Mississippi Today

Legislative leaders opt not to release typical pre-session budget plan after disagreement with governor

Published

1 year ago

December 6, 2023

Legislative leaders have opted not to produce a budget recommendation to serve as a guideline for the upcoming 2024 session.

Normally, the 14-member Budget Committee, which includes outgoing House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, develops a budget recommendation before each session begins in January. But during Wednesday’s meeting, Budget Committee members adjourned without adopting a budget recommendation.

House Pro Tem Jason White, R-West, who is expected to be elected by the membership as speaker in January, said the committee opted not to develop a budget recommendation because there was not an official revenue estimate agreed to by the Budget Committee and Gov. Tate Reeves.

“We didn’t have an agreement on a number,” said White.

An initial step in developing a budget is for the governor and Budget Committee to agree in November on the amount of revenue expected to be collected during the upcoming fiscal year to fund the budget. Reeves wanted a revenue estimate of about $118 million more than supported by the Budget Committee.

Both White and Hosemann said Wednesday they anticipate legislative appropriators will begin work in January on separate budget proposals from the House and Senate using the revenue estimate supported by the Budget Committee. Hosemann said he hopes to meet with Reeves before he releases his budget proposal — due Jan. 31 — to discuss with him using the lower number.

At the very least, Hosemann said, “I would hope that (agreeing on a revenue estimate) would be worked out before March with the governor.” March is essentially when work will begin in earnest on developing a budget to fund state services, such as education, health care and law enforcement.

Reeves has said he supports the higher budget recommendation — $7.64 billion — because it would make it easier to pass in the 2024 session his plan to phase out the state income tax, which accounts for a little less than one-third of total state general fund revenue.

Hosemann again reiterated Wednesday current collections do not support the higher estimate supported by Reeves. The lieutenant governor pointed out that for three of the first five months of the current fiscal year, revenue has met the current estimate only because of interest earnings. Without those earnings, Hosemann said, revenue collections would be below the amount projected by the 2023 Legislature to fund the budget for the current fiscal year.

Hosemann added that he, like the governor, wants to consider tax cuts during the upcoming session. He said he would like to consider reductions in the income tax and the 7% tax on groceries. But he discounted efforts to pass legislation to totally eliminate the income tax sometimes in the future, saying it made sense to work each session to try to make incremental tax cuts.

Hosemann said through such incremental cuts, “it could be eliminated in 10 years, faster than what is being proposed” by the governor and others in past legislation.

This is the first time in recent history that the Budget Committee will not develop a budget recommendation. Before the 2003 session, then-Gov. Ronnie Musgrove and the Budget Committee did not agree on an estimate, but the committee still offered a budget recommendation.

Still, the recent posturing between the governor and legislative leaders most likely not derail work to pass a state budget. At some point in March or near the end of the session, the legislative leaders most likely will meet and hash out a revenue estimate and work to pass a budget. The governor in March will have no official role in developing that estimate. At that point, the governor will have the option to veto or sign those budget bills into law.

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

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Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC holds free cancer screenings 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 presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

2 days ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.