Connect with us

Mississippi News Video

Competing bills on ending grocery taxes up for debate on Tuesday | Tennessee

Published

on

www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-14 11:19:00

(The Center Square) — A Senate Ways, Means, and Finance subcommittee will get the first shot at legislation that would end Tennessee’s grocery taxes,

The bill by Democrats and Republicans have one key difference — funding.

Democrats were the first to introduce a bill that would eliminate the state portion of the food and food ingredient tax on July 1.

House Bill 2/Senate Bill 2, sponsored by Nashville Democrats Rep. Aftyn Behn and Sen. Charlene Oliver, proposes closing “corporate tax loopholes” to make up for the $700 million to $1 billion that could be returned from the state to taxpayers if the tax is removed. They cite a report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy that said Tennessee could realize $891 million in annual revenue by requiring companies to report its worldwide revenue, not just what it earns in the states. Some states are already doing it, according to the report.

HB2/SB2 would also require the state to mitigate the loss to local governments.

Neither bill removes the 7% sales tax on prepared food, alcoholic beverages, candy, dietary supplements and tobacco.

The Republican bills from Rep. Elaine Davis of Knoxville and Sen. Bo Watson of Hixson would give local governments the authority to levy a grocery tax of up to 2.75% to make up for the loss from the state. The legislation has no mechanism for overcoming the millions lost in sales tax revenues.

The proposals come at a time when Tennessee has $77 billion in infrastructure needs over the next five years, according to a report from the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.

“Right now they are pulling up couch cushions to figure out how to pay for things and unfortunately it just feels like the grocery tax hasn’t been a priority of the governor or the Republican supermajority,” Behn told The Center Square in a phone interview.

Behn is no stranger to fighting for a food tax cut. She and Oliver filed the bills during the last legislative session, but they didn’t pass. Lawmakers did agree to a $1.6 billion franchise tax refund.

“It’s just a matter of where your priorities are,” Behn said. “For them it’s not about reforming our tax code to benefit working Tennessee families.”

House Majority Leader William Lamberth indicated in a December 2024 interview with WSMV that he would support the effort.

“The least we can do is try to take off the state portion of the grocery tax to try to make it a little easier on my friends and neighbors,” Lamberth told the television station.

The bills are on the subcommittee calendar but could get moved, a process called “rolling the bill,” in the Tennessee General Assembly.

But even if the General Assembly agrees to remove the sales tax on food, there is a question of whether or not Gov. Bill Lee would sign it. He did not mention it in his State of the State of Address.

“Thousands of bills have been filed in this session, and there’s still a long way to go in the legislative process,” a spokeswoman for Lee said in response to a question from The Center Square in February. “As with any legislation, the governor will review final bill language when it reaches his desk.”

Another bill on Tuesday’s calendar could give Tennesseans a partial break on groceries.

Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Nashville, is proposing removing the state sales tax only on frozen, canned or fresh fruits and vegetables. The bill would return $122 million to Tennessee taxpayers, according to the bill’s fiscal note. It was on the subcommittee’s calendar on March 11 but was moved to Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Tennessee’s neighbors are looking at ways to reduce food taxes.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican, announced in early March she was advocating for eliminating the tax, calling it “regressive” in a news release.

A bill that would have eliminated Mississippi’s 7% tax on food died. A bill that would lower the state’s income tax and also reduce the tax on food to 5% is still alive, according to the Mississippi Legislature’s website.

Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, a Republican, is advocating the reduction of Alabama’s 3% food tax.

“With bird flu raising the cost of large eggs to $5.00 a dozen – an all-time high – it’s time to continue removing the sales tax on groceries and provide needed relief to Alabama families,” Ainsworth said in a March 11 post on X.

The post Competing bills on ending grocery taxes up for debate on Tuesday | Tennessee appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com

Mississippi News Video

Hattiesburg Fire Department to implement new alert system

Published

on

www.youtube.com – WJTV 12 News – 2025-09-02 17:12:57

SUMMARY: The Hattiesburg Fire Department is implementing a new alert system to enhance firefighter health and safety by reducing unnecessary overnight wake-up calls. Currently, all nine Hattiesburg fire stations are alerted for every emergency during the night, even if only certain stations respond. This often disrupts firefighters’ sleep, causing significant health issues related to sleep deprivation. The new system will limit alerts to only the responding stations, improving rest for others. Funded by Forrest County Emergency Management at approximately $97,000, the system aims to improve firefighters’ well-being, job performance, and family life. Installation is expected by year’s end.

News.

Source

Continue Reading

Mississippi News Video

WTOK Weather – Zack Rogers 8/30/25

Published

on

www.youtube.com – WTOK-TV – 2025-09-01 11:20:46

SUMMARY: The Labor Day weekend weather looks favorable with temperatures currently in the upper 60s to lower 70s, cooling slightly overnight to the mid-60s, just below average. Sunday and Monday will see highs in the upper 80s with mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies, making it good for holiday travel. Isolated showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms may occur Monday night but nothing severe. Rain chances increase Tuesday and Wednesday with scattered showers and temperatures dropping to the mid and upper 80s. A tropical wave off Africa has a 30% chance of development in the Atlantic over the next week. Weather improves again by the following weekend.

WTOK Weather – Zack Rogers 8/30/25

For more Local News from WTOK: https://www.wtok.com/
For more YouTube Content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXGSjHw82rhLM4_ufCSkdaQ

Source

Continue Reading

Mississippi News Video

MAGNET seeks to drive industry to the South | Alabama

Published

on

www.thecentersquare.com – By David Beasley | The Center Square contributor – (The Center Square – ) 2025-08-27 16:08:00


Three Southeastern states—Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia—have launched the Mississippi-Alabama-Georgia Network for Evolving Transportation (MAGNET) to advance automobile and battery production, aiming to boost regional industry and job creation. Headquartered at the University of Alabama, the partnership includes the University of Georgia, Mississippi State University, and regional power companies. The initiative seeks to position the region as a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing amid global industry shifts. MAGNET is a semifinalist in the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines competition, with potential access to up to $160 million in federal research funding to support collaborative research and technology development.

(The Center Square) – Three Southeastern states have launched a regional research project on automobile and battery production, hoping to further develop those industries in the region and create more jobs.

Mississippi-Alabama-Georgia Network for Evolving Transportation, colloquially to be known as MAGNET, was launched Wednesday.

“In 2023, our three states collectively built 1.9 million cars – further establishing us as national leaders in auto manufacturing,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said. “With virtually every auto manufacturer across the globe actively electrifying their fleets, we must position ourselves at the forefront of this transformation.”

The project will be headquartered at the University of Alabama. The partnership includes the University of Georgia and Mississippi State University and power companies in all three states.

“As the auto industry continues to evolve, it will be important for us to adapt and tackle the opportunities and challenges created by this emerging industry,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement. “This partnership will play a key role in positioning our states to meet those challenges and maintain our region’s position as the best place to manufacture automobiles.”

The project is one of 29 semifinalists in a National Science Foundation Regional Innovative Engines competition, according to a release. That program was launched to encourage regional collaboration in research and technology development.

Winners of the competition are eligible for up to $160 million in federal research funding. The awards are expected to be announced later this year and depend on Congress appropriating the funds, according to the National Science Foundation website.

“Companies across the world are investing billions of dollars into their electric fleets, and we need to be able to make the case that those vehicles should be built here,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement. “By bringing together the collective resources and assets of our three states, this partnership will put us at the front of the pack nationally when it comes to innovation in the EV space. This forward-thinking approach will mean jobs and opportunity for countless Mississippi families.”

The post MAGNET seeks to drive industry to the South | Alabama appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com



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 reports on a regional initiative involving three Southeastern states collaborating on automobile and battery production research without promoting a particular ideological viewpoint. It presents statements from governors of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi focused on economic development, innovation, and job creation. The language is factual and neutral, avoiding partisan framing or ideological judgments. While it references government-led economic efforts, it does so in a straightforward manner, simply conveying information and direct quotes. Thus, the content maintains a neutral, factual tone rather than advancing a distinct political bias.

Continue Reading

Trending