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Former governor files libel suit against media outlet | Mississippi

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Steve Wilson | – 2023-07-27 08:12:00

(The Center Square) — Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant filed a libel this against the nonprofit owner of Mississippi and Mary Margaret White.

The lawsuit filed in Madison County Circuit Court on Wednesday alleges that 's reporters and White “have defamed him as part of a malicious and concerted effort to damage his reputation and business interests with a steady stream of lies, baseless speculation, and irresponsible innuendo” by saying he was the central figure in a scandal involving misappropriation of $77 million in welfare funds intended for the poor.

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In a statement, his legal team from McCraney Montagnet Quin & Noble said “Governor Bryant believes he has been libeled by Mississippi Today. He is confident in the suit he has brought and, through his attorneys, will convince 12 of Madison County of just that.”

The two-term former Republican governor is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, plus legal fees. 

White apologized for her publication accusing Bryant of a in a note posted on May 17. Bryant's attorneys said that it fell short of a retraction.

“White did not recant or disavow her slanderous claim that Mississippi Today broke the story of Bryant embezzling $77 million of welfare funds,” the lawsuit reads. “On the contrary, White's non-apology-apology reinforced her claim and implied that criminal prosecutors refuse to prosecute Bryant for embezzlement.”

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The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted Ted DiBiase Jr., former Mississippi Department of Human Services executive director John Davis, Christi Webb, Nancy New, and others. The DOJ says they fraudulently directed $77 million in funds from the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program for their own purposes. Included were a new volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, trips to rehab in Malibu, California, and personal cars and trucks.

Mississippi Today was founded in 2016, and bills itself as “a watchdog,” and “the only fully staffed, member-supported, digital-first, nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom serving Mississippi and meeting the information needs of communities across the .”

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The Center Square

Mississippi unemployment rate dropped slightly in March | Mississippi

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Steve Wilson | – 2024-04-25 13:44:00

(The Center Square) – The unemployment rate in Mississippi in March dropped slightly to 3%, but the 's labor force participation rate continues to be one of the nation's worst.

That's down from February's 3.1%.

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The Mississippi Department of Employment Security's monthly workforce report shows a gain of 10,000 non-farm for the year to date to the same time period last year. Compared to March 2023, the state's workforce expanded by 6,300 jobs, going from 1.17 million employed to 1.18 million.

Neighboring states Arkansas (3.5%), Tennessee (3.2%) and (4.4%) were not much different. North Dakota had the nation's lowest unemployment rate at 2%.

Workforce participation rate for March was 53.7%, holding steady from February. The national rate is 62.7%.

Biggest gaining job sectors in March included construction (up 2.2% from last March) and leisure and hospitality (up 2%). 

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Among the state's metropolitan , the Coast had a job gain of 1.4% or 2,300 newly employed in March compared to the same time last year. The Hattiesburg area had no job gains in March thanks to a loss of 100 manufacturing jobs, while the metro area's job gain was a negligible 0.3% while adding 900 positions.  

Initial unemployment claims were 4,242 in March, down from 5,004 in March 2023. Continuing gains increased to 27,128 in March to 23,644 in March 2023.

The state's leading employers include trade, transportation and utilities (244,900 workers or 20.6% of the state's workforce), (241,000 or 20.3%), education and services (155,900 or 13.1%), manufacturing (144,600 or 12.2%) and leisure and hospitality (135,500 or 11.4%). 

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Mississippi’s March tax revenues exceeded pre-session estimates | Mississippi

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Steve Wilson | – 2024-04-19 10:07:00

(The Center Square) — Tax revenues for March in Mississippi were up nearly 17% over the pre- estimate, as an additional $87 million was collected.

The report by the Legislative Budget Office showed that tax revenues for the fiscal year, which will end June 30, were up 3.51% with estimates, adding $178.9 million in revenue to the 's balance sheet and 0.03% above the collections at this point last year. The fiscal 2024 estimate is $7.52

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TCS - March Fiscal 2024 Mississippi graph

Ten-year historical total revenue collections and by tax type graphs issued by the Mississippi Legislative Budget Office. 

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As for the year to date, sales tax revenues (nearly $2.1 billion) were up 3.4%, gaining an additional $68.9 million over the year before, when $2.03 billion was collected. 

Use of e-commerce in Mississippi continues to grow, as revenues from the state's 7% use tax on all out-of-state sales grew 3.58% compared to the same time last year. In fiscal 2023, those revenues were $293.9 million, compared to $304.4 million this year, an increase of $10.5 million.

With recent income tax cuts passed by lawmakers, the state's personal income revenues continue to plummet, down 10.07% compared to the year before. The state took in $1.65 billion in 2023 compared to $1.49 billion this year, a reduction of $166.6 million.

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Corporate income tax collections were also down compared to the same period last year, falling 5.01%. In fiscal 2023, the state collected $569.5 million compared to $540.9 million this year, a decrease of $28.5 million.

Tobacco and beer taxes and revenue from the state's distribution of wine and liquor were also down slightly (0.59%) compared to the same period last year. Last year, the state collected $194.7 million while collecting $193.6 million this year, a decrease of $1.14 million. 

Gaming tax revenues were also down by 5.3%. In fiscal 2023 up to March, the state collected $121.6 million, compared to $115.2 million, a drop of $6.44 million.

Tax revenue from the state's program also took a plunge, down 13.23% compared to the year before. In fiscal 2023, the program took in $7.43 million compared to $6.44 million this year, a decrease of $982,868.

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Six Southern governors push back against UAW unionization efforts at auto plant | National

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Jon Styf | – 2024-04-16 14:07:00

(The Center Square) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee joined five other governors in opposing the United Auto Workers' unionization campaign with a vote this of Chattanooga Volkswagen autoworkers on whether to unionize.

Lee is joined by Alabama Gov. Kay , Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster and Gov. Greg Abbott against what they call misinformation from the UAW.

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“The reality is companies have choices when it to where to invest and bring and ,” Lee and the governors wrote. “We have worked tirelessly on behalf of our constituents to bring good-paying jobs to our states. These jobs have become part of the fabric of the automotive manufacturing industry. Unionization would certainly put our states' jobs in jeopardy – in fact, in this year already, all of the UAW automakers have announced layoffs.”

Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman London Lamar, on the other hand, offered her of the Chattanooga workers and UAW, saying that Lee has a history of “anti-worker” legislation such as a removal of automatic Tennessee Education Association deduction options from Tennessee teacher paychecks and an incentive restriction for businesses that allow card check union elections.

“Unlike Tennessee's governor, we applaud Volkswagen workers for engaging in the democratic and we would welcome the UAW's expansion in Chattanooga,” Lamar said in a statement. “We aren't surprised to see Gov. Bill Lee join with other anti-union states to tip the scales against workers. Lee, who inherited a company that made him a millionaire, has signed more anti-worker laws than any governor in Tennessee history.”

Lee and the governors, however, believe a vote to unionize would jeopardize those auto manufacturing plants' future.

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“In America, we respect our workforce and we do not need to pay a third party to tell us who can pick up a box or flip a switch,” the governors said. “No one wants to hear this, but it's the ugly reality. We've seen it play out this way every single time a foreign automaker plant has been unionized; not one of those plants remains in operation. And we are seeing it in the fallout of the Detroit Three strike with those automakers rethinking investments and cutting jobs. Putting businesses in our states in that position is the last thing we want to do.”

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