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Favorites roll in Mississippi primary elections with few upsets | Mississippi

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Steve Wilson | The Center Square – 2023-08-10 07:21:00

(The Center Square) — Mississippi’s primary elections went largely by the numbers this week, but one of the state’s utility regulators is out of a job.

In the Public Service Commission’s Southern District Republican race, Gulfport developer Wayne Carr knocked off incumbent Commissioner Dane Maxwell by a 10,328-vote margin according to unofficial results on Tuesday.

Carr will run unopposed in the general election on Nov. 7 for the seat on the three-member commission that regulates most of the state’s utilities. He filed campaign finance complaints against Maxwell, a former Pascagoula mayor, over what he considered illegal donations from entities regulated by the commission.

Glenn Antizzo, a professor of political science at Mississippi College, said the anonymity of the commission usually helps an incumbent like Maxwell, whom the mayors of Biloxi and Gulfport endorsed.

Carr hit Maxwell on his no-vote on net metering, which is where individuals can hook their solar system to the grid and receive money from their contributions to it. He also was critical of Maxwell for his votes to allow an out-of-state firm to buy up rural water and sewer systems statewide.

The marquee race for lieutenant governor went to the GOP incumbent, Delbert Hosemann, as he easily fended off challenges by Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, and Tiffany Longino with 51.7% of the unofficial tally statewide.

Antizzo says Hosemann was boosted by solid progress statewide with test scores and an improving economic indicators and the polarizing nature of McDaniel. The former U.S. Senate candidate tried to capitalize on the inability of lawmakers to come up with a way to phase out the state’s income tax.

“I don’t think that there was anything, really, that you can get upset with Hosemann about,” Antizzo said. “I know that McDaniel was really trying to stoke the anger about the fact that the income tax repeal got stalled.”

Hosemann racked up huge wins in suburban GOP strongholds such as Rankin (57.5% of the vote according to unofficial results) and Madison (66.6%) counties in central Mississippi. He also dominated on the Gulf Coast, winning Harrison County with 56.4% according to unofficial results and neighboring Jackson County with 57.3%.

Surprisingly, he also outperformed McDaniel in his native Pine Belt in the south-central part of the state, taking both Forrest and Lamar counties with 56% and 51.6% of the unofficial tally, respectively.

McDaniel won DeSoto County south of Memphis, Tennessee, by a slim margin, took his home county of Jones and a host of lightly-populated rural counties, but didn’t threaten in the larger metro areas.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves sailed to victory over a pair of challengers, earning 74.7% of the unofficial results. In the general election, he’ll face Northern District Public Service Commission Commissioner Brandon Presley, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

In legislative races, according to Ballotpedia, only 17.2% of primaries were contested, with incumbent lawmakers drawing a primary challenger 28% of the time. A few, such as Sen. Philip Moran, R-Kiln, and Rep. Brady Williamson, R-Oxford, were defeated. But the majority sailed to reelection and will likely run unopposed in the general election in November.

Antizzo says the advantages of incumbency, such as name recognition, are likely to scare off challengers.

“Unless there’s a major reason why you would be upset with your legislators, you’re just going to sit on the sidelines until the seat comes open and then you’ll make your move,” Antizzo said.

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White House says Trump’s tariffs will be ‘perfect deal’ for U.S. | National

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www.thecentersquare.com – Brett Rowland – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-01 15:42:00

(The Center Square) – The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump and his tariff team are preparing to roll out a “perfect deal” for Americans on Wednesday, when Trump is expected to announce his plans.

Trump plans to unveil reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday on all nations that put duties on U.S. imports, which the president has been calling “Liberation Day” for American trade. Trump’s plans have roiled U.S. and global markets, but the president has yet to get into specifics ahead of Wednesday’s planned announcement. 

“The president said last night he has made a decision and a determination,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday. “He is going to announce that decision tomorrow.”

Leavitt said Trump was working with his trade and tariff team to finalize the deal, which she said would be a “perfect deal for the American people.”

The tariffs Trump is expected to announce Wednesday will go into effect immediately, Leavitt said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Trump steered the U.S. economy to new heights in his term and plans to the same this time. 

“You have to trust the president’s instincts on the economy. Why? This isn’t blind faith. Remember what he accomplished in the first administration. Before COVID, we had the greatest economy in the history of the world. Not the U.S, the whole world,” Johnson said. “Every demographic was doing better because we cut taxes, cut regulations and we made a better economic environment for everyone to succeed.”

Johnson said Trump’s proposed reciprocal tariff policy “is one that makes a lot of common sense.” Johnson said he ultimately expects other countries to reduce tariffs on American products

“This is a different world, it’s a much more integrated, complex economy. And the president’s absolutely right when he says we have to think about America’s interest first because if we don’t, we’re not going to maintain our status as the great super power,” Johnson said. “If we raise and match their tariff policy, I think ultimately what happens is you get back to a free trade agreement. These countries that engaged in this disparity – this raw deal for Americans for so long – it’ll get their attention and they’ll, I think, reduce their tariffs on us.”

Johnson said Trump’s plans for “Liberation Day” on April 2 could include challenges.

“It may be rocky in the beginning, but I think that this will make sense for Americans and it will help all Americans,” the House Speaker said.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Trump’s tariff plan will help U.S. workers.

“No American President in modern history has recognized the wide-ranging and harmful foreign trade barriers American exporters face more than President Trump,” said Greer. “Under his leadership, this administration is working diligently to address these unfair and non-reciprocal practices, helping restore fairness and put hardworking American businesses and workers first in the global market.”

Last week, Trump announced a 25% tariff on imported automobiles, duties that he said would be “permanent.” The White House said it expects the auto tariffs on cars and light-duty trucks will generate up to $100 billion in federal revenue.

Trump said eventually he hopes to bring in $600 billion to $1 trillion in tariff revenue in the next year or two. Trump also said the tariffs would lead to a manufacturing boom in the U.S., with auto companies building new plants, expanding existing plants and adding jobs.

Trump predicts his protectionist trade policies will create jobs, make the nation rich and help reduce both trade deficits and the federal government’s persistent deficits.

The “Liberation Day” tariffs come after months of talk since Trump took office in January. On the campaign trail, Trump frequently called “tariff” the most beautiful word in the English language.

Some economists have predicted Trump’s tariffs could mean higher prices for U.S. consumers. The Budget Lab at Yale modeled a broad 20%, but noted “it is highly uncertain whether this is the policy that will be announced April 2.” The model suggests that prices would by 2.1% to 2.6% in the short run, the equivalent of an average per household consumer cost of $3,400 to 4,200 in 2024 dollars.

Leavitt said Tuesday that Trump’s tariff plan was long-term when asked how they could affect senior citizens living on a fixed income.

“Tomorrow’s announcement is to protect future generations of the senior citizens you mentioned,” she said. “It’s for their kids and their grandkids. To ensure that there are jobs here in the United States of America for their children to live the American dream.”

Last week, S&P Global said U.S. consumers could reduce spending in the near-term.

“We think Americans will soon pull back on purchases, dealing a blow to the world’s biggest economy, which is largely fueled by consumer spending,” the credit-rating agency said, noting a recession was possible in the next year.

Business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Farm Bureau Federation, have urged Trump to back off tariff threats.

Trump has promised that his tariffs would shift the tax burden away from Americans and onto foreign countries, but tariffs are generally paid by the people who import the foreign products. Those importers then have a choice: Absorb the loss or pass it on to consumers through higher prices. The president also promised tariffs would make America “rich as hell.”

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Republicans introduce bill to repeal gun control rule on pistol braces | National

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Thérèse Boudreaux | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-01 14:18:00

(The Center Square) – A Biden-era rule placing greater constraints on millions of legal American gun owners could be struck down if newly introduced Republican legislation becomes law.

Companion bills introduced by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., would undo a 2023 ruling by the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that classified pistols modified with stabilizing braces as short-barreled rifles and thus placed them under the National Firearms Act.

The action required all owners of pistols modified with stabilizing braces to pay a $200 fee, register their name with the U.S. Department of Justice and obtain federal approval to construct or transfer a short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun.

“‘Shall not be infringed’ is crystal clear – and the Biden-era abuses of the Constitutionally protected rights of gun owners across the country need to be undone,” Marshall said in a statement Tuesday. “The SHORT Act takes a step toward rolling back nonsensical regulations that the National Firearms Act has placed upon gun owners.”

A 2021 report by the Congressional Research Service estimated that between 10 and 40 million stabilizing braces and similar components are in civilian hands. Supporters of the rule say it will increase safety.

Both the Gun Owners of America and the National Association of Gun Rights, who called the Biden-era rule unconstitutional when it was implemented, expressed support for the legislation.

“The SHORT Act is a long overdue step toward restoring the rights of Americans, freeing gun owners from the burdensome and outdated regulations of the National Firearms Act,” NAGR political affairs director Hunter King said. “By removing short-barreled rifles, shotguns, and similar firearms from egregious federal regulations, gun owners would be able to exercise their Second Amendment freedoms without oppressive government interference.”

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Sex education bill proposed in North Carolina House | North Carolina

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-01 13:32:00

(The Center Square) – Directions on curriculum measured age appropriate and access in public libraries to materials considered harmful to minors are in a proposal at the North Carolina House of Representatives.

Parental Rights for Curriculum and Books, also known as House Bill 595, adds to state law a section for age-appropriate instruction for students; a human growth and development program for fourth and fifth graders; and says reproductive health and safety education shall not happen before seventh grade.



Rep. John A. Torbett, R-Gaston




The bill authored by Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston, and filed Monday additionally has sections on instructional materials and clarification of “defenses for material harmful to minors.” Public library access for minors is in a fourth section.

Gender identity instruction, a buzzword of recent election cycles, is prohibited prior to students entering the fifth grade. The proposal extends that to prior to the entering seventh grade.

The bill would require parental consent to learn about some elements associated with sex education – infections, contraception, assault and human trafficking.

State law allows schools the option to adopt local policies on parental consent for the reproductive health education.

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