Mississippi
This week in politics: Legislators honor, reflect on legacy of Robert Clark
Updates on what happened on committee deadline last week, what legislative priorities are now dead
Mississippi House passes bill to cut income and sales tax
Rep. Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, House Ways and Means chairman, presents the Build Up Mississippi Act to cut income and sales taxes.
As the past week’s legislative business came and went, several House and Senate lawmakers made speeches and posts on social media on the life and legacy of former House Speaker Pro Tempore Robert Clark.
Clark, who died on March 4 at the age of 96, was the first Black man elected to the Mississippi Legislature since 1894, and had served as a symbol of progressiveness in the legislature, his colleagues said several times throughout the week.
At first, when Clark was elected in 1967, he was remanded to a one-person desk and put in the corner of the House chamber, not being recognized to speak or make motions on the House floor or even to sit alongside his colleagues.
That, however, did not stop him from inspiring other Black politicians to run for office and serve in the state’s legislature. Nor did it stop him from his significant rise to prominence in the House.
Clark in his time would rise to chair the House Education Committee, a powerful panel of lawmakers overseeing funding, structures of and reforms to Mississippi’s education system.
After that in 1992, he became the House Speaker Pro Tempore, the second-highest position in the House with the responsibility of overseeing the chamber when the speaker was away. He would serve in that position until his retirement in 2004.
“His leadership paved the way for greater representation of African Americans in Mississippi politics, inspiring generations of public servants to follow in his footsteps,” said Cheikh Taylor, D-Starkville, Mississippi Democratic Party chairman. “Representative Clark’s legacy is one of courage, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to justice.”
When Clark’s death was announced, both Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Jason White, who is also from Holmes County, like Clark, honored his memory.
“He was a trailblazer and icon for sure,” White said to the House chamber on Tuesday. “He was always mighty good to me when I was elected to office.”
Clark served as the only Black lawmaker for nearly a decade. Today, there are more than 50 Black legislators in Mississippi.
What happened in the capitol last week?
As lawmakers considered bills in committee by Tuesday’s legislative deadline, many pieces of legislation were left on the chopping block.
By the end of the day, both Senate and House lawmakers had killed about 100 bills that previously passed the Senate and House chamber, respectively, according to Mississippi Statewatch, a legislative intelligence service.
Notably, the legislature’s only vehicle to make reforms to the Public Employment Retirement System of Mississippi was abruptly killed by the House Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committee.
When asked why the committee didn’t take up the legislation that would have established a new retirement benefits package for government employees, Chairman Kevin Ford, R-Vicksburg, said he simply needed more time to consider the legislation.
“The failure to pass SB2439, despite countless hours of work in collaboration with the PERS Board and others, is devastating for Mississippi,” Hosemann told the Clarion Ledger in a written response. “Gov. Barbour warned of this crisis in 2009, and it has only worsened. SB2439 ensures funds for our retirees and state employees, including teachers, while providing an increased competitive benefit for future hires. This is a disaster.”
The committee had originally been scheduled to take up the bill, but the committee never did, and it was not on the final agenda.
Ford’s House committee was not the only one to do that after Senate committees killed House priorities by not bringing them up, raising questions of whether House and Senate lawmakers were at that point trading blows.
Tuesday morning, the Senate Education Committee let a flurry of House school choice bills die without consideration. Similarly, the Senate Gaming Committee did not bring up a House-approved bill to establish mobile sports betting in Mississippi.
Later that day, several House committees killed Senate bills and changed others. For example, when the House Education Committee met at 1:30 p.m., it quickly recessed so Chairman Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, could meet with House leadership to figure out what to do next.
When the committee re-met hours later, it killed many Senate education bills, passing only one with an amendment inserting a portability bill into the legislation, which would allow students to move between school districts more easily.
House Gaming Chairman Casey Eure, R-Saucier, also inserted his mobile sports betting bill into a Senate bill to reform the Tidelands Act, a law that creates a boundary between private and public land on the coast.
As for Hosemann and White’s legislative priorities for the year, some such as income tax cuts are very much still alive, some hang by a thread, like school choice, and others are at this point dead.
Those that are totally dead are state retirement system benefits reforms, ballot initiative restoration and suffrage restoration for some nonviolent felony holders.
Grant McLaughlin covers the Legislature and state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Millions of Americans live with post-traumatic stress disorder, and this June, mental health experts at the Jackson VA Hospital are urging Mississippi veterans not to wait to get help.
June is PTSD Awareness Month, a nationwide effort to combat stigma and connect those struggling with trauma to available resources. At the Jackson VA Hospital, counselors say the disorder is far more common than most people realize, and it rarely looks the way Hollywood portrays it.
“What we typically see is individuals who are trying their best to manage with an insurmountable amount of negative emotions, anger, fear, shame, guilt, sadness, regret,” said Alex Rakhshan, manager of the PTSD Residential Program at the Jackson VA Hospital. “And they’ve done their best. They’ve done the best they can to manage through.”
Rakhshan, a licensed psychologist with nearly 10 years of experience, says one of the biggest barriers to treatment is avoidance, and it doesn’t always look the way people expect.
“Avoidance takes many forms, such as working really hard, doing a lot of work in the community, volunteering, staying really focused on the needs of other people,” Rakhshan said. “And while that is laudable, ultimately it serves as a way to stay away from and push away some of those challenging beliefs.”
Rakhshan says PTSD affects all ages and walks of life, not just combat veterans. Natural disasters, car accidents, childhood abuse and neglect can all be triggers. However, veterans face a higher prevalence of the disorder due to the elevated dangers of military service.
Treatment at the VA has changed dramatically over the last decade. Veterans can now receive therapy from the comfort of their own homes through video health technology. Shorter treatment options, like written exposure therapy, a five-session program, are also now widely available, lowering the barrier for veterans hesitant to commit to a full course of treatment.
Iraq War veteran Mike Watkins knows that barrier well. Watkins served as a medic, deploying to Iraq in October 2003 and returning in November 2004. He was stationed in Balad, Taji, Fallujah, Samarra and Mosul. After coming home, he spent years managing hypervigilance, avoiding crowds and struggling to readjust to civilian life before seeking treatment.
“Whether you got a performance car or you’re just trying to take care of your body or you’re cleaning up your house, maintenance is key,” Watkins said. “The way you create muscles is by ripping and regrowing new ones. That’s a metaphor for what you’re doing emotionally.”
Rakhshan says the first step doesn’t have to be intimidating. “They can just give us a call. We don’t lock you in. You don’t need a signature on a form guaranteeing you’re going to show up. We’re here to serve,” Rakhshan said.
The Jackson VA Hospital offers a range of PTSD treatment options, from in-person counseling to medication to video therapy from home. Veterans and their caregivers are encouraged to contact the Jackson VA Hospital to learn more. No appointment is needed to make that first call.
PTSD affects an estimated 12 million Americans in any given year, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
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Mississippi
Post-Tropical Storm Arthur unleashes High Risk Level 4 flood threat to Mississippi | Latest Weather Clips | FOX Weather
Post-Tropical Storm Arthur unleashes High Risk Level 4 flood threat to Mississippi
The Mississippi coastline is under a rare Level 4 out of 4 High Risk flood threat as remnants of Post-Tropical Storm Arthur continue fueling hazards through late week. FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell brings us the latest live from Biloxi, Mississippi, where rain is already falling:
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 17, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from June 17 drawing
03-06-10-13-24
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 17 drawing
Midday: 6-1-7, FB: 4
Evening: 6-4-0, FB: 5
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 17 drawing
Midday: 9-8-4-1, FB: 4
Evening: 9-1-2-3, FB: 5
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 17 drawing
Midday: 09
Evening: 11
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Story continues below gallery.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.
Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:
Mississippi Lottery Corporation
P.O. Box 321462
Flowood, MS
39232
If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.
Mississippi Lottery Headquarters
1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100
Flowood, MS
39232
Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.
When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?
- Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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