Mississippi Democrats

PRESS CLIPPINGS: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:01:00 +0000

1. The House and Senate have grocery tax bills that essentially differ only in how much the tobacco tax would be raised.

Cigarette-grocery tax bills pass - The Clarion-Ledger:
The House and Senate on Tuesday passed competing bills aimed at appeasing critics of a vetoed proposal to shift taxes from groceries to cigarettes.

After eight hours of contentious debate, the Senate passed a new cigarette-grocery tax bill, 30-17, shortly after 6 p.m.Senate Bill 3084 would raise the cigarette tax to 80 cents per pack and cut the 7 percent grocery tax in half.

The House, with little debate, approved a similar bill that would raise the tax on cigarettes to $1 per pack and cut the grocery tax in half.

2. SOS Clark says the $6 million from the Legislature will allow his office to purchase 2,000 more voting machines.

Miss. can buy another 2,000 voting machines - The Clarion-Ledger:
Secretary of State Eric Clark says Mississippi will be able to buy 2,000 additional new voting machines, under a bill signed into law Tuesday.

"It's going to mean shorter lines. It's going to mean quicker, more convenient voting," Clark said.

The new law, House Bill 562, took effect as soon as it was signed by Gov. Haley Barbour. It allows the state to issue $6 million in bonds to help buy new machines.

3. Salter tees off on Barbour and his opposition to the grocery tax cut bill. Salter's conclusion is particularly telling.

New sales tax cut, cigarette tax hike plotted - The Clarion-Ledger:
So here we go again, folks. Is Gov. Barbour really going to address the people of Mississippi once more with a straight face and tell us that low cigarette taxes are more advantageous to Mississippi's future than giving the working poor a small tax break on their groceries?

This fight has never been about what was good for average Mississippi taxpayers. It's been a mean, spiteful little political fight that ignored the poor.

4. The Greenwood Commonwealth puts the responsibility on the Senate to pass campaign finance reform, something the House has already done. The bill would make political donations more transparent. Anyone remember the governor running on a platform that included more transparency in government spending? Guess that same kind of honesty doesn't extend into Barbour's brand of politics.

Greenwood Commonwealth - Opinion - 02/21/2006 - Another opportunity for Tuck to lead:
For the second straight year, the House has agreed to a comprehensive plan - pushed by Secretary of State Eric Clark, Attorney General Jim Hood and good government groups - to make the money trail in Mississippi elections transparent. And for the second straight year, the effort is meeting resistance in the Senate.

The House bill would require that special-interest groups which buy political ads designed to effect a Mississippi election disclosed the sources of their funds. It would also mandate that candidates in the bigger state races file their campaign finance reports electronically, thus making it easier for the public to track who is giving to whom. The bill also clarifies that all loans to candidates must be disclosed - an issue that Tuck tripped on during a prior election.

The Senate only wants to do the loan disclosure, taking its marching orders from Gov. Haley Barbour, Mississippi's unmatched king of fund-raising.

5. The AG and the House have stood up to protect policy holders from confusion and misunderstanding, but the Senate chairmen are stalling. One of those stalling is Sen. Dean Kirby, who is expected to be the next Republican candidate for Insurance Commissioner. Do we really want someone who is in the back pocket of the insurance industry regulating that industry?

The Sun Herald | 02/22/2006 | Hood prods for action on insurers:
Attorney General Jim Hood urged the state Senate on Tuesday to pass two hurricane-related bills he says are imperative to helping South Mississippi recover.

The bills passed the House with wide voting margins but Hood said during a news conference at the state Capitol that Senate committee chairs have failed to act.

One of the insurance bills would mandate that insurance companies offer a storm-surge waiver so property owners know whether or not they have flood coverage. The other calls for interest to be charged on claims not paid in a timely manner.

OPEN THREAD: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 15:18:00 +0000

Another one just for fun.

PRESS CLIPPINGS: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 15:17:00 +0000

1. Tuck, Senate introduce a compromise bill for grocery tax cut in case veto cannot be overridden.

Senate gets revised tax bill - The Clarion-Ledger:
Weeks after a controversial tax bill was vetoed, Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck on Monday introduced a less ambitious bill to trim the grocery tax and raise the cigarette tax.

Senate Bill 3084 would raise the cigarette tax to 80 cents per pack while cutting the 7 percent grocery tax in half, starting July 1. The bill likely will be taken up on the Senate floor today.

Tuck said the legislation was filed as an alternative to the initial bill that would have raised cigarette taxes to $1 per pack and eliminated the grocery tax over nine years. Gov. Haley Barbour vetoed Senate Bill 2310 last month.

2. The Commonwealth questions how far is too far in pointing out sex offenders.

Greenwood Commonwealth - Opinion - 02/20/2006 - How much ridicule for sex offenders?:
How much should sex offenders be subject to public vilification, even as they are serving time for their crimes?

That is the question raised by a plan in the Department of Human Services to plaster on billboards around the state the faces of sex offenders, particularly those convicted of statutory rape, while they are behind bars.

PRESS CLIPPINGS: Monday, February 20, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:22:00 +0000

1. The C-L sees through the governor's so-called Healthy Kids initiative.

Tobacco - The Clarion-Ledger:
There is nothing wrong with the programs the governor proposes. They just shouldn't be funded from the $20 million going to the state's effective anti-smoking effort.

His intentions are clear. Barbour has attempted to undo the settlement agreement on constitutional grounds that the court is appropriating money instead of the Legislature. That is why Moore supports House Bill 1115 and Senate Bill 2760, which would have the Legislature simply appropriate money to the Partnership to continue its good work.

2. David Hampton looks at the governor's double-speak on taxes.

Has Barbour convinced you a grocery tax cut is a tax hike? - The Clarion-Ledger:
I don't know of anybody who could make voters believe a proposal to do away with the sales tax on groceries is somehow a bad idea by any stretch of the imagination.

The same governor whose response to anything taxes is "I'm against raising anybody's taxes" has so far won the political battle in the Legislature and the public relations battle in the public on the proposal that would do more to lower taxes on average Mississippians than any tax reform measure that has come down in decades.

3. Greenwood Commonwealth says governor not credible on tobacco issues.

Greenwood Commonwealth - Opinion - 02/17/2006 - But boss not credible on teen smoking:
While Charlie Williams makes a good point about considering the grocery tax on its own merit, his boss doesn't have much credibility when it comes to protecting Mississippi's children from the dangers of smoking.

Gov. Haley Barbour Thursday unveiled his suggestions of how the state could better utilize the $20 million a year that now goes to a private nonprofit group that directs most of Mississippi's smoking cessation efforts.

4. Man, the governor can't catch a break. The Hattiesburg American pans his idea as well.

Hattiesburg American - www.hattiesburgamerican.com - Hattiesburg, Miss.:
According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free-Kids, a Washington, D.C.-based health advocacy group: "The Partnership's programs (between 1999 and 2004) have reduced smoking by 48 percent among public middle school students and by 32 percent among public high school students. Mississippi's youth smoking declines far outpace the nation as a whole.

Enter Barbour, who has been attempting to dismantle The Partnership since he came into office.

OPEN THREAD: Monday, February 20, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 12:57:00 +0000

Happy President's Day...

PRESS CLIPPINGS: Thursday, February 16, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 14:34:00 +0000

1. Hood says he found no wrongdoing by any elected officials in connection with Mississippi Beef Processors.

Hood: No more beef charges - The Clarion-Ledger:
State Attorney General Jim Hood said he expects no more criminal charges in the investigation of Mississippi Beef Processors and has found no wrongdoing by any elected official.

2. Here's my question: WHY HASN'T THE GOVERNOR APPOINTED A PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT? Given the current state of utilities, the encroaching winter days and skyrocketing energy costs, it seems logical that the coast would be well-served to have someone in place to regulate and assist the energy companies.

Companies seek millions - The Clarion-Ledger:
Mississippi electric companies requested millions from state lawmakers Wednesday hoping to minimize anticipated rate increases in the wake Hurricane Katrina.

The House Ways and Means Committee approved an unprecedented plan that would allow Mississippi Power and Entergy Mississippi to borrow money - using the state's name and low interest rate - to cover the estimated $362 million in losses from the Aug. 29 storm.

3. The Legislature has approved more funds for the new voter machine project.

More voting machine funds if Barbour signs legislation - djournal.com:
JACKSON - Legislation has been sent to Gov. Haley Barbour to provide $6 million more to help Mississippi's 82 counties purchase more voting machines.

The legislation, which originated in the House, was passed Monday by the Senate with no dissenting votes.

Senate Elections Committee chairman Terry Burton, R-Newton, said the $6 million will be used to replace anticipated federal funds that Congress never appropriated. New federal legislation placed mandates on the states, such as additional access for the disabled and voting machines that cut down on voter error.

OPEN THREAD: Thursday, February 16, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 14:21:00 +0000

Anyone have any good Valentine's Day stories? Family versions, please.

PRESS CLIPPINGS: Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 14:15:00 +0000

1. The Department of Finance and Administration has become a political extension of Gov. Barbour. No wonder he wants to put DFA and MDA together with him in a building renovated SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. I'm still trying to figure out why the press is not digging more into the amount of money the governor wants to waste in renovating a building that has been specially equipped with security measures and technology upgrades designed for law enforcement. This story is about DFA saying the state can't afford the mental health facilities they approved. I guess the gov and DFA think it's just fine to lock up innocent men and women and pass the financial buck to the county level. Is that what Republicans call "compassionate conservatism"?

Mental health centers revisited - The Clarion-Ledger:
Political pressure is mounting to construct a mental health crisis center in Brookhaven with $19 million on the horizon for centers statewide.

Law enforcement and residents have waited seven years for the state to construct an estimated $2.9 million facility in Brookhaven. Southwest Mississippi is the only region without a center.

"They just need to go on and build the thing," Sen. Billy Thames, D-Mize, who helped create the centers, said Tuesday.But the Department of Finance and Administration says the future of a center in Brookhaven is not certain.

2. The C-L is reminding elected officials not to ignore the children trapped in a troubled DHS system.

Legislature '06 - The Clarion-Ledger:
Meanwhile, a federal lawsuit alleging serious failings in the state's foster care program is painting a grim picture demanding attention. Although the lawsuit filed by New York-based Children's Rights suing the Mississippi Department of Human Services presents only one side of a legal argument, using DHS figures, it notes:

Nearly 88 percent of children in DHS custody were not seen at least monthly by their social worker in a year;

About 32 percent of the youngest foster children in custody for at least one year did not receive a physical.

3. House still looking at fully funding education.

House passes ed budget short of full funding - djournal.com:
Education at full funding levels accounts for more than $2 billion of the total state budget. House Education Committee Chairman Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, said the House leadership still supports full funding and hopes to achieve that goal before the session ends.

But the House chose not to make a statement on full funding for education early because of the uncertainty in the budget process.

OPEN THREAD: Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 14:00:00 +0000

Here we go again...

PRESS CLIPPINGS: Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 14:26:00 +0000

1. Suprisingly, DHS has no comment on more alleged abuse cases. DHS Executive Director Don Taylor even sent a memo enforcing a gag order on all employees. Glad to see they want to be open about all of this so the issue can be resolved and these children will have the opportunity to live in a better situation.

Lawsuit: DHS failing kids in foster care - The Clarion-Ledger:
New York-based Children's Rights, which is suing the state Department of Human Services, detailed in a few hundred pages of expert reports alleged problems of sexual abuse, unqualified employees and fiscal mismanagement.

The organization cited high levels of children who were maltreated, passed over for physical exams, not seen by their social worker as required, or languished in the system when they were ready for adoption.

DHS attorney Rusty Fortenberry would not address details in the reports, but said they would be "disputed very vigorously."

2. Paul Ott's poem "I Am Mississippi" has drawn the ire of some Ole Miss professors, students and other staff members. While they think Ott is a good man, they added, "'I Am Mississippi' is not a good poem."

Proposed state poem has critics - The Clarion-Ledger:
Three dozen English professors, instructors, staff members and students at the University of Mississippi are asking lawmakers to reject a proposed state poem, saying the work "has no literary merit."

"We do not want America and the world to think that 'I Am Mississippi' is the best poem this state can offer," they say in a letter addressed to the state Senate, Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, Gov. Haley Barbour and the people of Mississippi.

3. The C-L endorses posting votes online.

Post the votes - The Clarion-Ledger:
The Internet has done much to improve government accountability, giving citizens instant access to information on elected officials' actions.

Mississippi state agencies have come far in providing Web-based access. The site, www.mississippi.gov can guide citizens to information and services.

The Mississippi Legislature also has information and bill status at its site, www.ls.state. ms.us. But there is so much more that could be done.

The most urgent and easiest thing that could be added is online voting records of legislators.

4. Bobby Harrison looks at the stem cell bill passed in the Legislature.

BOBBY HARRISON: Legislators pass an ambiguous stem cell bill - djournal.com:
JACKSON - Watch Mississippi legislators, as any politicians, long enough and eventually a true picture of what they think of the intellect of the public will emerge.

That picture was crystallized last week in the state House during debate on stem cell research.

True, it is a complex, scientific issue, and no one, certainly not I, has all the facts. But probably no truer words were spoken during the debate that those of plain-spoken Rep. John Mayo, D-Clarksdale, who at one point exclaimed, "We are politicians who don't know squat, and we shouldn't be dabbling in this."

OPEN THREAD: February 14, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 14:18:00 +0000

Happy Valentine's Day...

PRESS CLIPPINGS: Monday, February 13, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 14:12:00 +0000

1. The House passed an bill outlawing human cloning and stem cell research.

Stem cell bill - The Clarion-Ledger:
Blatantly pandering to the radical right of the pro-life movement, the House of Representatives passed a bill to outlaw human cloning in the state. But the real intent of the bill had precious little to do with cloning.

2. Agnew looks at a bill that will study a revitalization project for the Delta.

Must Delta's future look just like its past? - The Clarion-Ledger:
Nearly 21 years after leaving a reporting stint in the Mississippi Delta, I remain stumped about the contradictions that abound in the region.

It is a place of beauty and disaster, majestic homes, fertile land and the kindest people in this country.

Flip the coin, and tears roll uncontrollably down my face, spilling out when I try with great might to contain them. The poverty that continues to define the Delta is of such a vicious nature. It is so engrained in the culture that now it is hardly noticed.

3. Hampton explains the C-L's change of mind over sheriffs having radar.

Radar redux: What we have here is a failure to communicate - The Clarion-Ledger:
The Clarion-Ledger did something rare this past week - it changed its position on an issue it has editorialized against for years.

This newspaper has traditionally opposed the use of radar by county sheriff's departments. In the grand scheme of things, whether sheriffs run radar to catch speeders has not been a big item on the state's agenda, but it is one that has been a longtime irritant to county law officers. It's one that comes up in the Legislature every year and seldom gets much hearing. This year is different.

The bill was approved by the state Senate last week after sheriffs made a strong case before state lawmakers.

A group of sheriffs made the same case to us, as well.

4. Salter talks about immigration reform and the growing Hispanic population. I saw some of these protesters. Their signs were borderline racist in attacking a group of people. It's as if some in the immigration debate talk about the Hispanic population as if they are some sort of sub-human race of dirty animal. Such an approach is sad, pathetic, ignorant and racist. Period.

State has population rank that illuminates - The Clarion-Ledger:
Protesters on the grounds of the Capitol this week were lambasting state legislators who killed some 16 different bills aimed at illegal immigrants - bills that would have prohibited undocumented students from attending in-state colleges or doing contruction work under state contracts.

Some of those protesters told a Jackson TV station that they wanted Gov. Haley Barbour to reintroduce the legislation in a special session. Pro-immigrant groups have already protested against attempts to pass punitive legislation targeting undocumented foreign workers and their families.

But the numbers suggest that Mississippi had better begin taking the issue of illegal immigration and undocumented workers seriously.

Why? Because if current population trends continue, the word "minority" may take on a whole new connotation for white Mississippians - particularly those who still suffer from that paralyzing, hateful disease called xenophobia.

5. The education funding debate has begun, but it likely won't be settled for several weeks.

House, Senate disagree on education funding changes - djournal.com:
JACKSON - The House and Senate have passed differing versions of how to revamp the Mississippi Adequate Education Program funding formula, and the matter probably will not be resolved until near the end of the session.

The result will affect education funding for years to come.

"I hope we come up with a fair system to distribute funds to the school systems of the state," said House Education Committee Chairman Cecil Brown, D-Jackson.

6. It's nice to see Republicans getting organized in the House. Democrats already have a similar caucus in the House and have just started one in the Senate. The work of these two groups will help elect good Democrats to the Legislature in 2007.

The Sun Herald | 02/12/2006 | Republicans test power of caucus:
One night last week, a new caucus was born.

House Republicans, I'm told, voted overwhelmingly Wednesday night to create a caucus, although details of exactly how it will operate and who will run it apparently remain to be determined.

They say they are not going to try to undermine or topple Democratic House Speaker Billy McCoy's authority. They say they won't demand block voting, try to split committees, oust incumbents or force waffling Dems to switch parties. It's unclear whether the caucus would replace the already caucus-like Conservative Coalition. This all begs the question: What, exactly, will this caucus do?

OPEN THREAD: Monday, February 13, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 13:55:00 +0000

Don't forget the candy, flowers and dinner reservations for tomorrow, or Monday won't be the only manic day.

GOP Rep. Staples gets pissy over Partnership

Sam R. Hall — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 16:41:00 +0000

The House passed funding for the Partnership. This is a terrific program, so good that cigar-smoking Rep. Steve Holland gave it glowing reviews.

Funds OK'd for tobacco initiative - The Clarion-Ledger:
The biggest political spat of the day was in the Mississippi House over funding for the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, a tobacco prevention and cessation program.

"It has worked so fabulously that it is literally the model smoking cessation program in the United States of America," Public Health and Human Service Committee Chairman Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, said.

However, Rep. Gary Staples was more than a little miffed. On a deadline day, he selfishly slowed the work of the House.

Legislation grants $20M to Partnership - djournal.com:
After the bill passed in the House, Rep. Gary Staples, R-Laurel, took advantage of a constitutional provision allowing members to require a bill to be read before a vote is taken. Staples required several lengthy bills to be read.

Soar loser.

OPEN THREAD: Friday, February 10, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 16:15:00 +0000

Here we go... Again.

OPEN THREAD: Thursday, February 9, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 16:32:00 +0000

And we're off on another day.

PRESS CLIPPINGS: Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 13:33:00 +0000

1. Gov. Barbour said he will not run for president because he's so busy working on Hurricane Katrina recovery. He did not rule out a VP slot. All of this depends upon his being re-elected governor, however. If he continues to try and keep people's grocery taxes high, kicks people off Medicaid and seeks to destroy our education system, he'll have all the time in the world to run for president.

Barbour: No run for president - The Clarion-Ledger:
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Tuesday he will not run for president in 2008, ending months of political gossip that had the one-term Republican governor and former lobbyist as a potential candidate for the White House.

"There's no way I can consider running for president," Barbour, 58, said in response to questions at the Capitol. "I've been flattered by the people who have encouraged me or said they would support me. But there's no way I could run for president and do what I've got to do as governor. And, obviously, being governor comes first."

Instead, Barbour said he intends to run for re-election as governor in 2007. He'll probably make a formal announcement this summer or fall, he said.

2. Tchula Mayor Von Brown has declared for the Republican ticket in the 2CD race. U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson is seeking re-election. State Rep. Chuck Espy is running against Thompson in the primary.

Greenwood Commonwealth - News - 02/07/2006 - Brown announces run for Congress:
Tchula Mayor Von Brown has made her candidacy official for Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District seat.

Brown, 53, made the announcement of her bid as a Republican candidate before a crowd of supporters at the town's recently completed Robert G. Clark Municipal Complex. Construction on that complex began during her first term as mayor.

3. The Commonwealth points out the shortcomings of President Bush's budget.

Greenwood Commonwealth - Opinion - 02/07/2006 - Bush's budget ignores the obvious:
President Bush's plan to reduce the deficit that has exploded during his administration fails to address the obvious.

If the president were truly serious about reining in the red ink, expected to total $423 billion this year, he would back off the tax cuts which he ill-advisedly pushed through Congress in his first term.

Instead, the president is stubbornly determined to make them permanent, thus rendering it unlikely that Congress will get a handle on the deficit as long as Bush is in the White House.

PRESS CLIPPINGS: Tuesday, February 7, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 16:34:00 +0000

1. The House passed the Delta Revitalization Bill with overwhelming support.

Bill proposes task force for Delta revitalization - The Clarion-Ledger:
An effort to revive the Mississippi Delta, the poorest region of the state, cleared the House on Monday afternoon.

"Job opportunities and health care have deteriorated in the Delta," said Rep. Rufus Straughter, D-Belzoni. "We're trying to fix that."

House Bill 1034, dubbed the Mississippi Delta Region Revitalization Act, creates a 25-member task force of Delta business people and politicians that would meet across the northwest section of the state over the next year. The program would cost $250,000.

The bill, approved in a 121-1 vote, heads to the Senate.

2. President Bush's budget will be a disaster for Mississippi. While he'll try to make us forget about it with the $18 billion relief package he is planning, the truth is still that vital services that help the most vulnerable of our citizens and our farmers will be cut drastically. See the MDP response here.

Bush budget mixed for Miss. - The Clarion-Ledger:
President Bush's new budget would cut subsidies for rice and cotton growers, slow the growth of the Medicare program and eliminate funding for dozens of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects, including the ambitious Yazoo Pumps plan.

The president's proposed fiscal 2007 budget also doesn't include much money to continue Hurricane Katrina reconstruction efforts. Instead, the president is expected to send an $18 billion hurricane spending package to Congress within 10 days.

3. Bobby Harrison looks at the governor's decision to veto a bill that would make it easier on all Mississippians to buy groceries.

BOBBY HARRISON: Grocery tax reduction bill etches history - djournal.com:
Gov. Haley Barbour is working feverishly not to be a victim of history repeating itself.

The repeat of history would occur if the Republican governor's veto of legislation phasing out Mississippi's 7 percent tax on food and increasing the cigarette tax was overridden. Thus far, Barbour has been successful in preventing Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck, who presides over the Senate, from obtaining the two-thirds majority needed in that body to override. It was Tuck, normally a close Barbour ally, who proposed the legislation to phase out the tax on food while offsetting some of that lost revenue with a cigarette tax hike.

Of course, there still is plenty of time left in the session to deal with the historic issue. Senators on both sides of the issue are having to make a point of being in the chamber every day in case the veto is taken up.

4. The Enterprise-Journal in McComb looks at the Legislature's newest member and her start.

Cockerham hits ground running - Enterprise-Journal:
Before the current legislative session began, new state Rep. Angela Cockerham heard that the first few weeks would be slow.

Ha.

“The very first day that we got here we were off and running,” she said Thursday.

“I got here that Tuesday and was asked to vote on a piece of legislation my very first day. I’m glad that it’s not slow, to be honest with you. It was a great way for me to get acclimated.”

OPEN THREAD: Tuesday, February 7, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 15:34:00 +0000

Here we go. Enjoy the day.

PRESS CLIPPINGS: Monday, February 6, 2007

Sam R. Hall — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 14:57:00 +0000

1. Thursday is the deadline for bills to be sent to the other chamber in the Legislature. This story talks about interest-free loans for Katrina victims. Along with other bills covered is the divisive Voter I.D. program in the Senate.

Coast home loans on agenda - The Clarion-Ledger:
nterest-free loans for homeowners whose houses were wrecked by Hurricane Katrina may be the next hot topic in the Mississippi Capitol.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Percy Watson, D-Hattiesburg, said a proposal for up to $25,000 in loans to aid coastal residents recovering from the Aug. 29 storm will surface this week.

"It sounds like music to my ears," said Brian Roe, a Waveland resident whose home a couple of miles inland was damaged.

2. Sid Salter says Nagin got a pass whereas Lott got the boot over similar remarks.

Trent Lott treated differently than Nagin - The Clarion-Ledger:
Did the national media give New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin a "get out of jail free" card for his now infamous Martin Luther King Jr. Day gaffe about how God supposedly used Hurricane Katrina to punish the U.S. for the Iraqi war and African Americans for not taking care of their own people, how New Orleans should and will ultimately be a so-called "chocolate city," etc.?

In a word, yes.

Were Nagin's remarks any less racially charged or inappropriate than Lott's ill-advised "birthday" speech? In a word, no.

3. David Hampton advocates doing away with some elected officials and strengthening the executive branch.

It's time to 'beef up' executive branch authority in Miss. - The Clarion-Ledger:
Mississippians have long paid dearly for the bad government principles written into our 1890 constitution that hinder basic government functions.

The mistrust of strong executive authority led to a state constitution that provides for a weak governor with a number of independently elected officials who do the functions of government that should fall under the executive branch. The result is a fractured and inefficient government.

4. Tim Kalich has a simple question, "What's up with Tuck?"

Greenwood Commonwealth - Opinion - 02/05/2006 - Did Tuck cross the wrong guy?:
[Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck] unexpectedly cut the strings, however, during the first days of this year's legislative session. With her urging, lawmakers shoved through a bill with uncharacteristic speed to raise the excise tax on cigarettes while gradually phasing out the sales tax on groceries.

Say what you will about the fiscal prudence of the legislation, it was a daring political stroke. The tax cut on groceries returned Tuck, a former Democrat, to her populist roots, while the tax hike on cigarettes distanced her from one of the biggest chinks in Barbour's otherwise impressive armor.

5. You MUST read this entire thread. It is too good not to read to the end. This is the kind of discussion we need more of.

Jackson Free Press | Oh, No: Not An ANGRY Woman!:
This is pathetic; the GOP is going to have to do better than playing the angry-woman card. If not, they're going to p!ss off a lot of already-perturbed female voters, and they really ought not do that. The Associated Press today:

Code words meant to divide over Voter I.D.

Sam R. Hall — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 14:46:00 +0000

Those danged "liberal Democrats" are at it again. They're teaming up with the "black lawmakers" to kill that beautiful piece of common-sense legislation called Voter I.D.

Coast home loans on agenda - The Clarion-Ledger:
On the Senate side, Sen. Terry Burton, R-Newton, said a number of potentially controversial bills are likely headed to the floor.

Burton, elections chairman, said he plans to bring out a voter ID bill that faces stiff opposition from black lawmakers and liberal Democrats.

First off, let's be clear: Linking "blacks" and "liberals" together is a Republican ploy in the South, and the C-L walked right into it by putting it in their words and not the senator who said it.

Second, it should be understood that Voter I.D. is not a black-white issue. Yes, most African-Americans – especially older ones – have a real problem with this kind of legislation based on history, and rightfully so. But that is only one small fraction of the argument.

Voter I.D. is in fact a poll tax because it will require some people who have no picture I.D. (and there are plenty of people like this) to go and purchase a picture I.D. This is the exact reason that a Georgia law found trouble.

Who doesn't have I.D.? Older Mississippians who do not drive. Poorer Mississippians who do not drive. And an entire population of people who have lost their driver's license for whatever reason – and this group includes rich and poor, black and white, Democrats and Republicans.

The truth is that requiring a photo I.D. is a deterrent to voters. It's that simple. And that lazy argument that goes something like, "If you have to have I.D. to open a checking account or rent a movie, then it shouldn't be a big deal to have an I.D. to vote," is just preposterous.

It should be pointed out that Republicans think as much of your right to vote as they do your privilege to rent a bad movie from Blockbuster. That's the level of importance they are relating to what has been granted persons by our Constitution.

In the end, it all comes down to voter fraud. Republicans and wayward Democrats will hang their hat on the mass voter fraud going on in Mississippi. OK. I'll buy that. If someone can prove mass voter fraud, then I'll change my tune.

Fact: Proof of mass voter fraud in Mississippi does not exist.

It's kind of like arresting someone for a crime you think was committed but can't really prove it. Nonetheless, since we can convince enough people the crime was committed then it's OK to go ahead and lock someone up for it.

I challenge Republicans like Sen. Burton to put aside partisan politics and focus on better solutions to some perceived yet unproven problem. The federal Help Americans Vote Act (HAVA) will do the most good in Mississippi. HAVA requires a statewide voter database to be maintained by the Secretary of State's office. This database will link to each county, so when a voter registers in a new county, it will automatically remove them from the old county voter roll. It will also have the ability to link to a database of death certificates so that when someone dies they are removed from the voter rolls.

HAVA will help. Voter I.D. will only divide.

OPEN THREAD: Monday, February 6, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 14:09:00 +0000

Packers won, but you have to question a couple of calls that could have sent it the other way.

It was a good game, but a bit boring for the most part. Commercials were fair. Better than last year, according to the viewing audience around me.

By the way, congrats to Steve. You missed the score, but not by too much.
So here's your open thread.

WEEKEND OPEN THREAD: February 4-5, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Sat, 04 Feb 2006 14:06:00 +0000

Enjoy the weekend. I'm taking bets on the Steelers v. Seahawks. Since I'm a New England man who wouldn't have minded seeing Da Bears or Colts making it, I really don't care one way or the other.

PRESS CLIPPINGS: Friday, February, 3, 2006

Sam R. Hall — Fri, 03 Feb 2006 19:32:00 +0000

1. The House of Representatives has voted to raise taxes on small cigarette companies not affected by the other tax increase. The bill had overwhelming support. The governor hasn't announced, but I'm sure he'll veto. But then again, Big Tobacco might like Small Tobacco taxed and therefore he might let this ride.

Mississippi House raises tax on small cigarette makers - djournal.com:
The Mississippi House, by an overwhelming 88-34 margin Thursday, voted to increase the tax on small cigarettes manufacturers by 43 cents per pack.

The tax, supporters said, would "even the playing field" between the small companies and the large cigarette manufacturers.

2. Bill Minor has a great column on Gov. Barbour's resistance to legislative oversight to how he spends $5.5 billion. Now, let me get this straight. He's against $20 million for the Partnership not having legislative oversight, but he's for $5.5 billion in loans going without any oversight. What he's most interested in, in my humble opinion, is not having anyone oversee who he gets to administer these loans. Because the chunk of change that goes to administrative costs will be a pretty penny that would make a great political slush fund. Anyone thinking about that besides the governor?

Greenwood Commonwealth - Opinion - 02/02/2006 - Barbour resists oversight:
Few in the news media paid any attention last week when Gov. Haley Barbour - using the same playbook as his top gun in the White House - tipped his hand that he doesn't want legislators holding him to account when he spends billions of Katrina recovery dollars Congress sends to the state.

The tip-off came when the House battled over a bill creating a legislative oversight committee made up of seven House members and seven senators to monitor vast streams of post-Katrina recovery money intended for housing grants, law enforcement, education and public works.

Reported from the House's select committee on Katrina recovery, the measure was handled on the floor by Rep. Jessica Upshaw, R-Diamondhead, a committee member. It was expected to encounter little if any opposition.

3. The House honors the 155th for their service.

Hattiesburg American - www.hattiesburgamerican.com - Hattiesburg, Miss.:
Lawmakers during emotional ceremonies at the state Capitol on Thursday honored the largest brigade of Mississippi National Guard soldiers to deploy to a combat zone since World War II.

Dozens of members of the 155th Brigade Combat Team, wearing desert camouflage, joined lawmakers and the Guard's top brass in tributes to the 3,500 Mississippians who spent the past year in Iraq.

Pickering, Wicker vote against Mississippi's best interests

Sam R. Hall — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 15:27:00 +0000

President Bush convinced all but 14 Republicans to pass his Budget Reconciliation Bill. This bill will be devastating to the poorest and oldest in the nation, two groups that are numerous in Mississippi.

Therefore, you would think that Reps. Chip Pickering and Roger Wicker would have been among the 14 Republicans standing up to the president and voting for what is best for the people they represent.

You would think. But you would be wrong.

So exactly what will this bill do? Check below...

House OK's $40b in cuts to curb entitlement programs - The Boston Globe:
The House yesterday approved a package that would save almost $40 billion over five years by imposing substantial changes on programs from Medicaid and welfare to child support and student lending.

The bill represents the first effort in almost a decade to try to slow growth of entitlement programs, one that will be felt by millions. Women on welfare are likely to face longer hours of work, education, or community service to qualify for checks. Recipients of Medicaid should face higher co-payments and deductibles, especially on prescription drugs and emergency-room visits for non-emergency care.

More affluent seniors will find it far more difficult to qualify for Medicaid-covered nursing care.

College students could face higher interest rates when their banks get squeezed by the federal government.

And some cotton farmers will find some reductions in their support payments.

State-led efforts to force deadbeat parents to pay their child support may also have to be curtailed.

In the coming days, I'll try to get some detailed information about how this bill will impact Mississippi. You can see previous numbers here, but these numbers were changed after negotiations between the House and Senate.