Republicans poised to take their legislative failures out on Mississippi workers

In an article titled "Experience cited in GOP setbacks," Clarion Ledger writers Jessica Bakeman and Cassandra Mickens charitably allow Republicans to credit inexperience as the cause of their legislative failures this session.  While I'd agree that our new Republican leaders have done a poor job of using the rules to their advantage and have looked discombobulated when handling major bills, I think their primary problem isn't something on-the-job training is going to solve. 

The lesson of this legislature is that all the election year talk of job creation and improving the bottom line for Mississippi families was artifice.  Rather than focusing on bread and butter economic issues, Republicans have made clear that their focus is on pushing a radical social agenda.

Thankfully, Republican overreaching has at least temporarily cost them a half-cocked charter school bill, Alabama-style immigration reform and compulsory transvaginal ultrasounds.  However, in an unfortunate turn of events, Republican leadership, rather than step back and reevaluate, has chosen to step into Mississippi workers with the "Workers Compensation Destruction Bill" .    

So let's recap: Republicans have shown no interest in job creation or economic recovery and have instead pushed a radical social agenda, the failure of which they are now taking out on Mississippi workers, the very people who will ultimately be the key to any economic recovery.  Any questions?  

***WORKERS COMPENSATION DESTRUCTION BILL PASSES HOUSE 59-58***

A vote breakdown to come..

***WORKERS COMP DESTRUCTION BILL TO BE CALLED UP AT 11:00?***

Getting word out of the House chamber that they will take up the Workers Compensation Destruction Bill at 11:00 am. No one knows how the votes will fall at the moment.

Redistricting committee hearing uneventful

This morning, the Joint Committee on Reapportionment Redistricting met, and nothing of importance happened.

The full committee must pass plans 15 days before sine die, but there was no indication of when plans would be revealed. Is it really possible that the Republican leadership will manage to goof this as well and force a special session?

A hint that new legislative reapportionment maps will be released tomorrow morning?

Prior to recess in both the House and the Senate today, announcements were made in both chambers that the Joint Committee on Reapportionment Redistricting (the committee of House and Senate members who handle drawing the new legislative maps) would meet at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Everyone has been expecting new maps to be released very soon.  If they aren't released tomorrow, perhaps we will get an idea of when.  (To catch up on redistricting, read Redistricting past and future; a look at where we've been and where we may be headed.)

And then the circus really begins.

How do we explain the different eyewitness accounts of the alleged incident yesterday at the Capitol?

There's been quite a bit of talk today surrounding what happened or did not happen with the alleged shoving of Rep. Reecy Dickson (D - Macon) by a reported Tea Party member yesterday.  How can so many people who claim to have seen the same event have such different accounts of it?  Here's my crack at an explanation:

EMCL - Eyewitness identification and testimony - Is it reliable?

Audio of Rep. Chuck Espy (D - Clarksdale) on floor speaking about alleged shoving of Rep. Reecy Dickson (D - Macon)

Rep. Chuck Espy (D - Clarksdale) addressing House concerning alleged shoving of Rep. Reecy Dickson (D - Macon)

The HOME website has the audio of Rep. Espy's fiery speech on the House floor yesterday concerning the alleged shoving of Rep. Reecy Dickson (D - Macon) by a reported Tea Party member.  I referenced the speech here before, and recommend that you go listen to it.  Will be interesting to see what happens with Rep. Espy's investigation.

Looks as though the House is going to take up a large amount of bills

The House calendar is jammed full today.  Rep. Gary Chism (R - Columbus), is likely still twisting arms on the Workers Compensation Destruction Bill, as he hasn't called it up yet.  The longer he waits, the more likely it is that he doesn't have the votes to pass it.

***HOUSE*** - Workers Comp Destruction Bill on calendar

Here it comes....

What are the legal implications of simple assault on a legislator?

I've got your answer here.