Mississippi Today

OOPS! Senate sent House an income tax bill with typos. House ran with it. What’s next?

Published

1 month ago

March 20, 2025

mississippitoday.org – Geoff Pender, Taylor Vance and Michael Goldberg – 2025-03-20 15:06:00

by Geoff Pender, Taylor Vance and Michael Goldberg, Mississippi Today
March 20, 2025

Mississippi Senate leaders have said a House plan to eliminate the state income tax over about a decade was foolhardy, and instead proposed a much longer, more cautious approach.

But the Senate had a few typos in the bill — errant decimal points — that instead of drawing out the phase out of the income tax would speed it up, nearly as fast as the House proposal, multiple lawmakers confirmed to Mississippi Today.

The House ran with it. It realized the Senate’s error and passed the measure on Thursday.

Now, if the House leadership wanted, it could send the measure to Gov. Tate Reeves, who could sign it into law. The measure was held on a procedural motion that could allow the House to reconsider and continue negotiations.

Legislative leaders and Gov. Tate Reeves went radio silent after the House unexpectedly concurred with the Senate proposal on Thursday morning. Early Thursday afternoon, House and Senate leaders were meeting behind closed doors, and many lawmakers had no idea about the snafu.

Later Thursday afternoon, Reeves posted on social media that he was looking forward to receiving the bill on Friday and signing it into law and, “Today is a day for celebration!”

Hosemann and White’s offices on Thursday afternoon did not immediately respond to a request for comments about the situation.

The intent of the Senate’s “cautious” plan to eliminate the state individual income tax over many years would only eliminate it if economic growth “triggers” were met. After an initial four-year reduction in the income tax rate, the triggered phase out would require revenue growth to far outpace spending.

But instead of saying revenue growth over spending reached 85% of the cost of a drop in income tax, the bill accidentally said .85%. This means a very small amount of growth would trigger large income tax cuts, eliminating it far quicker than the Senate had wanted. Similar typos were in other metrics of the trigger language.

Jared Walczak, Vice President of State Projects at the Tax Foundation, said the error could have harmful consequences for Mississippi’s economy.

“If implemented as-is, the law could trigger tax cuts when Mississippi can’t afford them,” Walczak wrote in a social media post. “Twenty-eight states have cut (personal income tax) rates since 2021, including Mississippi. They’ve mostly done so responsibly. With this drafting error, the Mississippi legislation would break from that pattern of responsible tax relief and could put the state in a very rough spot.”

It’s unclear whether the House would really send a bill with obvious unintentional flaws — dealing with a major overhaul in the state’s taxation — to the governor.

Another bill remains alive — the one with the House’s most recent counter offer — before the Senate.

Lawmakers could reconsider passage of the bill with typos, or let it die, and hold more negotiations between the House and Senate. Or, both chambers could unanimously agree to fix the typos and send what the Senate originally intended to the governor.

Or, the largest tax cut in Mississippi history, coupled with one of the largest (gasoline) tax increases, could become the law of the land because of a few typos. If it did become law, lawmakers could come back sometime in the next four years before the growth triggers take effect and change them.

In Reeves’ social media post he said: “I hear there are those who desire future tweaks to this law, and those can certainly be considered in future legislation.” He thanked White and House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar.

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

1 day 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

1 day 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

1 day 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.