Jackson Jambalaya

This should be an exercise in right wing parroting.

Yeah, Republican fiscal responsibility like giving your cronies huge tax breaks while the highways crumble and the revenue dries up. I'm pleased they're so responsible! Imagine where we'd be without them.

Maybe if we spent more time on important items like "budgets" and less time on fake crusades against religious freedom, these things wouldn't happen

Gosh! I wonder what other laws they've come up with that I didn't know I needed?

They will soon be solving more problems that don't exist.

You know who tend to have a lot of disposable income?

Gay people.

Just something to think about.

I think that the leadership deserves blame for passing a part of the necessary tax reforms (Franchise Tax) without passing all that is needed (Fuel Tax and adjusting Corporate Income Tax). But, they also deserve credit for socking away the Rainy Day Fund while Democrats wanted to spend it away. When MAEP was funded at the highest level ever, Democrats complained that "it's raining. We need to spend the Rainy Day Fund." Thank God Tate Reeves, Philip Gunn and their members had the stones to say "uh-uh. We aren't buying that and we aren't scared of the electoral consequences." Now we have the money for an actual Rainy Day.

If you cannot balance a budget get out of the way and let someone else do it. It is real easy. Don't spend money you do not have.

Imagine where we'd be without them.

✔ Without any rainy day fund.

9:07 nice try... this is a self inflicted rainy day...

9:07 give me a break. This is the worst "leadership" we have ever had and the last legislative session was the worst in my 52 years bar none.

And also without them we'd probably have the money that was in the Tobacco Settlement, a new state flag, $5 billion in new healthcare money, fewer Kior/beef plant boondoggles and positive growth in Mississippi's economy.

9:48 CHA CHING! And gay people could get wedding cakes baked by bigots.

One thing Donkeycrats are good for is revisionist history.

Too bad they couldn't be Dindu Nuffins!

With friends like these who needs enemies!

Its amazing how many conservative friends of mine (and posters on here) have stated that this is the worst legislative session in memory. All it took was a super majority for their brains to quit working. And now we get a bonus session.

@ 9:48, the Democrats are the ones who wasted away the Tobacco $. It has been spent the last few years because there was no point in saving it any longer. The "untouchable" became a budget source in the first couple of years. Nice try, though.

Supermajorities are from the devil. Both sides desperately need a functioning opposition to keep them honest. At the moment, the democrats suck hard and provide no real counter-balance to the unchecked and eventually harmful abuse of power exercised by the supermajority. And it works both ways.

The end result is there is no difference in a democrat and a republican. Both will spend every dime they can get their hands on and ask for, and take, more.
There is no untouchable when it comes to politicians. There is no balancing a budget when it comes to politicians. What there is in abundance is waste, spending, graft, and theft.

So, it seems Bryant won't address the statutory issue barring the sweep of funds, but just grab the rainy day money and leg it. What a pitiful leadership.

The first step the super majority could take to show to the voters that they will bear some of the burden of their fiscal choices would be to renounce their legislative per diem pay for the expense of this special session.

Headline should read: Barney calls Floyd, Goober, and the rest of the guys into session.

Supermajorities are from the devil.

So all those Mississippi years under more-than-supermajority control by Democrats were decades from the devil.

Agree 11:42. It is truly that bad.

hey 8:25,
The Republican's roads are a lot smoother than the democrats roads.
Ride down Gallatin street and then down Madison Avenue.
No comparison.
You implying that the democrats show fiscal responsibility???

@11:22. You make it clear from your comments that you (1) either don't know a damn thing about what you are running your fingers about, or (2) don't care - the Democrat method of not letting facts get in the way of a good story.

The 'sweeping of funds' that you don't like all apply to the 7/1/16 through 6/30/17 fiscal year budget. The special session called by the Governor deals with the shortfall from the underestimating of revenue for the 7/1/15 through 6/30/16 fiscal year budget.

Apples and mangos. Sorry to get in your storyline though; sure you can get it printed over at JFP with their editorial content filter in check.

My guess, and it's only a guess.... They will make a play to take the BP money and use it to shore up the general fund. Considering Phil thinks the smell of crude oil burning off the gulf is no different than stepping out into your garage and smelling gas from a lawnmower, nothing he says or does has surprised me since being elected governor. Nothing. The confederate heritage month b.s. and making sure bakers don't have to bake cakes for folks they perceive to be sinners is just more of the same ignorance. Total embarrassment of a governor. Total.

The state republicans can't get their stuff together. They have what they've always wanted: complete control. Yet they have proven no matter the party, they are all good ole politicians at heart. They continue to squander opportunity after opportunity, and continue to waste money. It is all beyond comprehension. Tate Reeves is not a leader. He is a puppet and a joke. This disastrous legislative year all comes back to him. We can thank the Barbours for all of the many blessings they have bestowed upon our state. The gifts that keep on giving - one inept politician after another.

@4:10 Jim Hood and others have already said that the fund sweep is a problem. Bryant has signaled that he also has some issues with it. This would be the time to clear up those issues rather than having a prolonged fight that leaves state agencies yet again scrambling to make cuts at the end of the fiscal year. Have the guts to take care of these problems now and show some sign of leadership rather than making incremental cuts throughout the year. The 16-17 budget hasn't even started and it is clear the numbers are already off- fix it. It isn't going to get any easier.

4:42 You are so right. I long for the good old days when the Dems had complete control of the legislature and Mississippi was ranked #1 in everything good.

Oh, wait........

5:45, even during the Great Recession of W and Haley's reign, cuts and rainy day fund raids weren't anything like this. With a massively improving national economy, total Republican hegemony has led to massive cut after cut, and massive revenue reduction and Rainy Day fund raids. Despite much better economic times, MS is in worse shape than in 2008. What's changed? Feel vs. Haley and total republican control of both houses. That appears to be it. I'd love to hear some other explanation.

9:48 For the Tobacco Settlement money you need to look to Hood, Moore and their good buddies they hired to share in all that money.
I am so glad our GOV let the PEOPLE vote/decide to keep OUR flag. I guarantee you that the next thing will be the American flag. There will never be enough because the people leading this march have to always have something to complain about that is what keeps them in business. The federal gov was only going to give MS funds for 2 years ($5 billion in new healthcare money). After that WE would have to raise taxes to make up that money. Ride around many parts of JXN. at around 10 am to see how many grown men and sitting about drinking from a brown bag. You are welcome to take as many as you would like to the doctor and pay their bill for doing nothing. I have no insurance--DO NOT WANT THE GOV. TO GIVE ME ITS IDEA OF INSURANCE.
fewer Kior/beef plant boondoggles This was a dem that did that mess.
Tax breaks to get some of these big companies to bring jobs which increases the tax base is a good thing better us than another state.

4:42 I for one am very proud to be from the south(The confederate heritage month). We are the confederate and as hard as you and others try YOU CAN NOT REWRITE THAT.
Why can't I have my heritage(good,bad,ugly) just as I hear almost on a daily basis about black-African history (whatever is PC this week), gay pride etc..

8:32 "budgets" and less time on fake crusades against religious freedom, these things wouldn't happen
You might try actually reading 1523 before you make asinine comments. If you want a cake baked for a gay wedding why shouldn't I have an equal right if it is against my belief to not bake said cake? There are plenty of other bakers who do not object go to them. When you become a christian you DO NOT give up all your rights. If I own my business and put money, blood, sweat and tears into it I SHOULD have the right to not serve or serve the customers I CHOOSE. The free market will take care of those it feels should not be there.
I really like our Gov. for the most part he has done a good job. I also agree I am unbelievably disappointed in the republican party. They were voted in there to do the job they ran on. NOW DO IT! I do not understand why repubs do not have a backbone once they take the oath of office.

For all the new political professionals out there that have the internets these days, Mississippi Republicans don't have the market cornered on using the rainy day fund to help balance the general fund. It may be the first time you've heard of it, but the Democratic Governors from the past did the same. And Hood is a Dem for those that don't know. See where all the states tobacco money went.... The whole lot of them suck, it just depends on who's in office this year.

Why is it that the tax payers have to pay when our leaders cannot get their work done? If there is a need for a special session it should not cost the tax payers a dime. No excuse for us to have to pay extra for politicians that cannot or will not do their job.
Might as well not have them.

You might try actually reading 1523 before you make asinine comments. If you want a cake baked for a gay wedding why shouldn't I have an equal right if it is against my belief to not bake said cake? There are plenty of other bakers who do not object go to them. When you become a christian you DO NOT give up all your rights. If I own my business and put money, blood, sweat and tears into it I SHOULD have the right to not serve or serve the customers I CHOOSE. The free market will take care of those it feels should not be there

What do you have to say about a govt. employee that does not do their job? I would call that person a thief.

When Dems were in control, they were just Republicans in Dem clothes. Ideology of the legislature is the same, the party control has just been switched over.

11:06 - As one that has actually read 1523, and do not find it as objectionable as many who comment on it but don't know a damn thing about it because they obviously haven't read it I would agree with you on the one point, although I don't think I would use the word 'thief'. That would make many of our government employees 'thieves' by your definition.

The part of 1523 that I find objectionable is the exclusions for the circuit clerks - they knew what the job was when they ran for office, asked for votes, and took the oath. The performance of their job is not left to their personal choices - imagine putting the same allowance on the sheriff, or the tax collector. Of for that matter, the District Attorney. ---- Wait, wait. Can't use that one since the Hinds DA seems to use his personal choices. Back to good examples -----

A baker, a priest, a photographer all should be allowed to exercise their choice, and many have been doing so for decades without the need for a law. The basic "I'm busy that weekend" can be a good enough reason. But the public official should do their job and issue the license. I think Judge Reeves actually got one correct this time, although under somewhat differing analysis.

People need to put a little thought into this whole thing.
The leadership of Ms. needs millions of $4 to balance their budget.
Who was the fool who thought then economy in Ms. was going to improve enough so that the govts. % of money would go up enough to cover quite a few millions of $$?
Did they think there ws going to be a gold strike in Ms.? Did they thing the people in Ms. were going to spend enough more money so the tax dollars would cover their ass?
Our leaders need to get real on their estimates or get out of the way and let some 3rd grader do it.