A Month for Confederates, a Week for Hurricane Preparedness

This morning Governor Bryant issued a statement declaring May 23-27th "Hurricane Preparedness Week." From NewsMS:

“Eleven years after Hurricane Katrina, we have vivid memories of that storm and its aftermath,” said Gov. Bryant. “Catastrophic hurricanes do not occur every year, but we must prepare ourselves in such a way that we are prepared for any level of destruction.”

Yes, five days for hurricane preparedness, but thirty for Confederate history. 

But the irony lost on Phil Bryant doesn't stop there, because the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has been urging Speaker Gunn, Lieutenant Reeves, and Governor Bryant to appropriately prepare for quite some time. Last month, the Clarion Ledger reported that Mississippi's "Hurricane Preparedness" hub is operating with 48% of the budget needed to respond to real crises:

In 2006, after Hurricane Katrina hit, State Personnel Board audit showed that in order to handle a similar disaster, the agency would need  $6.1 million.  It was fully funded that year.  

In 2016, the agency was just given a budget of $3.2 million. That's with 16 open federal disasters still in various phases of recovery, including hurricanes Katrina and Isaac, tornadoes from Louisville, Smithville, the Pine Belt, and all around the state on Dec. 23, 2015, as well as the recent flooding from March 9.

So when Governor Bryant reminds you to be prepared, you should take him seriously. 

Because if something happens, he doesn't have a plan to save you. 

Adults in the Room

When you consider the sorts of things that matter to Democrats and Republicans in Mississippi government, it's easy to definitively pick out the adults in the room.

While Punxsutawney Phil Bryant peeked out of his office today looking for the federal government's shadow, he followed the same trodden path of many discredited, discriminatory, Mississippi governors before him, saying:

Because these decisions are better left to the states, and not made at the point of a federal bayonet, Mississippi's public schools should not participate in the president's social experiment.

Perhaps this sort of language keeps Bryant's appetite for "states' rights" satiated, but it's the sort of distraction that has led to the habitual failure to acknowledge the real issues facing our state. It's the sort of attitude that has directly contributed to the collapsing bridges and roadways, failing schools, and dying hospitals.

Now in 2016, Bryant finally has the genetic makeup he prefers in the House and Senate, and his legislative cronies (slash Gubernatorial farm team) Speaker Gunn and Lieutenant Reeves have offered up the economic package they've always wanted:

A complete short on public services, with miscalculations to boot. They had plenty of money for more corporate tax cuts, but not enough for basic functions of our state. And if that's not enough, they didn't even give themselves enough money to fund the stuff they did approve.

So, today, when Legislative Democrats reached out to Governor Bryant to call a special session directed at solving our devastating mental health crisis, we can all imagine that none of them held their breath. But that doesn't mean they aren't right for doing it, and it doesn't mean they don't deserve a round of applause.

Because at least someone is acting like an adult.

Republican Party Endorses Inadequate and Inefficient Public Education

It was bound to happen. For years, Mississippi Republicans have worked tirelessly to undermine public education in the state. Now, they have finally put their party's stamp of approval on it.

Early today, the Mississippi Republican Party Central Committee - not to be confused with the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China - voted unanimously to endorse the Mississippi Republican Party's opposition to public education. Some familiar faces are on this committee: Governor Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, House Speaker Philip Gunn (R-Clinton), and House Speaker Pro Tempore Greg Snowden (R-Meridian).

If you recall during this year's legislative session, Gunn and Reeves rushed alternative ballot language through the legislature without any hearings or public input while threatening their rank-and-file Republicans to vote for it. Their goal: confuse the voters. During this session, Gov. Bryant pushed his private school voucher bill which will pull resources away from public schools. At the same time, Speaker Gunn has been at the beck and call of the Bomgar Caucus, an association of deep-pocketed interests that spent tens of thousands of dollars to defeat pro-public education Republican legislators in the August primaries. Just last week, Bryant and Hosemann voted to put their political talking points on the November ballot by putting misleading language before the voters. This intentionally-confusing language, mind you, was pushed by Reeves and Snowden through the Legislative Budget Office. The public has been refused access to the communication between these offices because they chose to not be transparent. Let's not forget that time Rep. Herb Frierson (R-Poplarville) threw out his scare tactics of frightening state agencies that if the state fully support public education, their agencies would see massive budget cuts - possibly leading to huge layoffs.

All these political players and all these moves have been a part of the Republicans' masterful strategy of deliberately weakening Mississippi's public education system.

Republicans can talk about how proud they are about continuing to not fully support public education and that Mississippi still pays its public school teachers less than their counterparts across the South. The truth remains that you can either be a Republican or support public education, but you cannot do both. The Republican Party's vote today proves it.

Gunn, Reeves Hiding Emails

Reports out in recent days are shining light on the backroom deals Republican leaders are making in order to continue their attacks on public education while adding more evidence to the argument that Mississippi is cited as one of the most corrupt states in America. The problem involves Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn (R-Clinton) refusing to release emails over their involvement in crafting budget language that puts a blemish on public education funding.

While the Republican Party claims there are scandals over irregularities in Hillary Clinton's emails, the silence from Mississippi's Republican officials over this issue is deafening. It takes a certain amount of arrogance, hypocrisy, or both to suggest that Clinton's emails are fair game while theirs deserve to be concealed. Just another example of Mississippi's Republican leadership saying, "What's good for the goose is bad for the gander."

Even Marshall Ramsey gets in on the controversy.

Reeves had Sen. Giles Ward (R-Louisville) run interference for him by throwing up an ALL CAPS wall saying that Reeves's emails are not public records. It is likely that Speaker Philip Gunn (R-Clinton) will have House Management Committee Chairman Greg Snowden (R-Meridian) pull a similar move at their next committee meeting in two weeks. Snowden, mind you, has been the primary legislative advocate for ballot language that was intentionally meant to confuse voters when they head to the polls in November.

Opponents of public education have admitted that they are asserting their influence over non-partisan budget staff to frame funding public education in a negative light. In fact, the state's budget director said so herself that she is being contacted by anti-public education legislators.

“The Legislative Budget Office works for the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. As I do with all major decisions, I consulted with the leaders of the committee in crafting the language.”

Only weeks ago, it was Tate Reeves who championed transparency with respect to state agencies submitting budget requests online to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. Yet, when it comes to Reeves's office, he's off limits.

Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said the update to the website also reinforces legislative leaders' commitment to transparency for how tax dollars are spent. He said the proposal was met with some opposition throughout state government but that "told me it was more important that we get it done."

"If you post it for all to see, it will make agencies and agency directors think twice about spending taxpayers' money in an irresponsible manner," Reeves said in an interview. "No agency director or politician wants to be called out for irresponsible spending habits."

This obstruction of transparency should be alarming for the public because it highlights the legislative branch is holding itself to a different standard. This refusal by the Republicans to disclose their government emails cloaks any communication that could have occurred between the Republican legislature and anti-public education forces like Empower Mississippi while they passed policies to cripple public education.

What Gunn and Reeves expect is for voters to believe that they followed protocol by having their respective oversight bodies make the judgement on whether to release government emails from Gunn, Reeves, and their staff. Don't be fooled by this facade.

Rather than admit whether they had or had not sent emails on government servers and through government email accounts, Gunn and Reeves are choosing to hide their attacks on public education from public view, and the Republican drumbeat against public education gets louder.

Empowering Opponents of Public Education

In the Haley Barbour years, Mississippi Republicans at least voiced some support for public education. Even then-Lt. Governor Phil Bryant campaigned on the promise that he would always fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP.) As anyone who has observed the Republicans' shameless tactics to undermine Initiative 42 can tell you, Republican support for public schools has come completely unraveled over the past several years. What's changed?

Many Republicans have probably just started showing their true colors. For years, they would voice support for MAEP while voting to under-fund it. There were a few who really did support public education - mainly from districts with strong public schools, such as Lafayette, DeSoto, Madison, and Rankin counties. Their reversal seems to have been dictated by outside pressure rather than personal philosophy or the interests of their constituents.

Thanks to financial disclosures posted on the Secretary of State's website, we can start to get a picture of who is applying that pressure. A campaign finance report for an anti-public education political action committee, Empower PAC, shows some disturbing information about our elected officials' stances on public education. We already know that Republicans are not supporters of public education, and the information in this report further backs that up.

Between January 1 to April 30, 2015, this PAC received nearly $365,000 in donations from anti-public education forces such as state House candidate Joel Bomgaars of Madison and the Mississippi Federation for Children PAC, an ALEC-aligned organization, which is oddly based in Virginia. Who is the Federation for Children, you might ask?

The national organization is chaired by former Michigan Republican Party Chair Betsy DeVos. Her husband, Richard, unsuccessfully ran for governor of Michigan in 2006, as a Republican, while spending $35 million of his own money on the race. For Mississippi's purposes, the Chairman of the Mississippi Federation for Children PAC is Greg Brock, a person who is listed with a Washington, DC, address. To give you a sense of his feelings on public education, he led an unsuccessful school voucher initiative in 2000. The DeVos family, as well as billionaires Alice and Jim Walton of Walmart, have poured a tremendous amount of money into anti-public education efforts in recent years. That money is now seeping into Mississippi politics.

Republican candidates for statewide and legislative offices are indirect recipients of the DeVos and Walton money to undermine Mississippi's public education system. If you recall from this year's legislative session, state Rep. Forrest Hamilton spoke from the House Well claiming that he was to be the target of forces who want to hurt public education while Speaker Gunn demanded to know the source of this speculation. Hamilton was right. Hamilton's Republican primary opponent, Dana Criswell, has received at least $11,000 from Empower PAC. Steve Hopkins, who is challenging fellow DeSoto County Republican Rep. Wanda Jennings, has received at least $11,000. Mind you that Hamilton and Jennings both oppose legislation advocating vouchers and charter schools. Longtime Republican Rep. Ray Rogers of Rankin County voted against charter schools in 2013, and now he is a target of Empower. Rogers's opponent, Randall Stephens, has received over $11,000 to take on this race.

Not all incumbents are targets, however.

• Lafayette County Republicans like Senate Education Committee Chairman Gray Tollison and House Education Committee member Brad Mayo both received $2,500 from Empower PAC.
• House Education Committee Chairman John Moore received $2,000.
• Republican Rep. Carolyn Crawford (who serves on the House Education Committee) received $5,000.
• Republican Rep. Joey Hood received $2,000.
• Republican Rep. Randy Boyd (who serves on the House Education Committee) received $2,500.
• Republican Rep. Charles Busby (who serves on the House Education Committee and was the floor manager of the charter school bill) received $2,500.
• Republican Lt. Governor Tate Reeves (who is a product of the Rankin County school system) received $5,000.

The evidence is abundantly clear that Republicans do not care about public education; it's been said before and will be said again. You can be a Republican or you can support public education, but you cannot do both.

Bryant vs Reeves: Trooper School Edition

Gov. Phil Bryant's public safety agenda continues to work its way through the halls of the state Capitol.

A major component of Bryant's plan is a "sentencing reform" bill that easily passed the House on a bipartisan vote. Now that it is in the Senate, the pressure is on to pass this bill. Still, there are concerns from law enforcement that the bill could have unintended complications for county governments. So now it looks like the wheels are starting to buckle on this piece of legislation. I would be shocked to learn that Bryant and the Republicans are trying to pass this bill so they can find out what is in it.

Not just the sentencing reform law is causing a stir. We are now told that state troopers will descend upon the Capitol on Wednesday to push legislators to approve funding for a new trooper school. As more troopers retire or resign, those positions have to be filled. Even in Governor Bryant's latest State of the State address, he underscored the importance of having a new highway patrol officers.

"The men and women who wear the blue and grey of the Mississippi Highway Patrol remain the best of the best, but they now need your help. The last trooper school added 51 officers to a patrol that remains nearly 150 below its necessary number. This shortage puts not only the motoring public's lives at risk but also those of our troopers. Let me assure you, without more troopers on the road people will die. Let us fund a trooper school this year."

The issue is whether Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves's personal battle with the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety will bleed over into this nonpartisan issue. Time will tell if Reeves will not play ball and allow his personal grudge with the Department of Public Safety to overrule the agenda of his fellow Republican governor. Bryant also has to show some strength by pressing the super majority in the Republican-led Senate to advance his agenda.

At this point, it is tough to see who wins out: the Tater Tots or the cowboy boots.

If you didn't believe me before about the failure to expand Medicaid, maybe you will now

Southwest Regional Medical Center in McComb let five of its doctors go this past week.  In an AP interview, its CEO, Norman Price, said what I've been saying all along:

"The Affordable Care Act will force the acute care delivery system to evolve to accommodate a new reimbursement reality. As a result of the Affordable Care Act, the non-expansion of Medicaid will have the effect of over-running the emergency departments with non-paying patients. The inevitable cuts and changes will not be popular nor easy to accomplish. However, all will be necessary in order to move this medical center forward into the new Affordable Care Act world." (Emphasis added.)

And remember those DSH payments I've mentioned before (here, here, here, here, here, here and here)?

"We know we're going to be cut $8 million by the federal government, and we also know we're going to be cut 2% by Medicaid. That's going to equate to about $8.5 million to $9 million," Price said. 

The $8 million refers to the amount of money the hospital receives per year for taking on a disproportionate share of patients who are on Medicare or Medicaid.

DSH stands for "disproportionate share hospital".  The DSH program was established to give financial help to hospitals that provide care for an inordinate number of indigent patients.  As you can imagine, Mississippi hospitals are pretty dependent upon payments from the DSH program.  Under the Affordable Care Act, which is the law of the land regardless of how you feel about it, DSH payments are being severely restricted.  Why? Because patients that were causing hospitals to get DSH payments in the past were supposed to be covered by Medicaid expansion.  A Medicaid expansion, mind you, funded almost entirely by the federal government, not the state.

So as our Governor and his cohorts in the Legislature keep whistlin' Dixie, our health care system is burning to the ground.  

Wading back in; a wrap up of what I've missed covering

I'm back in the office a bit today, and here's a round up of the stories that I've missed while out:

- When the history of this session is written, the most important story of it will be Medicaid expansion.  House Democrats have pulled the biggest political power play since the 2011 redistricting battle in forcing Republicans into the following position: either have an open floor debate about Medicaid expansion or don't have Medicaid.  There was doubt early on as to whether House Democrats would stick together, but they certainly have.  Rep. Bobby Moak (D - Bogue Chitto), has emerged as a very effective leader for the House Democrats, who have proved they are still a major force in the Legislature when they stay united.

- Gov. Phil Bryant (R) named anti-abortion activist Terri Herring as his nominee to fill a position on the State Board of Health being vacated by Ellen Williams of Senatobia.  While everyone was distracted by Herring's maniacal positions on reproduction, the AP looked at the statute and a map, and figured out that Herring, by law, couldn't serve.  Bryant withdrew her name, avoiding what would have been a contentious confirmation battle.

- In reference to the above, the State Board of Health is made up of 11 people, a minority of whom have to be physicians.  Am I the only person who sees something wrong with that?

- Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves (R) has conceded that "C" districts, in addition to those gaining scores of "A" and "B", will have veto power over charter school startups within their districts, and that has apparently broken the logjam over charter schools legislation. The House, just minutes ago, approved the conference committee report that would allow up to 15 new charter schools each year in "D" and "F" districts.

- Jackson has been named the worst city for people with spring allergies.  That's no surprise.  When you've been blessed with a botanical and agricultural bounty like ours, there's a downside.

Gov. Phil Bryant goes full on crazy, urges Legislature to ignore supremacy of federal government

If I had a nickel (okay, maybe quarter) for every time a Mississippi Republican quietly referenced the intellectual limitations of the current occupant of the Governor's Mansion, I could retire right now.  Well, here Gov. Phil Bryant (R) goes again, riding the Tea Party crazy horse one more time around the track.

This time, Gov. Bryant has "urged" Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves (R) and Speaker Philip Gunn (R) to "immediately pass legislation that would make any unconstitutional order by the President illegal to enforce in Mississippi by state or local law enforcement".  (Click on the letter below to read the whole thing.) 

Nothing like a throwback to the days of nullification and interposition to brighten a dreary winter's day.  May I wish everyone an early happy Martin Luther King Day?

Okay, Gov. Bryant, who exactly makes the determination that an executive order of the President of the United States of America is "unconstitutional?  You, Learned Scholar?  Our state's Attorney General?  Or perhaps some guy on a street corner?  May I suggest a specialized Magic 8 Ball?  Oh, wait, I know...THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.  (You've heard of it. You keep asking them to overturn healthcare reform.)

All of this stems, mind you, from word that President Barack Obama is about to issue an executive order that would require more thorough background checks for folks buying firearms.  Oh, the horror!  What if that convicted wife beater or child abuser couldn't buy a gun?  What about the poor man with schizoaffective disorder?!?

Bryant letter to Reeves and Gunn

Rep. Steve Holland: Issue the bonds and fulfill our obligations

The following is a Letter to the Editor from Rep. Steve Holland (D - Plantersville):

I continue to lament the reality that the leadership of the 2012 Legislature failed to allow a compromise on issuing bonds for the myriad of critical needs our State has. Almost without exception in the last 29 years that I have been privileged to serve in the Mississippi Legislature, we have fulfilled what I consider to be a valid annual responsibility in budgeting–that of issuing bonds to build and repair buildings on our University and Community College campuses, provide economic incentives for prospective industries and grow existing businesses, provide fire trucks for fire fighting and prevention for volunteer departments, build bridges in rural counties over our creeks and waterways, enhance the growth and development of our small municipalities, build cultural tourism–and the list goes on. The State is no different than we as individuals and families are in this category. We rely on long term credit to purchase our homes, buy the necessities of our families and promote the well being of our quality of life.  

Never in the history of lending has interest rates been lower and never has there been a better time to get on with the needed growth and development of our State’s infrastructure. The needs are inarguable. And you will pay as citizens one way or another. A classic example is the ever increasing burden on middle class Mississippians with tuition increases at our Institutions of Higher Learning. Why, even buckets were strategically placed throughout your Capitol Building in Jackson to catch the rain from its leaking roof this year!! Approximately $240 Million in Bonded indebtedness was retired this year-a significant figure. We could renew at least this amount and make a tremendous stride in meeting so many of our State’s critical needs. 

Call Governor Phil Bryant (601-359-3100), Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves (601-359-3200), Speaker Phillip Gunn (601-359-3300) and your local Senator and Representative and tell them you want what’s best for Mississippi - you want real leadership, not campaign rhetoric - in securing a more stable and inviting quality of life for all Mississippians. Tell them to get on with the needed business at hand immediately.

Well said, Rep. Holland.