Connect with us

Mississippi Today

Gov. Reeves warns Mississippi: Challenge my vetoes, and it could jeopardize hundreds of projects

Published

on

Gov. Reeves warns Mississippi: Challenge my vetoes, and it could jeopardize hundreds of projects

Gov. Tate Reeves’ partial veto of five projects totaling $3.9 million in a larger bill containing hundreds of projects costing about $372 million appears to have come with a warning.

The warning is that any legal challenge of Reeves’ partial veto of those five projects could jeopardize the entire bill, which provides funding for hundreds of projects throughout the state supported by local governments and others.

Reeves issued his partial vetoes Friday. Last year when Reeves made similar vetoes, several elected officials argued that his action was unconstitutional, though it never was challenged in court.

The arguments over the vetoes’ constitutionality delve deep into the inner workings of the Legislature and nuances of the types of bills lawmakers typically consider.

The Mississippi Constitution gives the governor the clear authority to issue partial vetoes of appropriations bills. In the past, that partial veto authority has been limited, though the state Supreme Court, in a ruling on other partial vetoes by Reeves in 2021, expanded it.

In his veto message of those five projects on Friday, Reeves claimed House Bill 603 is an improperly written appropriations bill.

But he added, “Mindful of the need for much of the funding authorized by House Bill 603 and preserving the legal arguments raised in this message, I will choose to treat HB 603 as a properly presented appropriations bill. In treating HB 603 as such, I fully understand that given the opportunity, the Mississippi Supreme Court may opine that this bill has not been properly presented to the governor.”

READ MORE: Senate can’t muster votes to override Gov. Tate Reeves’ 2022 vetoes

While Reeves claims HB 603 is an improperly constructed appropriations bill, the Legislature refers to HB 603 as a “transfer bill” and not an appropriations bill. The bulk amount of money appropriated for the multiple projects across the state can be found in the bill providing appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year for the Department of Finance and Administration. House Bill 603 does not appropriate the money from the state treasury, but instructs DFA how to disburse those funds.

For that reason, House Speaker Philip Gunn and others made arguments that Reeves’ similar partial vetoes from last year were improper. This year, Reeves is arguing that the bill itself is improper, and if his vetoes are challenged, the constitutionality of the entire bill might be considered by the state Supreme Court.

The vetoed items are:

  • $2 million for the Russell C. Davis Planetarium in Jackson. This marks the second year in a row Reeves has vetoed an earmark for the capital city’s planetarium.
  • $500,000 for the city of Greenville for improvements to Frisby Park, Greenville Municipal, Maude Bryan Park and Rounds Park.
  • $300,000 for a destination marketing tourism program for local governments.
  •  $600,000 to Greene County for renovations and repairs to the Greene County Rural Events Center.
  • $500,000 to WISPR Systems in Batesville to expand unmanned aircraft systems manufacturing in Mississippi.

While Reeves vetoed those projects, he allowed literally hundreds of other projects — including some very similar to the ones he vetoed — across the state to become law.

“This funding includes proposals I vetoed last year, projects that are not within the proper role of state government, and projects that I believe are not in the taxpayers’ best interest,” Reeves said in a statement. “I will continue to be a watchdog on behalf of the taxpayers when it comes to their money.”

READ MORE: Gov. Tate Reeves blocks state funding for major Jackson park improvement, planetarium

The Friday night veto message was confusing in the sense he also vetoed projects that were vetoed last year. Those projects were included in legislation that was designed “to correct errors” in the more than 280 projects approved in the 2022 session. In the veto message, the governor said he was not sure those projects needed to be vetoed again, but out of an abundance of caution he was doing so.

One of those projects was $13.3 million to develop a nature trail connecting parks and museums, to build a golf course and to make other improvements in the LeFleur’s Bluff area of Jackson.

The governor did not veto a $13 million appropriation for the LeFleur’s Bluff project this year, but the state funds will reportedly not be used for golf course construction — Reeves’ biggest gripe about last year’s project that he vetoed.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi Today

Speaker White wants Christmas tree projects bill included in special legislative session

Published

on

Speaker White wants Christmas tree projects bill included in special legislative session

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-18 10:38:00

House Speaker Jason White sent a terse letter to Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on Thursday, saying House leaders are frustrated with Senate leaders refusing to discuss a “Christmas tree” bill spending millions on special projects across the state. 

The letter signals the two Republican leaders remain far apart on setting an overall $7 billion state budget. Bickering between the GOP leaders led to a stalemate and lawmakers ending their regular 2025 session without setting a budget. Gov. Tate Reeves plans to call them back into special session before the new budget year starts July 1 to avoid a shutdown, but wants them to have a budget mostly worked out before he does so.

White’s letter to Hosemann, which contains words in all capital letters that are underlined and italicized, said that the House wants to spend cash reserves on projects for state agencies, local communities, universities, colleges, and the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

“We believe the Senate position to NOT fund any local infrastructure projects is unreasonable,” White wrote. 

The speaker in his letter noted that he and Hosemann had a meeting with the governor on Tuesday. Reeves, according to the letter, advised the two legislative leaders that if they couldn’t reach an agreement on how to disburse the surplus money, referred to as capital expense money, they should not spend any of it on infrastructure. 

A spokesperson for Hosemann said the lieutenant governor has not yet reviewed the letter, and he was out of the office on Thursday working with a state agency. 

“He is attending Good Friday services today, and will address any correspondence after the celebration of Easter,” the spokesperson said. 

READ MORE: Mississippi lawmakers end 2025 session unable to agree (or even meet about) state budget: Legislative recap

Hosemann has recently said the Legislature should set an austere budget in light of federal spending cuts coming from the Trump administration, and because state lawmakers this year passed a measure to eliminate the state income tax, the source of nearly a third of the state’s operating revenue.

Lawmakers spend capital expense money for multiple purposes, but the bulk of it — typically $200 million to $400 million a year — goes toward local projects, known as the Christmas Tree bill. Lawmakers jockey for a share of the spending for their home districts, in a process that has been called a political spoils system — areas with the most powerful lawmakers often get the largest share, not areas with the most needs. Legislative leaders often use the projects bill as either a carrot or stick to garner votes from rank and file legislators on other issues. 

A Mississippi Today investigation last year revealed House Ways and Means Chairman Trey Lamar, a Republican from Sentobia, has steered tens of millions of dollars in Christmas tree spending to his district, including money to rebuild a road that runs by his north Mississippi home, renovate a nearby private country club golf course and to rebuild a tiny cul-de-sac that runs by a home he has in Jackson.

There is little oversight on how these funds are spent, and there is no requirement that lawmakers disburse the money in an equal manner or based on communities’ needs. 

In the past, lawmakers borrowed money for Christmas tree bills. But state coffers have been full in recent years largely from federal pandemic aid spending, so the state has been spending its excess cash. White in his letter said the state has “ample funds” for a special projects bill.

“We, in the House, would like to sit down and have an agreement with our Senate counterparts on state agency Capital Expenditure spending AND local projects spending,” White wrote. “It is extremely important to our agencies and local governments. The ball is in your court, and the House awaits your response.”

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Continue Reading

Mississippi Today

Advocate: Election is the chance for Jackson to finally launch in the spirit of Blue Origin

Published

on

Advocate: Election is the chance for Jackson to finally launch in the spirit of Blue Origin

mississippitoday.org – @BobbyHarrison9 – 2025-04-18 10:05:00

Editor’s note: This essay is part of Mississippi Today Ideas, a platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share fact-based ideas about our state’s past, present and future. You can read more about the section here.


As the world recently watched the successful return of Blue Origin’s historic all-women crew from space, Jackson stands grounded. The city is still grappling with problems that no rocket can solve.

But the spirit of that mission — unity, courage and collective effort — can be applied right here in our capital city. Instead of launching away, it is time to launch together toward a more just, functioning and thriving Jackson.

The upcoming mayoral runoff election on April 22 provides such an opportunity, not just for a new administration, but for a new mindset. This isn’t about endorsements. It’s about engagement.

It’s a moment for the people of Jackson and Hinds County to take a long, honest look at ourselves and ask if we have shown up for our city and worked with elected officials, instead of remaining at odds with them.

Pauline Rogers

It is time to vote again — this time with deeper understanding and shared responsibility. Jackson is in crisis — and crisis won’t wait.

According to the U.S. Census projections, Jackson is the fastest-shrinking city in the United States, losing nearly 4,000 residents in a single year. That kind of loss isn’t just about numbers. It’s about hope, resources, and people’s decision to give up rather than dig in.

Add to that the long-standing issues: a crippled water system, public safety concerns, economic decline and a sense of division that often pits neighbor against neighbor, party against party and race against race.

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has led through these storms, facing criticism for his handling of the water crisis, staffing issues and infrastructure delays. But did officials from the city, the county and the state truly collaborate with him or did they stand at a distance, waiting to assign blame?

On the flip side, his runoff opponent, state Sen. John Horhn, who has served for more than three decades, is now seeking to lead the very city he has represented from the Capitol. Voters should examine his legislative record and ask whether he used his influence to help stabilize the administration or only to position himself for this moment.

Blaming politicians is easy. Building cities is hard. And yet that is exactly what’s needed. Jackson’s future will not be secured by a mayor alone. It will take so many of Jackson’s residents — voters, business owners, faith leaders, students, retirees, parents and young people — to move this city forward. That’s the liftoff we need.

It is time to imagine Jackson as a capital city where clean, safe drinking water flows to every home — not just after lawsuits or emergencies, but through proactive maintenance and funding from city, state and federal partnerships. The involvement of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the effort to improve the water system gives the city leverage.

Public safety must be a guarantee and includes prevention, not just response, with funding for community-based violence interruption programs, trauma services, youth job programs and reentry support. Other cities have done this and it’s working.

Education and workforce development are real priorities, preparing young people not just for diplomas but for meaningful careers. That means investing in public schools and in partnerships with HBCUs, trade programs and businesses rooted right here.

Additionally, city services — from trash collection to pothole repair — must be reliable, transparent and equitable, regardless of zip code or income. Seamless governance is possible when everyone is at the table.

Yes, democracy works because people show up. Not just to vote once, but to attend city council meetings, serve on boards, hold leaders accountable and help shape decisions about where resources go.

This election isn’t just about who gets the title of mayor. It’s about whether Jackson gets another chance at becoming the capital city Mississippi deserves — a place that leads by example and doesn’t lag behind.

The successful Blue Origin mission didn’t happen by chance. It took coordinated effort, diverse expertise and belief in what was possible. The same is true for this city.

We are not launching into space. But we can launch a new era marked by cooperation over conflict, and by sustained civic action over short-term outrage.

On April 22, go vote. Vote not just for a person, but for a path forward because Jackson deserves liftoff. It starts with us.


Pauline Rogers is a longtime advocate for criminal justice reform and the founder of the RECH Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting formerly incarcerated individuals as they reintegrate into society. She is a Transformative Justice Fellow through The OpEd Project Public Voices Fellowship.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Continue Reading

Mississippi Today

On this day in 1959, students marched for integrated schools

Published

on

On this day in 1959, students marched for integrated schools

mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-18 07:00:00

April 18, 1959

The Youth March for Integrated Schools on Oct. 25, 1958. A second march followed on April 18, 1959.

About 26,000 students took part in the Youth March for Integrated Schools in Washington, D.C. They heard speeches by Martin Luther King Jr., A. Phillip Randolph and NAACP leader Roy Wilkins. 

In advance of the march, false accusations were made that Communists had infiltrated the group. In response, the civil rights leaders put out a statement: “The sponsors of the March have not invited Communists or communist organizations. Nor have they invited members of the Ku Klux Klan or the White Citizens’ Council. We do not want the participation of these groups, nor of individuals or other organizations holding similar views.” 

After the march, a delegation of students went to present their demands to President Eisenhower, only to be told by his deputy assistant that “the president is just as anxious as they are to see an America where discrimination does not exist, where equality of opportunity is available to all.” 

King praised the students, saying, “In your great movement to organize a march for integrated schools, you have awakened on hundreds of campuses throughout the land a new spirit of social inquiry to the benefit of all Americans.”

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Continue Reading

Trending