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Mississippi Today

Governor’s nominees will leave powerful college board with one HBCU graduate

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mississippitoday.org – Molly Minta – 2024-03-27 12:46:20

Gov. Tate Reeves' nominations for the immensely powerful governing board of Mississippi's public universities do not include a graduate of the 's historically Black colleges and universities. 

The 12-member Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees will be left with just one alumnus of an HBCU in Mississippi if the Senate approves Reeves' nominations. Currently, the board has two. 

Also not represented by Reeves' picks or on the IHL board is Mississippi University for Women, which recently fended off a surprise Senate bill earlier this legislative session to merge it with Mississippi State University. 

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A spokesperson for Reeves' office did not return inquiries from Mississippi about how the governor identified the four nominees and if he considered any candidates who had graduated from an HBCU in Mississippi. 

“I'd like to thank the outgoing IHL board members for their years of distinguished public service and many contributions to our state,” Reeves said in a press release. “I wish them all the best in their future endeavors.” 

Reeves' nominations will seek to fill vacancies left by four of former Gov. Phil Bryant's IHL appointees who will roll off the board in May. Those include Dr. Alfred McNair, a gastroenterologist who graduated from Tougaloo College. Dr. Steven Cunningham, a radiologist who attended State University, will be the board's sole HBCU alum. 

The nominations are already drawing criticism from some lawmakers in the Senate for not equitably representing the state of Mississippi. And the stakes could be high: Lawmakers this session have proposed measures to close three universities or to study efficiency in the state's university system. 

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“Time and time again, the governor speaks about being a governor for all of Mississippi,” said Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons, a Democrat from Greenville and a graduate of Jackson State. “These recent appointments show that he is not holding true to the words that he himself speaks.” 

Reeves' picks may not face significant pushback as the last time the Senate rejected a governor's nomination for the IHL board was in 1996. 

Appointments to the IHL board come with significant responsibility and power over Mississippi's public university system. The trustees oversee eight universities that educate more than 86,000 and almost as many , according to an economic impact study

But historically, IHL has not not always used that power to the benefit of all eight institutions. The board was subject to a long-running lawsuit, settled in 2002, that alleged it had violated the 14th Amendment by not providing adequate funds to Mississippi's three HBCUs. 

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And just last fall, the Biden administration calculated the state of Mississippi owes Alcorn State University more than $250 million over the last 30 years alone. As an 1890 land-grant institution, Alcorn State is supposed to receive equitable funds to the state's other agriculture college, Mississippi State University. 

Reeves is not the first governor to face criticism for largely appointing graduates of the state's predominantly white institutions. His appointments hew to a pattern set by his predecessors: IHL appointees traditionally do not have higher education experience and are usually accomplished, and well-connected, attorneys, and business owners. 

They are also often campaign donors. Reeves' four nominations, whose names and biographies were announced in a press release Tuesday, are no exception and include: 

  • Donald Clark, a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Mississippi School of , is an attorney at Butler Snow and the law firm's former chairman. 
  • The founding partner of Heidelberg, Steinberger, Burrow & Armer, James “Jimmy” Heidelberg previously sat on the Mississippi Oil and Gas Board and attended the same institutions as Clark. 
  • Charles “Charlie” Stephenson serves as the president of the Mississippi State Bulldog Club Board of Directors and graduated from Mississippi State University. 
  • Jerry Griffith, who served on the Mississippi Gaming Commission, attended Delta State University. 

was able to confirm through a database the news organization created last year that at least two of Reeves' nominations — Clark, Heidelberg and Stephenson — are campaign donors to the governor. Calls to those three nominees were not returned by press time. 

Griffith told Mississippi Today he was on deadline for some articles and could not speak substantively about his nomination until next but added that “it's an honor to be appointed by the governor.”

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi Today

EPA absolves MDEQ, Health Department of discrimination in funding Jackson water

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mississippitoday.org – Alex Rozier – 2024-05-08 15:42:36

About a year and half ago, on the heels of 's infamous system failure, advocates and politicians from Mississippi began publicly questioning the funding mechanisms that are supposed to such .

In October 2022, U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson and Carolyn Maloney wrote Gov. Tate Reeves, grilling him over an apparent disparity in how federal funds were allocated to Jackson versus other parts of the .

Then days later, the Environmental Protection Agency's office opened an investigation into two state agencies — the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and the Mississippi Department of Health — in response to the NAACP's claims of discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination — based on race, color or national origin — in providing federal assistance.

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On Monday, though, the EPA announced it had ended the probe after finding no evidence the agencies had short-changed Jackson's water system. In its investigation, the EPA looked at the funding amounts and racial demographics of that received water funding from MDEQ and the Health Department and determined there was no correlation between the two factors.

A scatter plot from the EPA's analysis comparing the levels of funding cities received with their percent of Black .

“The evidence overwhelmingly shows that the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality did everything right,” MDEQ Executive Director Chris Wells said in a press release following the EPA's announcement.

The two agencies are in charge of disbursing funds from the EPA called “state revolving loan,” or SRF, funds, which are meant to cities make infrastructure improvements. MDEQ handles SRF funds related to wastewater infrastructure, while the Health Department handles SRF funds for drinking water.

But the claims against the agencies were only part of the 2022 complaint the NAACP filed with the EPA. The federal agency did not address another complaint: The group also focused on the state Legislature, which has denied attempts in recent years by Jackson to raise money for its water system, such as creating a new 1% tax.

Click here for the EPA's full responses to MDEQ and Health Department.

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi Today

MSGOP Chair Bordeaux stepping down. Mike Hurst endorsed as successor

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mississippitoday.org – Taylor Vance and Geoff Pender – 2024-05-08 12:25:40

Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Frank Bordeaux announced on Wednesday that he will not seek reelection to his post and endorsed former U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst to succeed him. 

Bordeaux, an insurance executive, wrote on Facebook that he's had a great tenure as the party's chairman, but it was time to “pass the torch” to a “new leader with a fresh perspective.” 

“We've seen a lot of ,” Bordeaux said. “We've elected more in the last few years to local, , and federal offices than at any point in history. With every election, we've gained seats and put more conservatives in positions to improve the lives of Mississippians.” 

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Republican Gov. Tate Reeves in September 2020 backed Bordeaux, a longtime Coast resident, to replace former GOP Chairman Lucien Smith, a move that likely proved crucial to the governor transforming the Coast into a political firewall of during the 2023 statewide election. 

It's typical for a sitting Republican governor, as head of the state party, to pick a new chairman. While the executive committee technically elects a GOP chairman, a governor's choice is typically installed by acclamation. There has been no major executive committee to a Republican governor's chairman nomination in recent history.

Reeves did not immediately make a statement after Bordeaux' announcement on social media, but Hurst in a statement on Wednesday indicated he has Reeves' support.

“I want to thank Gov. Tate Reeves for his support, Chairman Frank Bordeaux for his incredible leadership, and the staff of the MSGOP, who have all raised our party to new heights and have achieved so much for our conservative principles over the last number of years,” Hurst said.

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Gov. Tate Reeves signs qualifying paperwork to for reelection, as his wife Elee Reeves, left, and party chairman Frank Bordeaux look on at the Mississippi Republican Headquarters in , Miss., Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today

“Our future is bright in Mississippi and, if elected chairman, I hope I can play a small role in making our state and our party even better in the future,” Hurst added.

READ MORE: Lucien Smith out as MSGOP chair; Gov. Reeves backs Gulf Coast businessman to replace him

Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann in a statement Wednesday said: “Being chairman is a tough, uncompensated job which takes a significant amount of personal time. Frank's leadership through part of the pandemic and the recent statewide election has been pivotal to bringing organization, unity, and success to the Republican Party across the state. We appreciate his service and look forward to continuing his efforts under the guidance of Mike Hurst.”

Hurst has been involved in state and national Republican for years. He is currently a partner in the Phelps Dunbar firm's Jackson office. Hurst served as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi under President Donald Trump's administration from 2017 to 2021, and previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney. 

Prior to his presidential appointment, Hurst was the founder and director of the Mississippi Justice Institute, a division of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. He also previously served as a legislative director and counsel to then-U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering, and served as counsel to the Constitution Subcommittee of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee.

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Hurst's wife, Celeste Hurst, was elected last year to the state House District 77 seat, representing , Rankin and Scott counties.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: It’s crunch time in both college and high school baseball.

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We are into the second of May, which means the college and high school seasons have reached the point where every pitch matters. At present, Mississippi is a likely 2-seed, Southern Miss is a 3-seed and is on the outside looking in. The Rebels, however, can change that this when No. 1 ranked A&M to Oxford. Also, Tyler gives the lowdown on all the high school baseball playoff action.

Stream all episodes here.


This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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