Mississippi
Mississippi bans production, sale of lab-grown meat
(Photo from Shutterstock)
- The prohibition was unanimously passed in both the state House and Senate. It was allowed to become law without the governor’s signature.
Mississippi is among a growing number of states prohibiting the production and sale of lab-grown meat.
It comes at a time when the food and agriculture industries in the U.S. are seeking to balance traditional means of production with innovation in the marketplace.
Those supporting the product bans point to the need to back ranchers and farmers while advocates for the developing industry say they are providing an option for consumers. Still others, including some voices that support farmers, are reluctant to ban the lab-grown products, choosing instead to call for transparency in labeling.
Florida led the nation in passing legislation regulating the products last year, followed by Alabama. Other states, such as Michigan and Nebraska, have been debating the issue. Now, Mississippi is following the trend.
HB 1006 went into law without the signature of Governor Tate Reeves (R) at the end of March after the Mississippi House and Senate unanimously agreed to prohibit the cultured products.
State Rep. Bill Pigott (R), the author of the legislation and Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, told lawmakers manufacturers are “taking stem cells from animals and growing it in labs and coming out with cuts of meat.”
“It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture, sell, hold for sale, offer for sale or distribute any cultivated food product in this state,” the new law reads. “Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than three (3) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.”
The measure passed without debate or dissent in the House.
A similar scene unfolded in the Senate when State Senator Andy Berry (R), Vice Chairman of the chamber’s Agriculture Committee presented the bill.
“What we see is that this is a new way that people are trying to produce proteins,” Berry told senators. “They are not very forthcoming in how they produce that as opposed to traditional animal agriculture that is pretty transparent in how poultry, beef, or pork is produced.”
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global lab grown meat market size is at a very nascent stage and is preliminarily driven by its eco-friendly aspect.
“The full-scale commercial viability of cultured meat is expected to reduce the considerable environmental costs of meat production,” Fortune stated, adding, “North America is projected to emerge as a dominant regional lab grown meat market share for lab grown meat owing to the safety concerns for meat. Consumers have become increasingly conscious of the negative health impacts of red meat products. The quest for suitable alternatives has prompted major meat and food companies to invest in the development of lab-grown meat. The countries such as the U.S. and China where chicken and duck products are popular will be some of the potential markets for lab-grown meat.”
Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson (R) supported the legislation banning to products. He told Magnolia Tribune on Monday that “so-called ‘lab-grown meat’ products have begun to creep into markets globally and even nationally.”
Gipson said the products present a serious concern to consumers and to the state’s agricultural producers.
“Mississippi consumers deserve to know the beef, poultry and pork purchased and served to their families is real farm-raised meat, not something cultivated in a petri-dish,” Gipson said. “Unlike the radical globalists pushing artificial man-made ‘foods,’ I stand with Mississippians who support our farmers and farm-raised meat.”
Gipson added that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce looks forward to enforcing the new law.
The new law takes effect in Mississippi on July 1.
Mississippi
Mississippi AI task force hears competing claims on data center costs, community impacts
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) -Mississippi’s artificial intelligence regulation task force opened its first day of hearings Monday, taking testimony from utility representatives, public service commissioners, and community advocates on the costs and consequences of the state’s data center industry growth.
Entergy projects lower bills; critics question the numbers
Entergy told the task force it expects residential customer bills to decrease as data center growth expands the utility’s customer base.
“When you have higher sales volume to spread those costs over, it’s going to produce a lower rate,” said Jeremy Vanderloo, vice president of business operations and strategy for Entergy Mississippi.
The company projected residential bills would be $30 a month less by 2030 than they would have been without data center growth. Entergy pushed back on a recent study commissioned by environmental groups that claims costs are already being passed on to ratepayers.
Commissioners weigh ratepayer protections
Two public service commissioners testified before the task force. Commissioner DeKeither Stamps said the goal of protecting ratepayers goes beyond simply keeping rates low.
“We should be looking for a low rate or a high rate, just the correct rate to maintain the systems,” Stamps said. “And if the citizens don’t want the correct rate, then as a regulator, we still have to put the correct rate on the table.”
Advocates raise questions on accountability
National advocate Jim Walsh questioned what would happen if industry projections prove inaccurate, asking, “Who pays if industry’s projections are wrong?” Walsh said some states and communities have placed moratoriums on data centers while they assess potential impacts.
Shannon Samsa, director of the Safe + Sound Coalition, told the task force she is not opposed to AI and data centers broadly but called for greater transparency.
“It’s about whether the people of Mississippi deserve transparency, accountability, and leaders who will protect the health and well-being of our families and communities before the interests of a private corporation,” Samsa said.
North Mississippi resident cites noise from xAI site
Samsa, who lives in north Mississippi, said residents near the xAI facility in Southaven have experienced near-constant noise for nearly a year.
“There have been numerous occasions where I myself can hear the turbines from inside my home, and I live almost 2 miles away from the site,” she said.
The task force is scheduled to hear Tuesday from local leaders in affected communities as well as companies including Amazon.
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Inside the new Lego retailer, Bricks & Minifigs
Customers can buy or sell Legos and get individual bricks at the new store in Montrose.
Shoppers visiting Renaissance at Colony Park later this month will notice a big change.
Apple is moving to a new and larger store within the Ridgeland shopping center, while LEGO plans to take over Apple’s current location once the move is complete, according to Apple and other industry sources.
Apple has announced that its new store will open July 24 near the development’s Show Fountain. The company is not leaving Ridgeland. Instead, it is moving to a new location a short distance away inside Renaissance at Colony Park.
The company has operated a store at Renaissance for more than a decade. Once Apple moves into its new store, LEGO plans to open in the company’s former space. The addition will bring another well-known international brand to central Mississippi and give LEGO fans a dedicated store in the Jackson metro area.
It is another win for Ridgeland with last week’s announcement that a Dave & Buster’s that will be located at the PradoVista development near Topgolf. A site plan and architectural review for Dave & Buster’s was approved at the Ridgeland Board of Aldermen meeting on Tuesday, July 7.
Renaissance at Colony Park continues to thrive
Over the years, the center has attracted a mix of national retailers, restaurants and specialty stores. Previous developments at Renaissance have included luxury retailers, popular restaurant chains and entertainment options that draw shoppers from across Mississippi and neighboring states.
Apple’s new location will continue offering product sales, technical support and repair services. Customers will also be able to attend the company’s “Today at Apple” classes and workshops, which provide free lessons on photography, video, music and other topics.
Apple has not released details about the size of the new store. The Ridgeland project is one of several store moves announced this summer.
Renaissance keeps storefront
For Renaissance, the deal works in several ways.
Apple stays at the shopping center and receives a newer storefront. At the same time, the center fills Apple’s former location with another high-profile retailer instead of leaving the space vacant.
LEGO stores are often considered destination retailers because customers will drive long distances to visit them. Families, collectors and hobbyists frequently seek out official LEGO stores for exclusive products and special events.
For shoppers, the most immediate change will be Apple’s July 24 opening. Customers who need repairs, technical help or product purchases will be directed to the new store after the move.
LEGO has not yet announced an opening date.
Ross Reily is a writer for the Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at rreily@gannett.com or 601-573-2952. You can follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter @GreenOkra1.
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Mississippi leaders across the board are reflecting on the legacy of service Sen. Lindsey Graham had in Washington, D.C.
3 On Your Side spoke on the phone with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith who shared that Graham treated her like a little sister when she arrived to the Senate.
Their friendship grew outside of work, but one thing she’ll really cherish is the teamwork they developed to get things done with President Donald Trump.
“There were times he would come to me and say, OK sister, you’re going to have to break this news to Trump. If it was a difficult situation, he would say you got to soften him up, you call him and then I’ll call him after you but you’re the one that’s going to have to take care of this. Or you’ve got to go to Mar-a-Lago and handle this, but we were a pretty good team together because we were both close to the President,” said Sen. Hyde-Smith.
Sen. Hyde-Smith added, since coming to Washington, D.C., she looked up to Sen. Graham like an older brother in the chamber.
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