Latest news with #MississippiHouseofRepresentatives
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thompson secures new term in special election
TUPELO — Incumbent Democrat Rickey Thompson has defeated his opponent and will continue to represent District 16 in the Mississippi House of Representatives following a special election that saw low turnout across four counties. Thompson defeated his challenger, Brady Davis, during Tuesday's primary election. Following a redistricting that mandated the election, District 16 covers portions of Chickasaw, Lee, Monroe and Pontotoc counties. 'I'm feeling like it is time to make things happen for Northeast Mississippi and we are already on the way,' Thompson said. 'I want to thank from the bottom of my heart the people of District 16. I am deeply honored. This victory does not belong to me. It belongs to the neighbors who opened up their door for me. It is about the people.' District-wide, Thompson secured 1,325 votes (79%) to Davis' 348 votes (21%) according to unofficial results provided by circuit court clerks in Lee, Chickasaw, Monroe and Pontotoc counties. With no Republican or third-party challengers, Thompson secured his seat for a new term. This will be Thompson's third term. His second was cut short by this special election, which was forced by the redistricting. In Chickasaw County, Thompson beat out Davis by securing 62 votes to Davis' six. In Lee County, where the bulk of the electorate lives, Thompson received 1,109 votes to Davis' 288. In Monroe County, Thompson secured 110 votes while Davis received 17, and in Pontotoc County, Thompson earned 44 votes while Davis tallied 37. Voter turnout was lean, with the lowest in Pontotoc County showing just 4.4% of eligible voters taking part in the election. Chickasaw County saw an almost 19% turnout, Lee County had a 12% turnout and Monroe County had a 9% turnout. With the dust settled, Thompson said he again wants to focus on healthcare, education and infrastructure in the coming legislative session, noting that he also plans to begin employing more townhall meetings to 'keep the citizens abreast of the goings on in Jackson.' Monroe County Journal Managing Editor Ray Van Dusen contributed to this article. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Davis, Thompson qualify for District 16 special election
TUPELO — Incumbent Rep. Rickey Thompson, Democrat, has qualified for re-election to his seat in District 16 for the Mississippi House of Representatives, and he's picked up a challenger in Chickasaw Inkana Foundation CEO Brady Davis of Tupelo. Both Davis and Thompson qualified to run for the seat Monday morning, the first day to qualify for the Nov. 4 special election, with primaries set for Aug. 5. District 16 encompasses Chickasaw, Lee, Monroe and Pontotoc counties and includes portions of Tupelo, Verona and Shannon. Following recent redistricting, District 16 took in much of southwest Pontotoc County, northwest Chickasaw County and expanded further south of Monroe County. Thompson, 60, defeated independent candidate Steve Holland in 2019 and ran unopposed in 2023. Thompson said, if reelected, he will continue to focus on workforce development, economic growth and education. 'I am running on a record that I have represented the people of Northeast Mississippi. Communities want to see change,' he said. 'We have to get the people out to the polls to vote.' From Shannon, Thompson serves as the vice chair of the Enrolled Bills committee and also serves on the Agriculture, Judiciary B and Public Health and Human Services committees. He sponsored House Bill 565, which amended state code to require law enforcement agencies to provide the board on law enforcement officer standards notifications on when an officer is fired or resigns from disciplinary action within 72 hours of termination. The bill passed and was signed into law on March 18. This is Davis' first attempt at political office. However, he said he has worked closely with state and local officials in his work at the foundation and in his professional relationship with the Chickasaw Nation. He said, if elected, he wants to be present for the community and bring goodwill and do the right thing. 'What it boils down to is my campaign really is encapsulated by my slogan, 'Progress through unity, and unity through service,'' he said. 'That aims to achieve several critical objectives, which are all centered on the fundamental principle of bringing people together for the betterment of our community … True progress begins with understanding, and that means listening to everyone regardless of their background, beliefs or affiliations.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Deputy who stopped wrong-way driver honored by MS lawmakers
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mississippi lawmakers recognized a sheriff's deputy from DeSoto County on Tuesday for his courageous actions in stopping a wrong-way driver along I-269. In March, Deputy Brian Brock was injured when he collided with the driver, who narrowly missed several cars while going the wrong direction on the interstate. Deputy drives into path of wrong-way vehicle to save other drivers, woman arrested As part of National Police Week, the Mississippi House of Representatives honored Brock for his selfless service and for protecting others from a potential tragedy. Brock was surrounded by his family members and DeSoto County Sheriff Thomas Tuggle during the ceremony at the state capitol. Representative Rodney Hall also honored Deputy Brock's heroic actions with a formal resolution during the 2025 Legislative Session. Lawmakers said Brock's bravery reminds them of the sacrifices law enforcement officers make every day to keep everyone safe. The Mississippi Highway Patrol identified the wrong-way driver as 54-year-old Tracy Balton of Olive Branch, Miss. Brock, 34, positioned himself on the shoulder of I-269, just east of Craft Road. Recognizing that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed, Sheriff Tuggle said Brock decided to put himself between Balton and another person driving on the interstate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
WIRED
10-03-2025
- Politics
- WIRED
Mississippi Passes Bill Banning Lab-Grown Meat
Mar 10, 2025 4:22 PM Three states have now passed legislation making it illegal to manufacture, sell, or distribute cultivated meat. Courtesy of New Age Meats/Megan Bayley The Mississippi House of Representatives just passed a bill banning cultivated meat. This makes Mississippi the third state to outlaw meat grown in vats from small samples of animal cells. The Mississippi bill will make it illegal for anyone to manufacture, sell, or distribute cultivated meat in the state. Violating the law would be a misdemeanour, punishable by a fine of no more than $500 and/or up to three months in county jail. Similar laws passed last year in Florida and Alabama also carry potential jail terms or fines of up to $500. The bill now awaits the signature of Governor Tate Reeves and will become law unless he chooses to veto the bill. Mississippi's agriculture commissioner, Andy Gipson, has criticized the cultivated meat industry, and he supported a 2019 bill that prevented cultivated meat products being labeled as meat in the state. In 2024 he published a post on his website that commended the cultivated meat bans in Florida and Alabama. 'I want my steak to come from farm-raised beef, not a petri-dish from a lab,' he wrote. 'This has a very, very, strong sense of political theater,' says Suzi Gerber, executive director of the Association for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Innovation, a trade group representing the cultivated meat industry. The actual impact of the law in any of these states would be minimal, she says, since cultivated meat hasn't been available for sale in any of them. Republican representatives Bill Pigott and Lester Carpenter introduced the Mississippi bill in January 2025. It passed both houses without a single vote in opposition. But similar legislation in other states has had less of a smooth path. A Wyoming bill that would have outlawed cultivated meat was voted down in its third reading in the senate in February, while a similar bill proposed in South Dakota also failed to make it through a senate vote in February. 'I was surprised but encouraged by the results in those states,' says Gerber. In Wyoming some senators argued for better packaging and labeling provisions instead of an outright ban on cultivated meat, while in South Dakota some legislators opposed the ban, arguing it would inhibit free trade. Other states are considering legislation similar to that already passed in Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. A bill introduced in Georgia in January would make it illegal to sell cultivated meat. In Nebraska a bill that would prohibit cultivated meat in the state was introduced at the request of Governor Jim Pillen in January. The Florida ban is currently being contested in a court case brought by the Californian cultivated meat firm Upside Foods and the Institute of Justice, a nonprofit public interest law firm. The case argues that the Florida ban violates two separate parts of the US Constitution, which cover interstate commerce and the relationship between federal and state law. In October a federal judge denied Upside Foods' request for a preliminary injunction that would have halted the enforcement of Florida's ban on cultivated meat. The steady drip of state bans has coincided with a downturn in investor enthusiasm for cultivated meat. Just $226 million was invested in cultivated meat startups in 2023, significantly down from $922 million in 2022. In early 2024 Upside Foods laid off workers, while California-based SciFiFoods shut down altogether later that year. But there are some signs that the industry is weathering these headwinds. On March 8, San Francisco–based cultivated meat company Mission Barns announced that the Food and Drug Administration had no further questions about the safety of its cultivated pork fat product, a major step toward selling the product in the US. Only two other companies, Upside Foods and Eat Just, have received a similar letter from the FDA. Now Mission Barns only needs approval from the US Department of Agriculture in order to launch in the US.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Longtime Rep. Robert Clark to lie in repose at Mississippi Capitol
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Robert G. Clark, who was elected in 1967 as Mississippi's first Black lawmaker of the 20th century and rose to the second-highest leadership role in the state House of Representatives, will lie in repose at the Mississippi State Capitol. According to the Mississippi House of Representatives, Clark will lie in repose on Sunday, March 9. Visitation will be from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Robert Clark, Mississippi's first Black lawmaker after Civil Rights era, dies at 96 Clark died Tuesday at age 96, his son said. Rep. Bryant Clark, who succeeded Robert Clark, said his father died of natural causes at home in Holmes County. Elected in 1967, Clark shattered racial barriers and served 36 years in the Mississippi House, rising to House Speaker Pro Tempore in 1992. A lifelong advocate for education and Black representation in government, he played a pivotal role in expanding opportunities for all Mississippians. Honored at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in 2018, Clark's legacy is one of resilience and progress. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
