Mississippi

This week in politics: Reeves uses budget meeting to urge on tax reform

Published

1 year ago

November 17, 2024

This week in politics: Reeves uses budget meeting to urge on tax reform

Updates on Medicaid policy, former Medicaid director and US Sen. Roger Wicker

State leaders are again looking toward the 2025 Mississippi Legislative Session now that most elections are over and the money they will have to set the new state budget.

Members of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, consisting of Republicans Gov. Tate Reeves; Speaker of the House Jason White of West; and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and others, agreed Thursday to set the state’s Fiscal Year 2026 revenue estimate at $7.62 billion.

In the spring, they will vote to set a more concrete estimate, which is used to determine the actual state budget.

The current figure is less than $30 million above what was estimated for Fiscal Year 2025, which began in July.

During the meeting, Reeves said about $600 million of unspent tax dollars remains in this year’s budget and suggested the committee members, made up of House and Senate lawmakers, to give that money “back to the taxpayers.”

Both Hosemann and White are eyeing major tax cuts in the 2025 Session. Hosemann has publicly advocated for a cut of the state’s 7% grocery tax, while White is looking to take an axe to the state’s personal income tax.

Reeves has been on record for years saying the income tax should be cut, which is currently being phased down to 4% by FY 2026.

“There are lots of crosshairs on that $600 million that you speak of,” White said, jokingly, in response to Reeves’ suggestion.

State Economist Corey Miller told the committee sales tax revenues are growing at a slower pace than in the previous three years, while income tax revenues despite the phasedown, are up.

Former Medicaid director is now leading up a healthcare lobbying group

Former Mississippi Division of Medicaid Executive Director Drew Snyder appears to have found a new job, albeit not very far from his last one.

On Tuesday, Capitol Resources, a powerful lobbying group in Mississippi and beyond, announced Snyder will lead Health Resources LLC, its latest division aimed at healthcare policy.

“Health Resources is a health policy consulting and strategic advisory firm whose primary focus is advancing sound healthcare policy and providing impactful solutions for clients in the healthcare sector,” a press release states.

When asking if Snyder would be in violation of any state ethics guidelines by working in the same sector as his previous vocation, the Clarion Ledger was provided an ethics opinion on the Mississippi Ethics Commission website. Ethics commission questions are posted with those who asked for the opinion listed anonymously.

The commission ruled if a former state agency head does not work directly with their new company’s clients that do work with that state agency, there shouldn’t be an issue.

“I could not be more excited to be part of Health Resources and contribute to a mission that aligns with my passion to enhance operational efficiency and deliver cost-efficient, high-quality care,” Snyder said in the press release.

Gov. Reeves ‘open to discussions’ about Medicaid

Speaking of Medicaid. Reeves said he is hoping that Trump will allocate Medicaid funding in a block grant to the state rather than the current funding model.

Each year, Mississippi currently receives approximately $6.5 billion federal funds for Medicaid. Reeves said during a meeting Wednesday he thinks that money has too many federal restrictions.

Reeves has for years been an opponent of Medicaid expansion. During the 2024 Session, the Clarion Ledger reported his unwavering opposition to Medicaid expansion at every juncture.

Medicaid expansion was considered for the first time in a decade in the Legislature this year, but Senate and House lawmakers could not come to an agreement on expansion specifics by a legislative deadline to do so.

Both Hosemann and White have vowed to return Medicaid expansion to the forefront of state politics in 2025.

With US Senate GOP majority, Wicker now reps Mississippi in a powerful position

As Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker makes his way back to Washington, D.C., for the next four years, he will be walking into a position of high regard.

As the most senior member of the now-majority party on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Wicker is tapped as its chairman, sources close to the senator confirmed and according to Senate procedure.

With Wicker in the driver’s seat of the committee, he will have serious sway on any conflict-related policy and spending. It will certainly be interesting to see how he moves on policy in the near future.

Grant McLaughlin covers the Legislature and state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.

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Mississippi

Thompson defeats Turnage to highlight U.S. House primaries in Mississippi – SuperTalk Mississippi

Published

4 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Thompson defeats Turnage to highlight U.S. House primaries in Mississippi – SuperTalk Mississippi

Political newcomer and Capitol Hill attorney Evan Turnage proved no match for longtime U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, who defeated him and one other challenger to earn the Democratic nomination for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday.

Some politicos thought Turnage – who went to Yale and later worked for some of Thompson’s Democratic colleagues, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) – wouldn’t necessarily win but could make waves as one of the more viable candidates to challenge Thompson in recent years. However, that wasn’t the case as Thompson garnered approximately 85% of the vote when the race was called.

Democrat Evan Turnage, who is challenging Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., in the March primary, poses for a portrait in Jackson, Miss., Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Sophie Bates, File)

Thompson, 78, is seeking an 18th term. The civil rights leader who chaired the Jan. 6 Committee was first elected in 1993 and serves as a ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee. He will face either Ron Eller or Kevin Wilson on the Republican side, a race yet to be called as of late Tuesday night, and independent Bennie Foster in November’s general.

All of Mississippi’s U.S. House seats are up for grabs this year.

In the 1st Congressional District, Republican Rep. Trent Kelly ran unopposed, while civil rights attorney and University of Mississippi School of Law professor Cliff Johnson beat former state lawmaker Kelvin Buck in the Democratic primary. Libertarian challenger Johnny Baucom awaits Kelly and Johnson in the general.

In the 3rd Congressional District, both Republican Rep. Michael Guest and Democrat Michael Chiaradio ran unopposed. They will meet Libertarian Erik Kiehle in the general.

In the 4th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Mike Ezell had over 80% of the vote when his race was called against former Mississippi Department of Marine Resources officer and political staffer Sawyer Walters. State Rep. Jeffrey Hulum easily won the Democratic nomination over Paul Blackman and D. Ryan Grover. Ezell and Hulum will face independent Carl Boyanton in the general.

Arguably the most watched races of the night occurred in the state’s lone U.S. Senate seat in this year’s cycle. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith had no problem with Ocean Springs doctor Sarah Adlakha, seeing her name bolded around 30 minutes after the polls closed. It wasn’t long after that when Lowndes County District Attorney Scott Colom was announced the winner of the Democratic primary over Priscilla Till and Albert Littell. Independent Ty Pinkins will meet Hyde-Smith and Colom in the general on Nov. 3.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Mississippi

Mississippi First Congressional District Primary 2026: Live Election Results, Buck vs. Johnson

Published

16 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi First Congressional District Primary 2026: Live Election Results, Buck vs. Johnson

Source: Election results are from The Associated Press.

By The New York Times election results team: Michael Andre, Neil Berg, Matthew Bloch, Lily Boyce, Irineo Cabreros, Nico Chilla, Nate Cohn, Annie Daniel, Saurabh Datar, Andrew Fischer, Martín González Gómez, Jasmine C. Lee, Alex Lemonides, Zach Levitt, Ilana Marcus, Alicia Parlapiano, Dan Simmons-Ritchie, Caroline Soler, Charlie Smart, Jonah Smith and Christine Zhang.

Additional contributions by Sarah Cahalan, Amanda Cordero, Patrick Hays, Jacob Meschke and Jessica White.

Edited by Wilson Andrews, Lindsey Rogers Cook, William P. Davis, Kenan Davis, Amy Hughes, Ben Koski and Allison McCartney.

Source: Election results are from The Associated Press.

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Mississippi

Mississippi Top Reads for week of March 15, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi Top Reads for week of March 15, 2026

Staff Reports
| Special to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Sunday, March 15, 2026

1. (tie) “The Irish Goodbye,” Beth Ann Fennelly, Norton; and “Vigil,” George Saunders, Random House

2. “Theo of Golden,” Allen Levi, Atria Books

3. “The Widow,” John Grisham, Doubleday

4. “The Correspondent,” Virginia Evans, Random House

5. “When It’s Darkness on the Delta,” W. Ralph Eubanks, Beacon Press

6. “Eradication,” Jonathan Miles, Doubleday

7. “Neptune’s Fortune,” Julian Sancton, Random House

8. “The Dean,” Sparky Reardon, The Nautilus Publishing Company

9. “Kin,” Tayari Jones, Random House

10. “Brawler,” Lauren Groff, Riverhead

Children and young adults

1. “The Bear and the Hair and the Fair,” Em Lynas, Little Brown

2. “The Hybrid Prince,” Tui T. Sutherland, Scholastic Press

3. “One Mississippi,” Steve Azar,Sarah Frances Hardy (Illustrator), The Nautilus Publishing

4. “If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone,” Gideon Sterer, HarperCollins

5. (tie) “Fancy Nancy: Besties for Eternity,” Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator), HarperCollins; and “The Dark is For,” Jane Kohuth, Simon and Schuster

Adult events (Sunday, March 15–Saturday, March 21)

Amy McDowell in conversation with Jodi Skipper for “Whispers in the Pews,” 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Off Square Books, 129 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2262

Tayari Jones on Thacker Mountain Radio Hour for “Kin,” 6 p.m. Thursday, Off Square Books, 129 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2262

Children’s events (Sunday, March 15–Saturday, March 21)

No Cap Book Club (kids 10-13) will be reading “A Kid’s Book About…,” 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207

Storytime, “Clifford: Dream Big,” 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207

Chapter Captains Book Club (kids 6-9) will be reading “Princess in Black: Bathtime Battle,” 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207

Storytime, “What a Small Cat Needs,” 10:00 a.m. Saturday, Square Books Jr., 111 Courthouse Square, Oxford, 662-236-2207

Story Time, “Very Hungry Caterpillar” Day! 10 a.m. Saturday, Lemuria Books, 202 Banner Hall, 4465 I-55 North, Jackson, 601-366-7619

— Sales and/or Events Reported by Lemuria Books (Jackson); Lorelei Books (Vicksburg); Square Books (Oxford).

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