumphs on final day as Jackson mayor
On his last day as mayor of Jackson, Chokwe Antar Lumumba recounted accomplishments, praised his executive team and said he has no plans to seek office again.
He spoke during a press conference outside of the city’s Thalia Mara Hall, which was recently cleared for reopening after nearly a year of remediation. The briefing, meant to give media members a peek inside the downtown theater, marked one of Lumumba’s final forays as mayor.
Longtime state Sen. John Horhn — who defeated Lumumba in the Democratic primary runoff — will be inaugurated as mayor Tuesday, but Lumumba won’t be present. Not for any contentious reason, the 42-year-old mayor noted, but because he returns to his private law practice Tuesday.
“I’ve got to work now, y’all,” Lumumba said. “I’ve got a job.”
Thalia Mara Hall’s presumptive comeback was a fitting end for Lumumba, who pledged to make Jackson the most radical city in America but instead spent much of his eight years in office parrying one emergency after another. The auditorium was built in 1968 and closed nearly 11 months ago after workers found mold caused by a faulty HVAC system – on top of broken elevators, fire safety concerns and vandalism.
“This job is a fast-pitched sport,” Lumumba said. “There’s an abundance of challenges that have to be addressed, and it seems like the moment that you’ve gotten over one hurdle, there’s another one that is waiting in the shadows.”
Outside the theater Monday, Lumumba reflected on the high points of his leadership instead of the many crises — some seemingly self-inflicted — he faced as mayor.
He presided over the city during the coronavirus pandemic and the rise in crime it brought, but also the one-two punch of the 2021 and 2022 water crises, exacerbated by the city’s mismanagement of its water plants, and the 18-day pause in trash pickup spurred by Lumumba’s contentious negotiations with the city council in 2023.
Then in 2024, Lumumba was indicted alongside other city and county officials in a sweeping federal corruption probe targeting the proposed development of a hotel across from the city’s convention center, a project that has remained stalled in a 20-year saga of failed bids and political consternation.
Slated for trial next year, Lumumba has repeatedly maintained his innocence.
The city’s youngest mayor also brought some victories to Jackson, particularly in his first year in office. In 2017, he ended a furlough of city employees and worked with then-Gov. Phil Bryant to avoid a state takeover of Jackson Public Schools. In 2019, the city successfully sued German engineering firm Siemens and its local contractors for $89 million over botched work installing the city’s water-sewer billing infrastructure.
“I think that that was a pivotal moment to say that this city is going to hold people responsible for the work that they do,” Lumumba said.
Lumumba had more time than any other mayor to usher in the 1% sales tax, which residents approved in 2014 to fund infrastructure improvements.
“We paved 144 streets,” he said. “There are residents that still are waiting on their roads to be repaved. And you don’t really feel it until it’s your street that gets repaved, but that is a significant undertaking.”
And under his administration, crime has fallen dramatically recently, with homicides cut by a third and shootings cut in half in the last year.
Lumumba was first elected in 2017 after defeating Tony Yarber, a business-friendly mayor who faced his own scandals as mayor. A criminal justice attorney, Lumumba said he never planned to seek office until the stunning death of his father, Chokwe Lumumba Sr., eight months into his first term as mayor in 2014.
“I can say without reservation, and unequivocally, we remember where we started. We are in a much better position than we started,” Lumumba said.
Lumumba said he has sat down with Horhn in recent months, answered questions “as extensively as I could,” and promised to remain reachable to the new mayor.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The post 'Hurdles waiting in the shadows': Lumumba reflects on challenges and triumphs on final day as Jackson mayor appeared first on mississippitoday.org
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The article reports on outgoing Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba’s reflections without overt editorializing but subtly frames his tenure within progressive contexts, emphasizing his self-described goal to make Jackson “the most radical city in America.” The piece highlights his accomplishments alongside challenges, including public crises and a federal indictment, maintaining a factual tone yet noting contentious moments like labor disputes and governance issues. While it avoids partisan rhetoric, the focus on social justice efforts, infrastructure investment, and crime reduction, as well as positive framing of Lumumba’s achievements, aligns with a center-left perspective that values progressive governance and accountability.
Mississippi Today
Feds unfreeze $137 million in Mississippi education money
The federal government is restoring $137 million in education funds to Mississippi schools.
The U.S. Department of Education notified states last week that it would reinstate pandemic relief funds. The decision comes less than three months after the federal government revoked billions nationwide as part of Trump administration efforts to cut government spending.
State education agencies and school districts originally had until March 2026 to spend the money, but the federal government claimed that because the pandemic was over, they had no use for the money.
That March 2026 deadline has been reinstated following a series of injunctive orders.
A coalition of Democratic-led states sued the federal government in April over the decision to withhold the money. Then, a federal judge granted plaintiff states injunctive orders in the case, which meant those states could continue spending their COVID-relief dollars while other states remained restricted.
But the education department decided that wasn’t fair, wrote Secretary Linda McMahon in a letter dated June 26, so the agency was restoring the money to all states, not just the ones involved in the lawsuit.
“The original intent of the policy announced on March 28 was to treat all states consistently with regards to safeguarding and refocusing their remaining COVID-era grant funding on students,” she wrote. “The ongoing litigation has created basic fairness and uniformity problems.”
The Mississippi Department of Education notified school districts about the decision on Friday.
In the meantime, schools and states have been requesting exemptions for individual projects, though many from across the country have been denied.
Eleven Mississippi school districts had submitted requests to use the money to fund services such as tutoring and counseling, according to records requested by Mississippi Today, though those are now void because of the federal government’s decision.
Starting immediately, school districts can submit new requests to the state education department to draw down their federal allocation.
Mississippi Today previously reported that about 70 school districts were relying on the federal funds to pay for a range of initiatives, including construction projects, mental health services and literacy programs.
In 2023, almost half of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, pandemic relief money allocated to schools across the country, went to students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. A third went to operational and staff costs, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Education.
Though Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann previously said that legislative leaders might consider helping agencies that were impacted by federal funding cuts, House Speaker Jason White said Monday that he did not have an appetite for directing state funds to pandemic-era programs.
Small school districts were already feeling the impact of the federal government’s decision to rescind the money. In May, Greenwood Leflore Consolidated School Board voted to terminate a contract on a school construction project funded with federal dollars.
The litigation is ongoing, so the funding could again be rescinded.
Clarification: A previous version of this article misstated the status of school districts’ pandemic relief money.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The post Feds unfreeze $137 million in Mississippi education money appeared first on mississippitoday.org
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
This article primarily reports on the federal government’s decision to restore $137 million in education funds to Mississippi schools after a temporary freeze. It presents factual information about the timeline, legal actions, and responses from various state officials without adopting a partisan tone. The piece mentions the involvement of Democratic-led states suing the federal government and notes Republican-aligned efforts to cut spending, but does so in a balanced way focused on reporting events and statements rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The language remains neutral and factual, avoiding loaded or biased framing, making it a straightforward news report with centrist bias.
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