House members score big victory for Mississippi workers

I'm happy to report that it wasn't all poll taxes and medieval torture devices over at the Mississippi legislature this week.  Earlier today, a bi-partisan House coalition managed to beat back a measure that would completely destabilize the workers compensation program in Mississippi.  Here's the release from the House Democratic Caucus:

Jackson, MS - This morning, a bi-partisan coalition was successful in stopping a measure that would have stripped Mississippi workers of many of the protections they currently enjoy under Mississippi's workers' compensation program.  The bill, House Bill 555 sponsored by Rep. Mark Formby (R-Picayune), would remove the presumption that a person found dead on the job was injured at work, take away a worker's right to select their own physician, and remove several of the current presumptions that protect Mississippi workers injured on the job. 

House Democratic Caucus Leader Rep. Bobby Moak (D-Bogue Chitto) said, "This is a tremendous victory for Mississippi workers but our work isn't finished.  Mississippians deserve to be treated with fairness and dignity when the are injured on the job and we are prepared to fight any measure that would threaten our workers."

Rep. Stringer to Republican House Leadership: "Stop playing games"

While presiding over the House this week, Speaker Pro Tempore Greg Snowden (R-Meridian) limited debate on individual bills to ten minutes per bill.  Limiting discussion of bills on subjects ranging from elementary education to public safety was not well received by many members of the House Democratic Caucus. 

Rep. Johnny Stringer (D-Montrose) said, “The people of Mississippi deserve better than ten minutes of debate on bills that could impact their families’ lives.  I hope that Republican leadership will stop playing games and give this process the respect it deserves.”      

Leader Moak to deliver Democratic Response, calls for end to spoils system

Rep. Bobby Moak (D-Bogue Chitto), House Democratic Caucus Leader, will deliver tonight's Democratic Response to the State of the State address.  Moak's response will air immediately following Governor Bryant's State of the State address at 5:30 p.m.  You can follow broadcasts of the speeches at MPB TV, MPB Radio or at mpbonline.org.

Rep. Moak shared the following portion of tonight’s address with Cottonmouth:

"We must also join together to find ways to eliminate the good ole boy system in Mississippi government.  Elections do matter and elected leaders should be given the tools they need to lead, but the hiring of campaign workers to perform governmental functions has become too common in Mississippi.  When campaign staffers infiltrate every corner of the capitol, it creates an environment of perpetual campaigning and institutionalizes gridlock.  Mississippi taxpayers should not be made to subsidize political activity through high salaried, created positions."  

Wonder what he could be talking about?