State News

State News

Bryant signs laws affecting students, vets
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed a bill Wednesday that requires kindergarteners or first-graders to be tested for dyslexia, a reading disorder that can sometimes go undiagnosed for years and leave children struggling to learn.
The matter is intensely personal for Bryant. He was in fourth grade before a caring teacher discovered that dyslexia was the reason he saw scrambled words and had trouble putting the right sounds with letters that appeared in print.

May 24, 2012
Detective: Smith offered $20K for hit
May 1, 2012
Child killed in her driveway
May 1, 2012
Bryant signs law to allow stronger beer in Miss.
Mississippians will soon be able to buy stronger beer, which supporters say will allow beer lovers to sample more kinds of suds and increase business opportunities for breweries.
The law signed by Gov. Phil Bryant on Thursday takes effect July 1. It allows the professional brewing and sale of beer with alcohol content of up to 8 percent by weight, above the current 5 percent limit.

April 10, 2012
Law requires publication of budget notes
A new Mississippi law is designed to make some budget information more readily available to the general public.
Senate Bill 2561 becomes law July 1.

April 10, 2012
New rule adopted in Legislature
Mississippi legislators have set a new budget-writing rule, but only after arguing about whether it increases accountability or limits most lawmakers’ power to boost spending on education and other programs.
Senators voted 32-16 Wednesday to adopt the Legislature’s joint operating rules for the four-year term that started last month. The House approved the rules 72-48 Monday.

February 16, 2012
House OKs bill to cut AG’s power
The Republican-led Mississippi House voted 59-55 Wednesday to pass a bill limiting the powers of the Democratic attorney general.
Proponents say agency heads need to be able to hire outside lawyers without Attorney General Jim Hood’s approval when they have conflicts with Hood. The bill would also require all outside legal contracts be filed with a state board, and require the board to approve contracts worth more than $100,000.

February 16, 2012
House panel snubs Hood’s effort to testify
A state House committee voted Tuesday to push forward a bill that would cut Attorney General Jim Hood’s authority, turning down Hood’s request to speak to the group before it voted.
Hood, steaming mad that he couldn’t speak, claimed the bill is unconstitutional. The lone Democrat in statewide office, Hood said he made a personal plea to House Judiciary A Committee Mark Baker to have extra time to study the bill.

February 8, 2012
Davis says he won’t resign as Southaven mayor
Fourth-term Southaven Mayor Greg Davis said Monday he plans to remain on the job amid continuing state and federal scrutiny of his spending of city money.

January 31, 2012
Miss. AG: Pardoned killer found in Wyoming
A convicted killer pardoned by former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour was in Wyoming with his fiancie and initially drove off when he was located Sunday by investigators seeking to serve him with a court summons, authorities said Monday.

January 31, 2012
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