Mississippi News
Gulf Coast Amtrak route closer to learning its fate
Gulf Coast Amtrak route one step closer to learning its fate
The federal board that will determine whether the Gulf Coast gets its Amtrak route back is closer to reaching a decision.Â
The Surface Transportation Board issued an order Friday, spelling out questions it wants Amtrak and the freight rail companies to address in its upcoming evidentiary hearing on April 4. Following the latest set of hearing dates, the board is expected to finally make a decision about the route's future.
Freight company CSX Transportation has been at odds with Amtrak over the proposed train route that would run between New Orleans and Mobile with stops in Mississippi for years. Amtrak trains that once traveled along the Gulf Coast never returned following Hurricane Katrina. A year ago, Amtrak filed a petition with the transportation board to operate the route along the freight-owned railways after failing to reach any agreements with CSX and another freight company that owns tracks along the route.Â
In its latest filing, the transportation board asked the freight rail companies and Amtrak to have conversations with the U.S. Coast Guard over the use of drawbridges on the route. The bridges, and whether they can be drawn down and support added traffic from a passenger train, have been one of many of many points of contention and confusion during the debate over the route's future.
Alabama leadership largely sided with CSX, saying they wanted more studies done on whether added passenger trains would affect the freight trains ability to move product during public hearings last month. Mississippi leaders, such as U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, said Amtrak's return to the Gulf Coast has been delayed long enough.Â
The evidence hearings were first scheduled for March. CSX asked they be postponed. They're now set to be held virtually on April 4 and 5 with the option of extending to April 7 and 8 as needed.Â
Ultimately, the board will decide if the addition of Amtrak routes would unreasonably affect the freight companies that run 11 trains on that set of railroad per day. Amtrak's legal right to operate its proposed two-train route on freight-owned tracks comes from a 1970s agreement that reprieved freight companies from providing public transportation.Â
The transportations board's decision on the Gulf Coast will likely set a precedent for other passenger train access cases across the country.Â
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Lafayette softball shuts out New Hope in game one of 5A quarterfinals
SUMMARY: Lafayette softball defeated New Hope 3-0 in game one of the 5A quarterfinals, with Mabry Claire Eason pitching a complete game shutout. Tashika Carothers hit a shallow fly ball to center field, scoring Eason and Mary Madison Kelley to get the Commodores' bats rolling early. The two teams will meet again in the next game, where Lafayette can clinch a spot in the semifinals with a win while New Hope is in a win or go home situation. The game is set for Saturday at 6 PM at Lafayette.
The post Lafayette softball shuts out New Hope in game one of 5A quarterfinals appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
Medicaid expansion efforts collapse in Mississippi
SUMMARY: Efforts to expand Medicaid to 200,000 Mississippians died during the 2024 Legislative Session due to breakdown in negotiations between House and Senate leaders. A new proposal for a ballot referendum was introduced, causing a compromise measure to fall apart. The compromise would have provided healthcare coverage to those making up to 138% of the federal poverty level, with a work requirement. House Democrats opposed the measure, and there were doubts about the Senate's approval. Mississippi remains one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid. Both House and Senate leaders have indicated that Medicaid expansion may be considered in the future.
The post Medicaid expansion efforts collapse in Mississippi appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Mississippi Republicans revive bill to regulate transgender bathroom use in schools
SUMMARY: Mississippi's Republican-led Legislature revived a bill to regulate transgender people's restroom use, requiring single-sex facilities in public education buildings. The legislation would mandate using spaces corresponding to sex assigned at birth. Democrats opposed the bill, citing risks to transgender individuals. Advocacy groups mobilized Republican women to support the bill, which ultimately passed with weaker penalties than originally proposed. The bill follows other Mississippi laws banning transgender athletes in sports and gender-affirming care. Republican legislators defend the bill as protecting female privacy on college campuses. The issue is part of a broader national trend of Republicans restricting transgender rights in state legislatures.
The post Mississippi Republicans revive bill to regulate transgender bathroom use in schools appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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