Republicans Kill Tidelands Funding for Bay St. Louis

For the first time since coastal municipalities began receiving Tidelands funding, the city of Bay St. Louis will not receive a single dime when this year's funds are disbursed.

Senator Philip Moran (R-Kiln)

The Hancock County Republican delegation, led by state Sen. Philip Moran, killed $300,000 in Tidelands funds for the city of Bay St. Louis. Hancock County usually gets about 25-30 percent of the annual Tidelands money but only received around seven percent this year when Moran was in charge of the Hancock County portion. Of the allocation for Hancock County, nearly $500,000 went to Moran's hometown of Diamondhead.

In 2011, Philip Moran was challenged in the Republican Primary by Mickey Lagasse for the state senate. This year, Mickey Lagasse is running for House District 122 against state Rep. David Baria.

Mickey Lagasse

In an interview with Cottonmouth, Mississippi Democratic Trust Executive Director Brandon Jones
said, "One of the primary purposes of Tidelands funding is to preserve Mississippi's Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. These funds have been critical in rebuilding Bay St. Louis. As a tip of the hat to his former opponent, Senator Moran is cutting off vital funds from an important Gulf Coast community. This is a perfect example of the way Republicans have misused the legislature over the past four years. This November, the voters of Mississippi will have a chance to stop this type of help-your-buddy government."

According to the Secretary of State,

Public Trust Tidelands and submerged lands are lands lying under waters naturally subject to tidal influence. The inland boundary is the line of mean high tide and the seaward boundary is the State boundary, three miles south of the barrier islands. Public Trust Tidelands are owned by the State in trust for all the people of Mississippi. The Secretary of State is the trustee of this great public trust.

It is the policy of the State of Mississippi to favor the preservation of the natural state of the public trust tidelands and their ecosystems and to prevent the despoliation and destruction of them, except where a specific alteration would serve a higher public interest in compliance with the public purposes of the trust. Public Trust Tidelands are managed with a view towards preservation. Revenues from the Tidelands are deposited into the Tidelands Fund and disbursed to the Department of Marine Resources for programs and projects relating to conservation, reclamation, preservation, acquisition, education and enhancement of public access to the tidelands.

Rep. David Baria Calls for Legislative Hearing in Response to Epps

This is great to see movement and a more in depth questioning of what I asked last week here: 

http://cottonmouthblog.blogspot.com/2014/11/why-was-epps-re-appointed.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/14/2014

BARIA CALLS FOR LEGISLATIVE HEARING IN RESPONSE TO MDOC CORRUPTION CHARGES

JACKSON, MISS. State Representative David Baria (D-Waveland) today called for a Legislative hearing on recent charges against long-time MDOC Commissioner Chris Epps for an alleged bribery and kickback scheme dating as far back as 2007. Baria also called into question the reasoning behind Epps’ re-appointments even while he was under intense investigation by at least one state agency, according to reports.

“The conduct alleged in the indictment—bribery and kickbacks concealed as consulting services—enriched individuals at the expense of Mississippi taxpayers,” Baria, an attorney, said. “As a member of the Legislature charged with being a good steward of public resources, I have questions about what our state leaders knew and when they knew it as it relates to former Commissioner Epps.

“Why was such a powerful official who was under intense scrutiny for years allowed to remain in his position? How much state money has been wasted by the failure to stop shady business deals by an official under investigation?” Baria said.

“Sadly, the MDOC scandal is not an isolated incident of government corruption in our state. It is just the latest example of a larger trend of corruption and cronyism in Mississippi government over the past decade. From the Department of Marine Resources scandal that resulted in multiple federal convictions to a former State Representative being forced to resign for steering state contracts to his family business, there is a disturbing trend of political appointments and state contracts being used to enrich the politically well-connected,” Baria said.

“The frequent use of no-bid and single source procurement contracts similarly puts money in the pockets of the well-connected, but at exorbitant costs to the Mississippi taxpayer,” Baria said. “At a time when we are told by Republican leadership that the State does not have the money to adequately fund education and ensure that working-class Mississippians have access to healthcare, there never seems to be a shortage of funds to enrich those who feed at the trough of state government.

“In light of this trend that only continues to fester, I am asking that we in the Legislature convene hearings to investigate why former Commissioner Epps was allowed to remain in his position despite a long-pending investigation and to comprehensively review the handling of state contracts. Mississippi must get out of the business of back room deals that benefit no one but politicians and their friends and family.”

On November 6, 2014, a federal indictment was handed down against former MDOC Commissioner Christopher Epps for a scheme that allegedly enriched him by millions of dollars. It appears that Epps was reappointed to his powerful position twice while under investigation: once by former Gov. Haley Barbour in 2008 and again by Gov. Phil Bryant in 2012.

Baria said he intends to pursue his request for hearings and will be introducing legislation to rein in the lucrative no-bid contract system currently in place.

###

Republican PAC apologizes to Rep. David Baria (D - Bay St. Louis) for defaming him in 2011 election

So, this ran in the Sun-Herald and the Sea Coast Echo today. More to come...

Rep. Jessica Upshaw (R - Diamondhead) and Speaker Philip Gunn (R - Clinton) team up to kill pardon hearings

Two days ago, I mentioned that Rep. Jessica Upshaw (R - Diamondhead) raised a point of order in an attempt to kill the Baria-Moak Amendment on SB 2195.  The Baria-Moak Amendment would require a public hearing before a pardon could be granted.  Had such a law been in place prior to former Governor Haley Barbour's Pardonpalooza in January, the public would have at least been aware that a large number of people were seeking relief from Barbour.

Rep. Jessica Upshaw (R - Diamondhead) tries to kill public hearing requirement on pardons

Just now, Rep. Jessica Upshaw (R - Diamondhead) has just entered a point of order on the Baria-Moak amendment that would require a public hearing before a pardon could be granted.  The amendment has been set aside for the moment.  If Speaker Gunn's lawyers grant Rep. Upshaw's point of order, the amendment will be dead.

Considering that the Republican leadership has killed every single last piece of legislation that would prevent something like Barbour's Pardongate from happening again, I doubt the amendment will make it far.

Pending amendment would require public hearing before pardons can be granted

Rep. David Baria (D - Bay St. Louis) and Rep. Bobby Moak (D - Bogue Chitto) have offered an amendment to the Parole Board extension legislation that would require a public hearing before any pardon may be granted.  It will be interesting to see how the vote goes.  The amendment is being debating at this moment.

Today Show covers Haley Barbour's Pardongate (video)

Rep. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis) and Attorney General Jim Hood (D) are interviewed in this story about Gov. Haley Barbour's Pardongate, which NBC titled "Mississippi Mess":

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Sen. David Baria responds to new false attack ad from Dorothy Wilcox

Yet again, Dorothy Wilcox is attacking David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis) falsely through the mail. Here's Baria's response:

In her latest mailer Dorothy Wilcox hits a new low with a trifecta of misrepresentations regarding my business and legal careers, and campaign fundraising. In fact, aside from getting my name right there is little else in the mail piece that is true.

She alleges that I "profited" from Katrina. Like everyone, I was overwhelmed by the devastation of Katrina and wanted to help us get back on our feet as quickly as possible. I did start two companies in the months following Katrina, and like any small business owner I wanted these businesses to be successful. However, I can assure you that I made significantly less money during the four years that I ran a demolition company than I would have made practicing law--and, contrary to Mrs. Wilcox's insinuations, I have never made millions practicing law.

Dorothy Wilcox says that I "gouged" a client in my legal practice. The legal case Dorothy references in her mail piece was one in which I represented a Minister who had been denied workers compensation for an on-the-job injury. Surely Dorothy didn't even bother to read the case or she would have known that she has misrepresented the entire matter. I assure you that Reverend Cook had no complaints about my representation in his case.

Mrs. Wilcox also says that I spent $14,000 playing golf at "ritzy golf clubs" (like the Bridges in Bay St. Louis). Everyone knows that I have held a golf tournament for the last three years at a local course. I have been blessed to have over 200 golfers play in those tournaments. Each year I receive a bill for the rounds of golf and the food we serve to the golfers. Because of the great participation we have had, I have been able to give $8,000 to local charities from tournament proceeds. As all of my friends who have ever played golf with me can attest, I am way too bad a golfer to be accused of having spent that kind of money on my own golf game.

Finally, in a case of the pot calling the kettle black, Dorothy Wilcox has raised 99.9% of her campaign cash from PACS, but says it's wrong for me to have taken PAC money over the last 4 years. In fact, her mailer is paid for by a PAC! More importantly, most of my contributors are local individuals and businesses. Whereas, Mrs. Wilcox has only a single contributor from Hancock County. I am very thankful that I was fortunate enough to have raised a decent amount of money over the last four years. If I had not it would have been impossible to have run this campaign against someone as well-financed as Dorothy Wilcox.

For whatever reason, Mrs. Wilcox has chosen to campaign in the way that she has. That is her choice, but she does not offer solutions to the issues affecting Hancock County or a plan to better the problems we face. I assure you that I am focused on bettering Hancock County and dealing with the issues that matter to us.

Wilcox's approach is the lowest form of campaigning. (Here's another post on ANOTHER negative mailer Wilcox has sent.)

Republican lookalike mailers appear

Some folks on the other side have been having fun pointing out the similarities between Democratic legislative candidates' mailers.  Well, take a look at these mailers from Dorothy Wilcox (running against David Baria in Bay St. Louis) and Charles Busby (the Alabama businessman running against Rep. Brandon Jones in Pascagoula):

Here's Busby's:

And now Wilcox's:

Interesting, huh?

Republican dirty tricks being used against Sen. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis)

Sen. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis), is running to replace retiring Rep. J.P. Compretta in District 122. Compretta has endorsed Baria as his replacement.  Dorothy Wilcox, Baria's Republican opponent, recently sent out a mailer with a doctored photograph of Baria and his son.

Here's the original picture of Baria with his son, Max, at the local Christmas parade:

And here's the edited mailer:

Notice that Baria's son has been cropped out of the picture, and that the color tone of the photo in the mailer is different.

Here is Sen. Baria's response:

The Dorothy Wilcox negative mail campaign continues, and this time she and the big insurance companies and corporations funding her campaign have crossed the line. Mrs. Wilcox is letting her backers call the shots now, just like she would if she was elected. Big insurance and corporations don't need more representation in Jackson, but the citizens of Hancock County do.

As for her recent mailing, she claims my votes in the Legislature have led to higher health care costs. This is an outright lie. The truth is that I was the leader in working to kill the administration's $200 million hospital bed tax during the 2009 Session. This is why the Mississippi Hospital Association is supporting me and not Mrs. Wilcox. You've got to wonder about a candidate who is willing to say or do anything to win.

Attacking me with falsehoods and misrepresentations on behalf of her insurance company backers is one thing. However, when she manipulates a family picture of me and my 3-year old son at a Christmas parade for political gain she has crossed the line. See attached.

Billion dollar corporations and insurance companies will stop at nothing to put the person in office who will do their bidding. The same kind of shameful tactics Mrs. Wilcox and her insurance buddies are using in this campaign remind me of how low they stooped in the days following Katrina. If you want a man who will stand up to them, I need your help on November 8th.

Thank you again for the opportunity to represent you in the Mississippi Legislature. Please do not hesitate to contact me at 228.466.3346 if you have any questions about the allegations contained in Mrs. Wilcox's mailer.

Looks like Wilcox fits right in with the slime show the Mississippi Republican Party is calling its election efforts this fall.

David Baria is endorsed by retiring Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. J.P. Compretta

Sen. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis) is moving over to the House to replace retiring Rep. J.P. Compretta (D-Bay St. Louis), who is currently the Speaker Pro Tempore (2nd highest ranking member of the House).  Compretta is a beloved figure in District 122, which is why it was so important for Baria to get Compretta's endorsement.  Here's Compretta's letter endorsing Baria, which makes excellent points:

David Baria responds to false negative attack from special interests

Sen. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis) is running for retiring Rep. J.P. Compretta's seat in Bay St. Louis, and the special interests from Jackson are funding his opponent, Dorothy Wilcox.  Wilcox sent out a repugnant mailer the other day, accusing Sen. Baria of attempting to "roll back" tort reform.  Baria responded with the following:

For the Voters of House District 122:

I wanted to take a minute to respond to the personal attack my opponent recently sent out against me.

I ran for the legislature in 2007 in the wake of Katrina to work on issues important to us and our recovery. Those issues related to Katrina recovery have been my priority for the last four years and, if elected, will continue to be my priority. Working on behalf of Hancock County residents in the Legislature has required me to take on the insurance companies and other out of state corporations who have not done their part to aid in our recovery. My opponent's campaign is being funded by the very corporations I have fought for the last four years. In her last mailer, Mrs. Wilcox attacked my career as a lawyer. Earlier this month I traveled to Jackson to argue a case before the state Supreme Court. I represented a family who had lost everything in Katrina and who was told by their insurance carrier, wrongly in my opinion, that their loss would not be covered. Does my opponent prefer this family not have legal representation in this matter?

I have been proud to represent families in their time of need as well as businesses when they were sued. My opponent cannot point to one bill I introduced over the last four years that would roll back any of the tort reform measures the Legislature adopted in 2004. "Tort reform" has been passed and will remain in place. It is not a front--burner issue with respect to moving Hancock County forward. It has not been a focus for me, nor will it be. However, I promise you that I will never stop trying to bring justice to the thousands of Gulf Coast residents who were treated unfairly and unjustly by the insurance industry following Hurricane Katrina.

Thank you again for the opportunity to represent you in the Mississippi Legislature. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the allegations contained in Mrs. Wilcox's mailer.

While David Baria's been fighting for Gulf Coast families, Wilcox has been taking money from the insurance companies that make recovery on the Coast so very hard.

David Baria's new ad

Here's David Baria's new TV spot:

Sen. David Baria - Insurance: #1 Priority for Hancock County

As you probably know by now, Sen. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis) is running to replace retiring Speaker Pro Tempore J.P. Compretta (D-Bay St. Louis) this November. Baria has been a champion of insurance policyholders (i.e., you and I) since joining the Senate, and was recently named to the Board of United Policyholders, an insurance consumers' advocacy group.

Baria's strong stance on insurance issues is a huge positive for him going into this election, as Republicans aren't exactly known for being friends of insureds. Insurance affordability and availability are, 6 years and 24 days after Katrina's landfall, still the most important issues Coast voters face. Baria's latest ad focuses on insurance issues, and features a picture of the remains of the Baria family home on August 30, 2005.
Baria's Insurance Ad

Sen. David Baria's campaign for House off to a good start

State Sen. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis) is off to a strong start in his efforts to replace retiring House Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. J.P. Compretta (D-Bay St. Louis). He had an excellent turnout for his annual golf tournament fundraiser earlier this month, and had several hundred folks show up for his campaign kickoff event on September 10th. Over this past weekend, Baria announced that he'd been endorsed by the Mississippi Police Benevolent Association. That's an impressive beginning to what in all likelihood will be a successful campaign. Baria has spent the last four years working hard for his district on issues that matter, such as insurance affordability. Consider him a safe bet to win Compretta's vacant seat this November.

David Baria films a video, but his son Max steals the show

Sen. David Baria (D - Bay St. Louis) filmed a video invite to his upcoming golf tournament fundraiser at Windance on September 8, 2011. Towards the end of the video, Sen. Baria's irrepressibly playful son Max steals the scene:

David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis) has been named to the Board of United Policyholders

State Sen. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis) has been named to the Board of United Policyholders, a non-profit that is focused on policyholders' issues. From their website:

United Policyholders (UP) is a non-profit organization that is a voice and an information resource for insurance consumers in all 50 states. Our work is funded by foundations and donations from individuals and businesses. We do not accept funding from insurance companies.

UP has helped change laws in favor of consumers, exposed and corrected wrongdoing and helped bring about successful claim settlements after fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, business interruption losses and disabling injuries and illnesses. We are a trusted source of information for consumers, public officials, courts and the media.

Baria, whose family lost their home in Katrina, has been a strong advocate for people and businesses along the Gulf Coast. Given his personal and professional experience, it is certainly no surprise that this organization would chose Baria for its Board.

Baria is currently running for House, seeking to replace retiring Speaker pro tempore J. P. Compretta.

David Baria posts remarks on his decision to run for the House

From Sen. David Baria's Facebook page earlier today:

An icon of the Mississippi legislature is retiring and his presence will be missed by both the citizens of Hancock County and the State of Mississippi. After talking with JP, I have decided to run for the Mississippi House of Representatives, District 122. There are several reasons I have decided to make this change. House districts are comprised of approximately 25,000 people, whereas Senate districts are made up of about 45,000. While I have very much enjoyed and feel privileged to have been able to represent all of Hancock County, I look forward to campaigning in a smaller geographical area, and having a greater ability to serve constituents due to the smaller number. Also, serving in House District 122 will allow me to focus more on the coastal areas decimated by Katrina and directly impacted by the BP oil spill--both areas of focus for me throughout my time in the Senate. I appreciate your continued support.

Buccaneer State Park one step closer to reclaiming its former glory

Hancock County's Buccaneer State Park, once the only revenue-producing state park in Mississippi, is one step closer to returning to its glory days. Prior to Katrina, Buccaneer sported the immensely popular Buccaneer Bay Water Park, which helped to draw upwards of 500,000 visitors to Hancock County each year. Katrina, of course, took all of that away.

Buccaneer partially reopened to the public in May of 2010. Lacking funds for a complete reconstruction, though, the park isn't what it used to be. Thanks to the work of Sen. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis), that may be about to change. Last week, Baria inserted language into a $90M bond bill that would provide $6M in funds for the reconstruction of the missing parts of Buccaneer State Park. The bill passed the Senate, and now awaits House action. If successful, Baria's efforts will likely bring back the $800,000-$900,000 profit Buccaneer saw each year, and the thousands in tax revenue that accompanied that.

Sen. David Baria on unfunded mandates and animal cruelty legislation

Sen. David Baria, D-Bay St. Louis

Sen. David Baria posted the following on his Clarion-Ledger blog yesterday:

Last week in the Mississippi Senate we passed Senate Bill 2127, making the malicious mistreatment or torture of an animal a felony crime. A companion measure, Senate Bill 2821, makes it a felony to mistreat, hurt or kill in a malicious manner any dog or cat. This legislation has passed the Senate several times only to die in the House. There is hope that this year one or both of these measures will become law. The opposition has worried that such a law would be broadly construed to apply to animals such as livestock. However, a careful reading of the bills demonstrates that the language cannot be made to apply to such animals.

The Senate also passed Senate Bill 2053, which will require drivers to show proof of liability insurance before being able to purchase automobile tags. I opposed this bill as tax collectors/assessors advised that it would create additional unfunded burdens and would eliminate online tag purchases. The recent immigration bill is another example of such an unfunded mandate the Senate wishes to impose on local governments requiring them to enforce federal immigration law.

However, the Senate did make clear that it is actually opposed to unfunded mandates last week when we passed a bill called "Restoring the 10th Amendment Study Committee." This bill creates a committee to study federal legislation to determine whether it creates an unfunded mandate or runs afoul of the constitution. The federal "No Child Left Behind" legislation was provided as an example of such an egregious unfunded mandate. The bill also allows for lawsuits against the federal government if the committee feels that the legislation is improper. Therefore, the Mississippi Senate apparently abhors unfunded mandates, unless we choose to create one.

You've gotta love Baria's wit in that last line.