Bryant attacked the media’s negative headlines early in his speech. But it appeared that these headlines were very heavy on the minds and hearts of lawmakers and other high-ranking officials who attended the address. Lt. Governor of the Republican Party was also present. Tate Reeves said in a statement that Tate Reeves had concluded the speech: “We have lots of good news happening here in Mississippi that sometimes doesn’t stay in the headlines. I appreciate Gov. Bryant shined a spotlight on our achievements and job growth,” Tate Reeves said in a statement after the speech: “We have a lot of good news happening in Mississippi that doesn’t always stay in the headlines, and I appreciate Gov. “Everybody stood when he spoke about education. But how will we fund it? How can you make these things happen? The economy must be in motion. This means that people need to work. These kinds of things, like expanding Medicaid, would be a great help. Hood didn’t speak much about funding these programs. Hood stated that Hood did an excellent job of explaining the bright spots in our economy. Sonya Williams-Barnes (D-Gulfport), said that she hopes the governor’s Tuesday appeal to equal rights for all Mississippians will be a sign that a bill for gender pay equity might gain momentum in this year’s legislative session. Williams-Barnes, along with her colleagues Rep. David Baria (D-Bay St. Louis) and Rep. Becky Currie (R-Brookhaven), have supported pay equity bills in past years. Williams-Barnes stated that many women in the state are head of households. To ensure a healthy state, it is important to make sure women get paid as well as men. A roads bill is another issue that appears to be popular but has yet to gain traction. In his speech, the governor did not go there. “The governor cannot cover all the points in a 20-minute speech. We have had ongoing discussions about roads and bridges with the governor. This is an issue that the House has prioritized. “We passed some bills last week on that, and we’re continuing to come forward with ideas,” Speaker Philip Gunn (R-Clinton) told reporters. Chairman of the Mississippi Transportation Commission Dick Hall said that he was disappointed that the governor did not mention infrastructure. “We have bridges that were built for 50 years and that have been in place for 90 years on federal highways. We are at the point where we can move forward quickly, and not in three to four more years. It’s not just a safety problem, but it will cost four times as much to fix it later. Hall stated that the best thing to do is do it now. This was the first time Cheikh Taylor (D-Starkville) was present to listen to the governor address a joint session. Taylor, who was elected to replace Tyrone Ellis, expressed concern about Bryant’s remarks about education issues. These have been hot topics lately, such as a possible rewrite in the public school funding formula, and the possibility of expanding education scholarship accounts. Taylor stated that he had a different view on vouchers and school choice. Taylor, a colleague from the Democratic Party of Jackson, said, “I believe that public education is important.” “Public education is the great equalizer, and it’s already being underfunded. We all will suffer if we continue to take funds from public schools systems. He made it clear in his speech that everyone knows that a well-educated workforce is essential for economic development. Sykes stated that there are only so many private schools available in the state. Bryant spoke about the fight against the opioid crisis. This topic has been the subject of many states across the country. “I believe there is still momentum to tackle the opioid crisis. John Dowdy, director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, stated that they tried to use a narrow and focused approach with the Legislature. “I believe we have some very targeted legislation which I believe will be very successful in increasing penalties.” Bryant called again for funding for a state trooper training school and he supported moving the Department of Public Safety headquarters from Jackson to Rankin County. However, the governor didn’t mention the need for more funding for the state crime laboratory, whose woes were covered in a Mississippi Today article. We’re still in the early stages, but we are getting positive feedback from our leaders. Marshall Fisher, director of the Department of Public Safety said that although it’s still early in the session, we have already expressed our needs to the department. “None (of what the department) is asking for are icing on the cake. All requests are legitimate. Our biggest problem is the funding for the crime lab. Bryant’s speech omitted any mention of the controversial state Flag, which carries a Confederate battle emblem. Bryant stated that the flag should be changed or kept by the voters through a state referendum. Bryant stated that Bryant did not conceal past transgressions when he celebrated the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. All the details about slavery’s horrors, Jim Crow’s inhumanity, and the dark days that accompanied segregation are exposed for the entire world to see. It all lies in a Museum — Put away, we hope never to be seen again.” Many supporters of a new flag argue that it should be moved to a museum. Rep. Williams-Barnes pointed out that Bryant didn’t mention the flag, but that Bryant used language similar to current flag opponents. She said, “We’ll be watching.” To support this important work, you can make a regular donation to the Spring Member Drive today. 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